Most people prefer to watch movies and series while lounging on their comfortable couches on a big TV screen. There is also a convenient app on the smartphone or tablet to use while on the go. However, if you truly want to feel comfortable while watching Netflix, many people use their laptops and lie down on the bed. However, watching Netflix directly in your browser can cause issues.
Firstly, you may get lower image quality than what your subscription already provides. There are several ways to avoid that, which we will discuss below.
Read more: Best VPN for Streaming Netflix 2024: Watch wherever you are
Choose the right browser
One known issue with Netflix is that browsers like Firefox or Chrome do not play the content at the best quality even though they should. On both Windows and Mac personal computers, the quality can be significantly affected if you are using the wrong browser.
Netflix works best on Safari. According to the streaming platform, you can get a resolution up to 2160 pixels (Ultra HD) here. Edge also faces fewer issues in playing high-definition content. So, if you have the option, it is better to use one of these browsers for streaming.
Install a browser add-on
There are practical add-ons for all other browsers that “force” them to play at Full HD resolution. In the case of Chrome, for example, there is “Netflix 1080p” available. This latter is also available for Mozilla Firefox.
After installing the add-on, you need to press Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S on Netflix to open the bitrate settings menu. If the add-on causes issues, you can also try clearing the browser cache. Unfortunately, this does not work for content with higher resolutions than Full HD, i.e., Ultra HD or 4K. You really need a different browser for this (and the correct Netflix subscription).
Use the app
Of course, you still have the option to simply switch to the Netflix app. This can be found in both the Microsoft Store and the Apple App Store. However, since this year, users of the Windows app have had to do without downloading content for offline viewing, which was a big feature of the app unlike the web version.
How to check the quality of the stream
You can use a simple trick to check the current video quality being played on Netflix. To do this, use the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Alt + D. In addition to the current bitrate, more statistics like the Netflix servers being used are displayed here.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and has been translated and localized from German.
