Netflix recently made news with the long-awaited introduction of offline viewing for its streaming video customers, and now the company is kicking off 2017 by focusing on its roots: physical DVDs. Netflix this week announced a new app for its “DVD.com” service that allows subscribers to “complete their Netflix experience” by browsing the DVD and Blu-ray catalogs, managing their queues, and keeping tabs on when new movies are shipped out, all from their iPhone.
Longtime Netflix customers will recall that the ability to manage your Netflix DVD queue on the go isn’t exactly new. This functionality previously existed in the original Netflix mobile app but was removed in 2011 as the company turned its focus to online streaming.
While the majority of the company’s customers now subscribe exclusively to streaming video plans, Netflix still ships physical discs to more than 4 million users. Beyond offering a solution to customers who don’t have the bandwidth to take advantage of streaming video, Netflix’s physical DVD service also provides a way to view content that is not available to stream, something that has grown more important as the company struggles to secure licensing deals.
At the very least, the release of the new DVD.com app gives Netflix’s physical disc hold-outs a bit of hope that the company won’t shutter the service in the near future. Those still renting DVDs and Blu-rays from Netflix can pick up the DVD.com app for iOS now.