Netflix removes ability to cast content to TV in recent update
A Netflix feature was silently removed from some users' accounts in a recent update.
The "cast" feature, which allows subscribers to play media on a device and display it on a TV or streaming box connected on the same network, has been removed from users with certain smart TVs and streaming boxes. The feature has also been removed from the accounts of subscribers of the ad-supported tier.
In an article on its Help Center website titled "Can't find 'Cast' button in Netflix app,' Netflix states the streaming service "no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices." Affected users will "need to use the remote that came with your TV or TV-streaming device to navigate Netflix."
The feature is apparently still available to subscribers that have "an older Chromecast device" (which is not defined) or "a TV that works with Google Cast." If this is not the case, affected users will have to download their smart TV's or streaming box's native Netflix app.
The update comes in a time when streaming services appear to be tightening their grips on how users experience the content for which they pay. Between Sony removing purchased content due to contract disputes and the ever-rising prices of streaming services, respect for consumer rights in the streaming media space is dwindling day by day.
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