Ever since cassette tapes were a thing, people have been sharing compilations of the music they love. 5 simple steps to make a perfect mix. 5 simple steps to make a perfect mix. Anyone reading these words will probably belong to one of two groups of people:those who like music mixtapes, and those who have no idea what one is. This article is aimed at both groups,... Read More Why wouldn't they? Music is something that is deeply personal and intimate. The juxtaposition of songs can weave a story about who you are and how you feel. Music is meant to be shared.
I find it strange that people don't really do the same with movies. I honestly couldn't tell you why. Perhaps it's because relative to vinyl and audio tape, home video is a relatively new idea. It could also be because you need a bit of technical knowledge to rip a movie. You don't need that to use a dual-drive tape recorder, or to burn some MP3s to a CD-R.
Netflix wants to change that. It recently launched FlixTape, a new independent site targeting the virtually untapped market for movie and TV playlists. It's hard to believe, but until recently there was no built-in functionality that offered this. If you wanted to create a movie compilation, you would have to post it on a blog or social networking site.
So how does FlixTape work? What can the viewer offer you? And are there other apps that add a much-needed social side to the world's largest streaming site? Keep reading to discover all this and much more..
FlixTape makes it really easy to create your own movie playlists. The entire process is done in four steps. First, just head over to The FlixTape website. . It will then ask you to name your build. This has to start with “los” and end with “FlixTape”. I went with “The political comedy of FlixTape”.
Based on the name you gave your FlixTape, Netflix will suggest some movies and TV shows to include. Honestly? I've never been impressed by Netflix's recommendation engine, and FlixTape's suggestions, unsurprisingly, weren't enough. I was looking for political comedies, and I got Shooter , House of cards , and Homeland . Don't get me wrong, these are great shows, but they're not comedies.
Fortunately, Netflix makes it easy to remove them from your list. Just hover your mouse over the title you want to get rid of and you'll have the option to remove or replace it. FlixTape will also give you the option to see more information about it, if it's a title you don't recognize. You can change the order of titles by dragging and dropping them.
Once you have a clean board, you can add your own. Netflix gives you the option to search by genre and title. You can also search for partial titles, if you're not 100% sure of the name of the content you want to add.
Before you share your FlixTape, you can also create a memorable cover image for it. This will give you a hint of what is included.
So, you're done! The last thing you should do is share it with your friends. FlixTape gives you the option to post it to Facebook or Twitter, as well as a direct link to email it.
It is important to emphasize that Netfix's lineup varies from country to country. The UK, for example, has less than half the content that is available in the US. This means that if you share a FlixTape with someone who lives in a country other than your own, you may not be able to see everything on your list.
Just like Spotify Discover new music with Spotify Auto Playlists Discover new music with Spotify Auto Playlists Spotify has recently launched new ways to generate unique playlists that will help you discover amazing new music. We are here to walk you through these auto playlist makers. Read More These have twee names like "The Besties or Frenemies Flixtape" and the "Mom and Pop Flixtape," and have a healthy mix of quality Netflix original content. 13 New Netflix Products You'll Be Watching in 2016. 13 New Netflix Originals You'll Be Watching in 2016. Netflix has released a lot of original content, including House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, Narcos, and Master of None. , but 2016 is set to be Netflix's most exciting year yet. Read More
I was a bit stumped by the content of some of the playlists I saw. That “mom and pop flixtape” did I mention? He had a heartwarming family watching as RED , and House of Cards .
Others were a little more reasonable. “La Coix University Flixtape” It was full of educational programming and social commentary, from the mobile. Beasts of no nation starring idris elba, a Cooked , where Michael Pollan examines the role of food in society through an anthropological lens.
It's funny:Most people watch Netflix with their significant others or friends. They snuggle on a couch, binge Orange is the new black . But despite that, Netflix has always lacked a social side.
That makes sense, I guess. The experience of being engrossed in a movie or TV show will be seriously undermined by the presence of notifications and alerts.
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of third-party products, apps, and services that aim to fix it. Honestly, it would be impossible to exhaustively list them all, but these are the ones I personally use and love.
The first thing is the Netflix party. This is a free add-on for Chrome, which allows you to watch the same TV show or movie with a remote user, while staying in sync.
Simply download the plugin from the Chrome Store, open a video, and then click the NP icon next to the address bar. You will then receive a link. Share that with someone, and they can get in. They will be able to pause, rewind, fast-forward and start the video, and their Netflix will move with it. Cool right?
Another one I use with my girlfriend is rabb.it. This allows you to start a video conference with someone, much like apparition. Hover over Google Hangouts Plus. Appear.in is here and it's really good Move through Google Plus Hangouts. Appear.in is here and it's really good. People have been asking for a decent video conferencing app for years. We thought it was Google Plus. We were wrong. Meet Appear.in. Read more . It also allows you to generate a virtual web browser, which can play Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube, as well as browse the Internet.
An unforeseen advantage of this is that it allows you to browse the much more abundant US NetFlix, as this is where the real servers running the virtual servers are based. The previous method of achieving this by using a VPN was blocked earlier this year. Why Netflix's Crackdown On VPNs Will Ultimately Fail Why Netflix's Crackdown On VPNs Will Ultimately Fail Netflix is set to take down VPNs to satisfy rights holders who source their content. So how will the Netflix ban work? And how effective will it be? Read more.
FlixTape is a slightly off-Netflix social tool that should keep you entertained for a while. We doubt it will take off in the same way that mixtapes have in the past, but Netflix is at least trying to expand its horizons. And while you're busy experimenting, you can try the other two tools we've recommended here.
Have you already made a FlixTape? If so, what is in it? Are there any other social tools that you use with Netflix? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below.
