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You’re throwing away money on Netflix – I found three common mistakes sending your bill soaring but the fixes are easy
The third tip means using the money-saving 'stream swapping' technique
NETFLIX isn't getting any cheaper – but that doesn't mean it can't cost less for you.
We're all exhausted by ever-climbing TV bills, but you might be overpaying without even realising it.
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I've found a few simple Netflix mistakes you need to check.
With easy fixes, you can instantly cut your monthly streaming bills and put that money towards something more exciting – like a massive pizza order for movie night.
4K FAIL
Your first mistake is paying for a 4K plan when you just don't need it.
Netflix's top subscription is the Premium plan, which costs £17.99 in the UK and $22.99 in the US.
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It's not an insignificant amount of money to be paying every month.
The big perk is that you can watch 4K Ultra HD content (and in HDR, or High Dynamic Range too).
Of course Netflix is packed with 4K content so what's not to like?
Well there's every chance you're not watching Netflix on a 4K TV.
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Many televisions don't have 4K screens, and you'll be capped to the max resolution (the number of pixels) of the display.
And if you're streaming via an Fire Stick or Roku box, you'll need to make sure that it supports 4K too – or you won't see an Ultra HD picture.
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Importantly, most tablets and smartphones don't have 4K screens either.
And on a tiny mobile screen, having ultra-high-resolution is even less important because the pixels are packed into a more dense space.
So if you're a regular mobile watcher, the Premium plan might be an even bigger waste of money.
Instead consider downgrading to the Standard plan, which is £10.99 in the UK and $15.49 in the US.
What is 4K, Ultra HD and UHD?
Here's an easy guide to what 4K means...
- 4K, Ultra HD and UHD are all different names for the same type of TV screen. 4K refers to the number of pixels on your TV screen – or the "image resolution"
- The pixels are the tiny dots of colour that make up the image you see on your telly. A pixellated image is one where the pixels are really obvious, because there aren't many. But images with lots of pixels – like a 4K movie – generally look sharper and clearer
- A true 4K screen has 4096 x 2160 pixels. That means on your TV screen there are 3840 pixels across, and 2160 pixels vertically. That's roughly 8.3 million pixels on the display in total
- 4K gets it's name because it's got four times the number of pixels as a standard Full HD TV
- Full HD (or 1080p) screens have 1920 pixels across, and 1080 pixels going upwards – for around two million pixels in total. So 4K just means your TV has many more pixels on the screen compared to a more common Full HD display
- Ultra HD, or UHD, is basically the same as 4K. If you buy a UHD telly in a shop, you'll be able to watch 4K content on it with no bother
- But there is a small difference. Almost every TV you ever buy has an aspect ratio of 16:9. That means for every 16 pixels horizontally, there are 9 vertically
- True 4K footage doesn't quite fit in with that ratio, so you won't often find TVs with 4096 x 2160 pixels. Instead, to fit with the 16:9 ratio, most 4K TVs will have 3840 x 2160 pixels instead
- If it doesn't make sense, grab a calculator and divide 2160 by 9. Then multiply it by 16, and you'll get 3840. That's the aspect ratio working its magic. So when you see an Ultra HD TV, it just means it's a 4K image with slightly fewer vertical pixels
- If you try watching a 4K video on a non-4K TV, the video will still play – but it won't be in 4K quality. To watch a 4K video in 4K quality, you'll need to fork out for a 4K TV. Similarly, if you're watching standard or HD footage on a 4K TV, it won't magically become 4K quality
- Some TVs promise "4K upscaling", which converts your standard or HD footage to near-4K quality. This works by using software to guess what colours would fill the extra empty pixels missing in HD footage, and then filling them in. This creates a 4K-like effect, but it's not true 4K
That's a big monthly saving that adds up over the year.
In fact, you'd be saving £84 in the UK and $90 in the US just by making this simple switch.
The Standard plan still gets you multiple-device streaming (two at a time), the option to download offline content, and Full HD streaming.
And its library of content is exactly the same as the Premium plan.
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NOT SO BAD ADS?
The second mistake is ignoring the newer and far cheaper Standard with Ads plan.
This is a way to save vast sums of money in an instant.
It's a lot like the Standard plan, but (as the name suggests), you'll be viewing commercials.
If you're a long-time TV viewer then the idea of watching ads won't seem that bad.
NETFLIX PRICES AND PERKS – HOW MUCH ARE YOU PAYING?
Here's what you need to know...
Netflix Standard with Ads
Price: £4.99 / $6.99
- Ad-supported, all but a few movies and TV shows available, unlimited mobile games
- Watch on 2 supported devices at a time
- Watch in 1080p (Full HD)
- Download on 2 supported devices at a time
Netflix Standard
Price: £10.99 / $15.49
- Unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows, and mobile games
- Watch on 2 supported devices at a time
- Watch in 1080p (Full HD)
- Download on 2 supported devices at a time
- Option to add 1 extra member who doesn't live with you
Netflix Premium
Price: £17.99 / $22.99
- Unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows, and mobile games
- Watch on 4 supported devices at a time
- Watch in 4K (Ultra HD) + HDR
- Download on 6 supported devices at a time
- Option to add up to 2 extra members who don't live with you
- Netflix spatial audio
Ads are now increasingly common even for paid content – and you'll be used to see them if you're a YouTube fan too.
The Standard with Ads plan still gets you streaming and downloading on two devices at a time.
And it's still Full HD resolution, which your TV is far likelier to support.
Full HD is also totally fine if you're watching on a mobile screen too.
The advantage here is that Standard with Ads costs just £4.99 a month in the UK and $6.99 for the US.
So over the course of the year – versus a Premium plan – you'll be saving £156 or $192. Giant savings.
STREAM SWAPPER
The final question you should be asking is: do you even need a monthly Netflix subscription?
Your immediate answer is probably "yes", but hear me out.
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There are two big mistakes you might be making.
Firstly, there is a vast selection of content out there that costs no money.
There are loads of TV streaming apps that have thousands of live channels, movies, and shows – all funded by showing you ads.
Try downloading apps like:
- The Roku Channel
- Tubi
- Pluto TV
- Amazon Freevee
- Plex
THE ROKU CHANNEL EXPLAINED – FREE TV FOR YOU!
Here's what you need to know
The Roku Channel is a streaming app that's available on a range of devices.
It offers more than 400 live TV channels.
And it promises over 80,000 movies and TV shows on an on-demand basis.
Roku says that the app is available on:
- Roku streaming devices
- Compatible Samsung Smart TVs
- Compatible Amazon Fire TV devices
- TheRokuChannel.com website
- Roku mobile apps (iOS and Android)
Roku notes that the app is only available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It's also available in Mexico, but only on Roku devices.
They'll give you vast libraries of no-cost content in an instant.
In fact, they might be so packed with TV that you might decide to ditch Netflix altogether.
Secondly, try stream swapping.
This involves simply rotating through paid TV apps month by month.
That way you always have fresh content to watch, but you're not constantly forking out for Netflix.
So you could sign up for Netflix for one month, then switch to Disney+, then Amazon Prime Video in the third month.
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Pick four or five apps and then by the time you cycle back to the first one, there'll be new movies and shows to enjoy.
It's an easy way to save money and means you won't miss out on premium content from those paid-for apps.
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