Netflix Now Allows People to Speed Up and Slow Down Playback

Netflix has finally introduced a feature that allows users to speed up or slow down their shows and movies.

The new playback controls are in the process of rolling out across Netflix's Android and iOS apps, as well as its web browser platform, following a limited trial last year.

People will have the option to choose to stream up to 0.5-times slower or 1.5-times faster on their phones, tablets and laptops.

The move was met with concerns by some actors and filmmakers, who claimed that offering a range of playback speeds could affect the quality of the content. This feature incites an intense reaction from content creators, who claim it 'destroys' the watching experience.

"Distributors don't get to change the way the content is presented. Doing so is a breaking of trust and won't be tolerated by the people who provide it," tweeted director Judd Apatow, after the first tests of the tool were introduced last year.

In a blog post explaining its decision to proceed the complete roll-out, Netflix vice president Keela Robison said customers appreciated the decision.

"Similar functionality has been available on DVD players and DVRs for years and the feature has been much requested by members".

"Most important of all, our tests show that consumers value the flexibility it provides whether it's rewatching their favourite scene or slowing things down because they're watching with subtitles or have hearing difficulties", she said.

US National Association of the Deaf and the National Federation of the Blind has welcomed Mobile Playback Speeds on Netflix, who noted that people who are deaf and have difficulty reading appreciate being able to slow down captioning.

Netflix also stated that more than 80 per cent of its subscribers use subtitles or closed inscriptions at least once a month, often to learn new languages.

Netflix likewise said that more than 80 per cent of its endorsers use captions or shut-in any event once every month, regularly to learn new dialects.

Ms Robison said: "It's also worth noting that extensive surveys of members across several countries who watched the same titles with or without the feature showed it didn't impact their perceptions of the content's quality."