Netflix Might Be Planning To Roll Out A Higher-Speed Binging Feature

Do you want to watch Jesse Pinkman run really, really fast in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie while testing his captors’ bonds? Or perhaps you simply feel overwhelmed by your overstuffed queue and, in turn, feel compelled to finish watching too-long episodes of bloated seasons without nearly enough time in this world. In either case, you may be in luck. Engadget has passed on word that Netflix is selectively testing a new feature that will allow users to speed through episodes in a more efficient manner. There’s probably a liquid-diet analogy to be had here, but I’ll skip those gruesome implications because this could be polarizing business.

Android Police was the first to report that they were tipped on the impending feature and found some tweets from users who discovered the new capability on their Android-based apps. Here’s how this would allegedly work:

If you have it, you’ll get the option to slow down speed to 0.5x or 0.75x, or raise it to 1.25x or 1.5x. The former might be useful if you want to see a scene in slow-motion, are learning a language and want a leisurely pace to assimilate everything being said …. or if you’re addicted to Gilmore Girls; while the latter should be nice if you’re catching up on a slow documentary or re-watching a favorite show.

At this point, there’s been no official word from Netflix (we’ve updated with an official spokesperson statement, below) on this feature, which appears to be only testing in very limited instances right now. Surely though, this is something that some people would want, and speedier viewings will certainly allow Netflix to enjoy higher viewing numbers on their original programming. That’s a win for them, right? Still, creators of these series and films certainly won’t be happy about this decision, which could be seen as degrading their artistic vision, although it’s a reality that audiences are overwhelmed these days. People feel the pressure to keep up with cultural conversations inspired by these projects, and yes, some folks will welcome shortcuts.

In the alternative (and this is only a suggestion, so take it as you will), perhaps every series should only contain episodes that are 30 minutes or less, and maybe then, folks wouldn’t feel the need for more speed. Speaking of which, you should probably watch Paul Rudd in Living With Myself. It’s bite-sized, still manages to include two Paul Rudds, and serves as a wonderful meditation on human nature. No high-speed binging required.

UPDATE — 4:10pm EST: A Netflix spokesperson has reached out with this statement:

“We’re always experimenting with new ways to help members use Netflix. This test makes it possible to vary the speed at which people watch shows on their mobiles. As with any test, it may not become a permanent feature on Netflix.”