Netflix introducing its password-sharing crackdown in India understandably sent subscribers into a panic, with everyone checking their emails to see if the new policy had applied to them. If it does apply, members can no longer lend their accounts to friends and family living elsewhere, limiting the usage to within a single household. The streamer always viewed the feature as a key reason for revenue loss, and therefore will now ask its subscribers for verification codes and track IP addresses to log out any additional users watching content on the main account. The crackdown — first introduced in the US — has helped the company gain nearly 6 million new subscribers this quarter, totalling 238.4 million subscriptions.
Compared to other countries, Netflix’s plans remain unchanged in India, with no ad-supported feature and the inclusion of a Mobile plan from back in 2019. With the streamer launching at least one pristine show every month — One Piece and Heartstopper season 2 this month — it’s easy to get swayed into getting an account and so, this guide will help you figure out the best plan suited to your needs. As of August 2023, Netflix in India has four plans (in increasing order of price): Mobile, Basic, Standard, and Premium. Here’s a complete breakdown.
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Netflix Mobile Plan
As the name implies, Netflix’s mobile-only plan will let you play content on one phone or tablet, at a time, limiting the screen resolution to standard definition. Priced at Rs. 149 per month, you gain access to unlimited ad-free movies and TV shows, in addition to its mobile games, all of which will be exclusively available to you as a subscriber. Downloads are also enabled across all plans.
Netflix Basic Plan
Netflix’s basic plan expands its canvas, letting you play content on TVs and computers, in addition to the aforementioned phone/ tablet platform. Just like the Mobile plan, you can only watch stuff on one supported device, albeit all content is now available at up to HD resolution (on supported devices). It’s worth mentioning that while you still get access to Netflix’s catalogue of games across all plans, they can only be played on an Android or iOS device; the option won’t even pop up on a browser. The Basic plan costs Rs. 199 monthly.
Netflix Standard Plan
From here on out, you’ll be able to watch films and shows simultaneously on multiple devices, with the Standard plan offering support for up to two devices at a time. The resolution also sees a slight bump, going into full-HD territory. However, in order to truly experience it, you’ll need to make sure Netflix is running on a native app. You see, Netflix uses a DRM tech aimed at preventing users from recording their screens to make and share illegal copies of its content. Browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox use a software-based DRM called Widevine, which in some instances, allows people to use screen-capture software without blackening the screen. Understandably, Netflix doesn’t like that and so, compresses the resolution to a mere 720p on both Windows and Mac-based systems. Even if you pay for Ultra HD streaming, you’ll still be treated to blurry picture quality when using specific browsers to access Netflix.
So, if you’re someone who prefers watching Netflix on their PC or laptop, we recommend using native browsers such as Microsoft Edge or Safari. These devices come with hardware-based DRM protection, which is harder to crack, thereby delivering content at crisp resolutions — you get what you paid for. A Basic plan is listed at Rs. 499 per month.
Netflix Premium Plan
Finally, Netflix’s Premium plan delivers content at Ultra-HD resolution, in addition to supporting HDR formats up to Dolby Vision on compatible devices. The audio specs also see a minor upgrade, thanks to support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, which can work better with your soundbar, speaker system, or compatible TV and headset. Bear in mind, this feature doesn’t apply to the entire catalogue, so you’ll need to search for specific content in these formats in the search bar for compatible shows or movies to appear. They also have a tiny discernible icon next to the description, and a big chunk of Netflix’s original catalogue supports modern audio and video formats.
The Premium subscription costs Rs. 649 monthly and lets you watch content on up to four devices simultaneously. Meanwhile, downloads will be supported on six devices at a time. I must say it’s a bit overkill taking the new changes to password-sharing into consideration — I’m guessing this will be reduced in time. For now though, support for Ultra-HD streaming and modern HDR and audio formats remains the key selling point of the Premium plan.