Watching Netflix on a Mac couldn't be any easier, since the streaming video service phased out its reliance on the Microsoft Silverlight browser plugin. All you need is a Netflix account, a high-speed Internet connection and the time to watch your favorite shows and movies. Netflix automatically detects your Internet speed and streams its videos in the best quality your bandwidth and browser can handle. On modern Mac computers, Safari supports the best resolution: up to 1080p when streaming Netflix on OS X Yosemite.
Safari Requirements
- It's easy to download Netflix shows and movies to your iPad or iPhone for later viewing offline, but what if you want to do so on a Mac? There is a way, but unfortunately, it's far less.
- Netflix is available for many devices, some of the devices any come with the Netflix as pre-installed. It depends on the type of device you use. If it is not available with the device itself you can download and install it manually on the device. Netflix can be downloaded from various sources, it is available.
It's easy to download Netflix shows and movies to your iPad or iPhone for later viewing offline, but what if you want to do so on a Mac? There is a way, but unfortunately, it's far less.
Safari streams Netflix on any Mac computer with OS X 10.10 Yosemite or later using HTML5, without the need for any plugins or additional software. This includes any Mac computer produced in 2012 or later, as well as some 2011 models, provided you have upgraded to the free Yosemite operating system. For high-definition video, you need a high-speed Internet connection with download speeds of at least 5 megabits per second.
Google Chrome Requirements
Google Chrome version 37 or later supports streaming Netflix videos using HTML5. This means if you have upgraded to the most recent version of Chrome available on any Mac using OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later, you can start streaming without needing extra software. Chrome supports HD video up to 720p with an Internet connection of 5 megabits per second or faster. Older Macs with Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11 or later running Google Chrome version 3 or later don't support HTML5 streaming for Netflix. Netflix will prompt you to download the Microsoft Silverlight plugin when you first try to play a video.
Mozilla Firefox Requirements
For anyone who loves Mozilla Firefox, unless you want to try using Safari or Chrome for your Netflix sessions, you need to install Microsoft Silverlight. As of February 2015, Mozilla won't support the HTML5 Encrypted Media Extensions that Netflix requires. According to PCWorld, Netflix uses these extensions to download a closed-source plugin that restricts subscribers from recording content. Although Mozilla has plans to release a modified version of these extensions, in their current form they violate Mozilla's policies on digital rights management, or DRM. Until that happens, when you try to play a Netflix video on Firefox, the browser will give you instructions for installing the Silverlight plugin, a small 14.5MB file that takes just a minute or two to install.
Getting Started
The first time you go to Netflix.com on your Mac, you are prompted to sign in. If you have never used Netflix before, click the 'Sign Up Now' link at the bottom of the Sign In box. Otherwise, enter your Netflix account email address and password. You can also log in with Facebook, provided you have linked Netflix to your Facebook account. You do need a credit card to start a Netflix account, but the first month is free. Scroll through the recommended videos or use the Search option to find a specific title, actor or director. When you find a video you want to watch press the 'Play' button and the video starts playing immediately.
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Netflix has introduced the ability to download certain movies and TV shows to its app for iPhone and iPad. This is great for when you're on the go and don't want to worry about streaming over a cellular network or buying in-flight internet access.
Follow the steps below to get started with downloading from Netflix.
How to download a movie or TV episode on Netflix
Download From Netflix On Laptop
While you can't download every show or movie that's available on Netflix, there is already a wide selection available for the feature, including much of the service's original content.
- Open the Netflix app.
- Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner. It looks like three horizontal lines.
- Tap Available for Download.
- Tap the show or movie that you want to download.
- Tap the download button next to the movie or episode that you want to download (looks like an arrow).
How to remove a downloaded movie or TV episode from Netflix
How To Download From Netflix Mac
When you're done with a show or movie and want to free up space on your device, it's a simple matter to just remove the download.
- Open the Netflix app.
- Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner. It looks like three stacked horizontal lines
- Tap on the title if you're looking to delete select episodes of a show.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap the delete button (looks like an 'x') next to the items you want to remove.
Questions?
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