Netflix is a service that allows customers to stream motion pictures and television series via the internet. Streaming technology enables people to listen to or view media while it is being transmitted, rather than waiting for an entire file to be downloaded. Netflix provides licensed and original content that subscribers can view at any time on various devices. Netflix has won numerous awards for its original content produced exclusively for its subscribers. It also has inspired a number of other video-streaming services, including Amazon Prime and Hulu.
Netflix was founded in 1997 by the American software engineer Reed Hastings and the American business executive Marc Randolph. In 1998, Netflix launched the first DVD rental and sales website. The following year, it began a subscription service that offered unlimited DVD rentals for a monthly fee. It enabled customers to order DVD’s online, and to receive and return them through the mail.
In 2007, Netflix began offering a streaming service in addition to its DVD rental service. Streaming allowed subscribers to access video more quickly. Customers may access streamed video with such internet-connected devices as personal computers, smartphones, tablets, TV’s, and video game consoles. In the early 2010’s, Netflix began offering its streaming service in countries outside the United States. By the late 2010’s, Netflix was available in most countries. In 2023, Netflix discontinued its DVD rental service.
Netflix began offering original programming in 2013 with the television series “House of Cards” (2013-2018). In 2014, “House of Cards” won three Emmy Awards for its first season. Other Netflix original series, including “Orange Is the New Black” (2013-2019), “Stranger Things” (2016- ), and “The Crown” (2016-2023), have earned Netflix many more awards and award nominations. In 2017, Netflix won its first Academy Award, in the documentary (short subject) category, for the original film The White Helmets (2016).
Netflix and similar services have contributed to a shift in the way that many people watch movies and television. For example, Netflix’s DVD rental service enabled customers to rent DVD’s without leaving home to visit a video-rental store. The relatively inexpensive subscription fee of such services as Netflix also have led many people to cancel their cable television subscriptions. Netflix became known for releasing entire seasons of original TV series at once, so viewers could watch episodes back-to-back. Technologically, Netflix has presented challenges for internet service providers (ISP’s), which sometimes have struggled to manage traffic (the flow of data) generated by Netflix subscribers.
