Netflix expands into 130 new countries, making it available almost everywhere in the world
China is the last big company not to have access to the service — though it has added a Chinese language option — but India, Pakistan and Thailand can now all get on
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Your support makes all the difference.Netflix is now available almost everywhere after it rolled out in 130 new countries — with one big exception.
The company is still not available in China, which is the last big country to hold out on the online TV and film streaming service. But the company has said that it has added Chinese language options, and that it will keep pushing to enter the country.
Crimea, North Korea and Syria still don't have access to the service, either.
The company also announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that it would be adding high dynamic range (HDR) videos later this year. HDR shows millions of extra colours and better contrast between black and white — it requires a special TV, but many of the top sets now include the technology.
Netflix boss Reed Hastings said that the 130 new countries made Netflix a "new global internet TV network". The company has said in the past that its eventual plan is creating a truly international network so that everyone can watch the same content from anywhere, avoiding the complicated licensing deals that now exist and mean that Netflix catalogues vary between countries.
"With this launch, consumers around the world — from Singapore to St Petersburg, from San Francisco to Sao Paulo — will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously - no more waiting," said Mr Hastings. "With the help of the internet, we are putting power in consumers' hands to watch whenever, wherever and on whatever device."
The company said that it would be "very patient" about trying to get into China, but that it was aiming to do so.
The site announced at the gadget show in Las Vegas that it now shows 125 million hours of TV and films per day, and that 12 billion hours of video was streamed in the last three months of 2015. That is up nearly 50 per cent on the same period next year.
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