Today in TechNetflix clamps down on account sharing; additional streams now cost a premium
If you're a seasoned Netflix instant streaming user, it may surprise you to know that the company has always had an official policy of limiting the number of simultaneous streams you're using. Now, Netflix has made that policy more concrete by producing an error message if you attempt to access your streaming account when it is already in use. This move comes just weeks after the company quietly raised the prices for its various plan options.
The rule says, if you pay for a one-disc or streaming only account, you're only supposed to be using the on-demand service on one device at a time. However, up until now, that guideline has been more of a suggestion than an actual limitation, and some Netflix subscribers abused that oversight by sharing their accounts with others. After all, why pay for multiple accounts when you can stream HD content to several homes at once? But while shady subscribers may be the target, families who use the service in different rooms at the same time will also be caught in the crossfire. It seems reasonable that two adults may want to watch a movie in the living room while their children enjoy the new Netflix kids programming in another.
Unfortunately, Netflix isn't so understanding, and the new policy — which is already in effect — now limits the number of active streams to whichever corresponding plan you're paying for. If you have a streaming-only account ($7.99) and want to watch the service on more than one device at a time, you'll need to bump up your account to a two-disc ($19.98), three-disc ($23.98), or four-disc ($29.98) plan. That's bad news for many of us who have no need for physical DVDs, but we wouldn't be surprised to see Netflix introduce multiple streaming-only options in the near future that will hopefully meet consumer demand without breaking the bank.
[Update] Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey spoke with Engadget and clarified that no subscriber should be limited to less than two simultaneous streams, and that any accounts that are limited to a single stream are experiencing an unfortunate glitch. We tested out the stream limitations prior to publishing and found that we were limited to a single streaming device, but apparently that error will be corrected shortly.
This article originally appeared on Tecca
More from Tecca:
