Netflix Just Disabled Phone Casting To Most TVs And Streamers, Bah Humbug!
The change, which reportedly rolled out in late November, primarily targets the latest version of the Netflix app, newer Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV streamer boxes, and smart TVs. For ages, the convenience of using a phone as a secondary remote for browsing, queuing, and controlling playback made casting a favorite feature. Almost without warning, many user have found that they've suddenly lost the Cast functionality. Netflix customer service representatives are countering the removal as a way to "make the customer experience better." Of course, this rationale has been met with significant user push-back by many who prefer their mobile app over clunky TV interfaces and directional remotes.
For the select few, though, a partial reprieve does exists. Netflix's support pages specify that casting remains operational only for a handful of legacy devices, including the original Chromecast and third-generation models—hardware that was initially designed to be controlled exclusively by a phone and lacks an integrated graphical user interface. But even this small group of casters face a new and significant caveat. Users who subscribe to the popular ad-supported tier are entirely cut off from the feature, regardless of the age of their hardware.
Netflix has explicitly stated that even on older, compliant devices, casting is only available to those on non-ad-supported plans, effectively turning the casting feature into a premium-tier option only granted to users of outdated technology. What the what?!
While the company may argue this standardizes the experience, for many it is a clear step backward in convenience as well as the social aspect of it all, eliminating the ease of browsing on a couch (at home or at a friend's house) to instantly beam a show onto the large screen. Netflix's move affects a long-established user habit to initiate their viewing sessions, and compounds on the streaming giant's recent price hikes all across the board. Cutting the cord isn't as simple as it used to be, is it?
