Until recently, if you wanted to download Netflix shows onto your laptop, you’d have to know your way around the dodgy download sites. Now you can do it with a clean conscience.
The Netflix Windows Store app, only available on Windows 10, has just been updated with the downloads feature that was introduced on Android and iOS devices some while ago. It means you can download episodes of almost any Netflix homegrown show for offline viewing. Handy for the commute home from work, or if you’re going away on holiday to one of those awful places without a reliable internet connection. Which is pretty much any hotel or holiday park in the UK, come to think of it.
There’s plenty of high quality viewing to choose from amongst Netflix’s downloadable roster. I’d strongly recommend Narcos, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and The Crown. Be warned, if you’re planning to watch on a packed commuter train, that some of those contain nudity and graphic violence. The moment when The Queen kicks off in The Crown, for instance…
Download button
So how do you download the shows? Simply fire up the Netflix app while you’re still online, search through the catalogue (Netflix Originals are your safest bet) and look for the little download arrow next to the episode’s listing.
By default, you’re set to download shows in High Quality, which equates to roughly 1GB of data for a one-hour show. You can reduce the quality in the Netflix app’s settings if you’re on a slow connection or worried about incurring the wrath of your IT bods if you’re downloading shows at work before the train ride home.
When you want to watch the show, open the app, click the hamburger menu in the top left and open the My Downloads section.
Downloaded shows expire with 48 hours and there is reportedly a limit on the number of times you can download an individual episode. There’s nothing to stop you loading the laptop with an entire series to binge watch on a plane, however, other than the capacity of your hard disk. Enjoy!
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