save your movies to watch them offline

The most famous streaming platform is available on most devices, including Android TV, but it does not offer the same features as on smartphones: downloading series and movies to watch them offline is not an option. This makes sense for TVs, but what if you want to take a player like the Chromecast with Google TV on a trip? Well, there is a solution: install the mobile application.

Being able to download pending episodes of a series to your mobile phone is generally a premium option on most streaming platforms; not in vain The phone is the best weapon against boredom during long trips. Downloads are generally not included in TV apps because, typically, the TV is docked in the living room and will not lose WiFi connectivity. Unlike what happens in so-called decoders or content players: taking them on vacation fixes more than one night of boredom. And yes, it is possible to install Netflix and have offline downloads.

Your Android TV and Netflix, vacation companions

Netflix offers two streaming applications on Android: one for smartphones and tablets, the main one, and another for Android TV devices, which has the name “ninja” in its package name. In terms of basic services, both offer the same thing: access to content reading, favorites, viewing profiles, subtitles, language selection… However, Netflix for mobile is more versatilesince, among other additions, it includes the download of content which is always welcome.

As we said at the beginning, on televisions it does not make sense to have an option to save series and movies in memory, but that does not mean that we have to ban the offline use of possibilities. The “ninja” application on televisions does not consider this. For that, We can install the mobile version on the TV in order to have downloading and offline viewing.

The benefit of downloads is clear and noticeable. However, the mobile application has disadvantages on televisions equipped with Android TV, they are as follows:

• Navigation is touchscreen, not designed for remote control. It is essential to use a mouse connected to Android TV or a gamepad for example.
• Grids are not well organized on the TV. Derived from the previous problem, the appearance of Netflix for mobile phones on television is not properly adapted.
• Storage on Android TV may fill up too quickly. However, Netflix can also save content to an SD card, provided the player has this advantage.

Having to navigate Netflix with a mouse or gamepad isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but the truth is that the app works perfectly. And the content reproduction is as expected: the image fits the entire screen surface without losing subtitles and language options.

The process to have the mobile app on Android TV is the usual process to install the APK files on the TV. Simply follow the following steps:

• Now search for the Netflix mobile app. It’s the red N on a black background, the one for Android TV (the ninja) has a white background (and the full name of the platform).
• Log in with your Netflix username and navigate the grid with the mouse as if you were using your finger on your mobile screen.
• Access the application settings by clicking on your avatar at the top right. Then enter “Download video quality» and select “High”. If you are using an SD card on your Android TV, select it from the “Download Location” menu.

• Return to the Netflix grid and browse the films, series and documentaries you want to download to make them accessible offline. Go to each title and choose what you want to download.

Once you have downloaded what you want, you will have it in your downloads folder, accessible from the bottom menu of the application. You can view all this content when you don’t have an internet connection, just open the Netflix app again and navigate to the downloads with the mouse. Playback will be identical to the native Android TV app, although you may notice a loss of quality due to the characteristics of the Netflix download system.

Cover image | Ivan Linares

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