Netflix is ditching its star ratings system for a new thumbs up feature in April
Netflix and chill is just about to get a lot more personalised.
The film streaming company is rolling out a new rating feature globally in April, replacing its one to five stars ratings with thumbs up or down.
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Users can also be matched by percentages to specific movies or TV shows, similar to a dating site. Shows that have a less than 50 per cent match will not display a match-rating to the viewer.
"We're creating a dating site in a new way between a person and a title. We want to create a great love story. We want you to love what you watch”, Netflix vice president Todd Yellin said during a press briefing yesterday.
Yellin added that the amount of ratings went up 200 per cent during beta tests of the new system last year.
With the star ratings, people often rated documentaries higher than fluffier films or shows, though in reality they were more likely to watch the latter.
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The thumbs up, thumbs down system may streamline the ratings process for Netflix users. Although past star ratings will no longer be visible on the website, the metadata will still be used to personalise viewing profiles.
"This is the lingo of the internet now. This is the language people speak”, Yellin said. “We are addicted to the methodology of A/B testing”.
Thumbs up to that.