Broadcasting has grown significantly in the Netherlands in recent years. A recent Telecompaper survey found that more than half of those surveyed subscribe to a streaming service, and a quarter subscribe to multiple services.
A service like Netflix is also perfect for the holidays. You no longer have to fill your car or bag with DVD or Blu-ray discs if you want to watch movies or series abroad. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to be well prepared when you want to stream on vacation. Therefore, carefully read this step-by-step plan before leaving!
1. Make sure you can access your Netflix show
While you are within the borders of the Netherlands, you can enjoy all the movies and series that the streaming service has to offer here. This can only change when crossing national borders, because in this case different rules apply with rights holders.
Fortunately, nothing will change for you when you go on vacation to a country located within the European Union. In 2018, a new European law came into effect, meaning that all services you pay for a subscription – including Netflix – must offer the same in the EU as the country where you’re registered. So the Dutch can enjoy the Dutch show from Netflix, including the Dutch subtitles, anywhere in the European Union.
The story only becomes completely different when you go on vacation to a country that is not part of the European Union. In this case, it is better to use a VPN. through the so-called virtual private network It can connect you to a server in a country of your choosing and trick a website or software into thinking you are in that country.
So if you connect to a server in the Netherlands, you’ll see the Dutch show on Netflix, even though you’re in a completely different country. And after your vacation, you can also use VPN to enjoy Netflix show in other countries, such as UK or US.
2. Download your favorite movies and series
Netflix is constantly expanding the capabilities of the streaming service. For example, you can now let the streaming service decide which movie or series to watch, if you can’t figure it out. The most useful feature was added on the Netflix app just a few years ago.
You have the option to download movies and series. This is not only useful for not overloading your data package when you often travel by public transport, but also for holidays. This way you can watch your favorite shows on the plane, without the need for an internet connection. And you don’t mind Geo-blocking If you have already downloaded movies and series in the Netherlands.
There is only one caveat when it comes to downloading content on Netflix. You cannot use this feature for every movie and series, because the rights holder must have given permission to do so. So don’t blindly assume that all the movies you want to “take with you” on vacation can actually be downloaded.
In addition, movies and series downloaded on Netflix also have a certain expiration date. Over time, the download will be automatically removed from the file Offline librarySo don’t start preparing all your movie collection for the holidays weeks in advance.
3. Prepare data and battery in advance
When you are sure you can access all your movies and series on vacation, whether it’s via a VPN or a download, it’s also important to consider how you can continue watching Netflix abroad.
The Netflix app can drain the battery of your laptop, tablet or smartphone very quickly. Therefore, having a power bank for a long trip to the United States or Asia, for example, is not an unnecessary luxury. And don’t forget to bring the correct plug, otherwise you won’t even be able to charge your devices at your destination.
Another point to think about is your mobile data. In the Netherlands, we can enjoy free Wi-Fi in many places, but this is certainly not the case in every country. And if you are going to stream movies and series via data, you can copy your package faster than expected. So check before you leave what is possible in terms of additional data with your service provider or pre-download as many shows as possible over WiFi on the Netflix app.
If you follow these steps, you can enjoy your favorite movies and series anywhere in the world with peace of mind!
Evil tv scholar. Proud twitter aficionado. Travel ninja. Hipster-friendly zombie fanatic.