Netflix tests instant replays for specific scenes
You’ve no doubt watched a show where you wanted to revisit a whole scene, but most video services only offer you a basic skip-back feature. Netflix thinks it can do better. It confirmed to the LA Times that it’s testing an instant replay feature that would restart a scene from the beginning. In its current form, testers see a “watch that scene again” pop-up in certain shows (Dumplin’ and Mowgli are examples) that lets you jump back to the start of a memorable moment. In theory, you could revisit an epic brawl or a laugh-out-loud joke without having to either find the beginning yourself or play someone’s bootleg YouTube clip.
In a statement, the company didn’t say how long the test would last or how well it was going. It instead dialed back expectations, noting that it was “just looking to learn” and “may or may not roll it out more broadly.”
There may be good reason to sit on the feature a while. Test participants have complained that the pop-ups undermine the viewing experience. Do you really want an overlay right in the middle of an important plot point? If Netflix can eliminate the distraction or make it optional, though, it might be ideal for replaying segments on a whim. The company theoretically has enough viewer data to know which moments resonate with subscribers, so it wouldn’t have much trouble programming scene markers for its original productions.
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