Netflix is on an absolute roll. The company saw its year-to-year stock value rise accordingly with its growing base of subscribers amidst an economic landscape that was always going to favor the streaming giant. With people all over the world spending more time at home than ever and movie studios refraining from releasing their films due to the pandemic, business is good as ever for Netflix.
However, all that doesn't mean the company is resting on its laurels. Instead, the streamer continues to push for new features it can offer to its users; as well as a never-ending library of content that promises at least one new Netflix movie every week for 2021 while it continues the development of productions in different languages.
At the same time, the developers and all the people working on Netflix's under the hood features are also leveling up their game with the implementation of new tech that enhances users' enjoyment of content with some quality of life improvements. The latest of these is the addition of the xHE-AAC audio codec for Netflix's Android app, which enables "Dynamic Range Control" that helps even out the volume differences between a show's quiet dialogue and an action scene with exploding cars all over the place.
To put it simply, the new audio codec aims to save viewers' time and effort when they have to constantly change the volume levels on their devices or simply switch to headphones. These differences in volume levels become exacerbated by the added noise from surrounding areas and low-quality speakers some phones use, though it had been fixed on iOS since 2019.
By Netflix's own admission, around 70% of its content is consumed on TV sets, be it thanks to Smart TV Apps or streaming devices, with the vast array of comedy specials, documentaries, and select picks available on the platform. However, mobile consumption of content is becoming more important for commuters and people who just prefer to have something to listen to while doing chores.
Having just recently passed the 200 million worldwide subscribers, Netflix remains the biggest player in streaming by a lot, with only Disney Plus' mighty army of intellectual property and budget posing any significant threat to its dominance. As content continues to spread out over each network or studio's own platform, Netflix knows it has to continue offering improved user experiences, even if it's with tiny details like this one.
Source: The Verge