Netflix’s New Content Download Option Has a Hidden Catch

, Netflix’s New Content Download Option Has a Hidden Catch, #Bizwhiznetwork.com Innovation ΛI

When Netflix added support for content downloading late last year, it was hailed as a long-overdue move for the popular VOD service. Having now used the option while traveling on several occasions, I can confirm that while it can be buggy — I’ve had to restart downloads multiple times and playback sometimes fails to rotate the content properly — it’s also handy to be able to grab a few episodes of a favorite show before you hop on a plane, especially if the jet doesn’t have a modern in-flight entertainment system.

Up to today, the only limit I was aware of was the temporary nature of the downloads themselves. When you download a file, you have a specific amount of time in which to watch it (48 hours in the files I’ve downloaded, but apparently some content can be kept for up to seven days). As far as I’ve experienced, that’s been the only restriction.

According to Android Police, however, there’s another catch when you download content. Some of it — and it’s not clear which — can only be downloaded a specific number of times per year.

NetflixContent

Image by AndroidPolice.

According to Netflix’ website, attempting to download content after you’ve hit the maximum number of yearly downloads will incur a 10016-22006 error. The company defines that error as follows:

If you experience the error code 10016-22006… It indicates that you have reached the maximum number of downloads for a specific TV show or movie.

Some TV shows and movies can only be downloaded a limited number of times per year per account. After seeing this message, you will only be able to download your TV show or movie again on or after the date referenced in the error message. If you would like to watch the TV show or movie sooner, you’ll need to connect to the Internet and stream.

One reasonable interpretation of these rules is that they’re imposed by the content rights holders, who don’t want to give up on selling you Blu-ray or DVD disks, as opposed to an endless download option that they don’t get any revenue from. But some of Netflix’s work is apparently gate-kept in this manner as well, and the company doesn’t give you any warning that you’re on your last downloads before you hit the error.

That’s a stupid way to handle it, to be perfectly honest. Having any download option at all is superior to not having one, and we lived with not having one for years. But if Netflix is going to put limits on content downloads or enforce limits set by others, it really ought to at least tell its users what the limit is, or at least warn them that they’re approaching it.

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