After a protracted launch that has seemingly taken years, the Netflix Australia website is now live. The site is now offering users a free months access, with plans starting from $8.99/month.
The site offers users the option to sign up for their first free month, with options for an SD plan for $8.99/month, a two-stream HD plan for $11.99/month and a four-stream 4K UHD ‘Family’ plan for $14.99/month. The plans are month-to-month so you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time.
A welcome sight on the Netflix page is of course the FAQ which answers quite a few questions. But it’s even nicer to see a 1800 number (1800 071 578) listed on the site if you have any questions.
The options for streaming depend of course on your TV, with options for FullHD(1920×1080 resolution) or Ultra HD/4K (3840×2160 resolution) content. The quality of stream is also dependent on the quality of your internet access, with Netflix advising the following speeds will be required :
- 0.5 Megabits per second – Required broadband connection speed
- 1.5 Megabits per second – Recommended broadband connection speed
- 3.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for SD quality
- 5.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for HD quality
- 25 Megabits per second – Recommended for Ultra HD quality
Bandwidth usage is also something to consider, with Netflix offering approximate usage scenarios based on quality :
- Low (0.3 GB per hour)
- Medium (SD: 0.7 GB per hour)
- High (best video quality, up to 3 GB per hour for HD, 7 GB per hour for Ultra HD)
There’s quite a bit of support for Netflix in terms of devices, with a long history in the US, there’s compatibility with almost every Android device made – as well as full support to Chromecast your stream to a larger screen.
For a look at which content is available you can check out the leaked list that came out last night, or you can simply search through the library that’s available once you sign up for your free trial. If you’re interested in checking out Netflix, head on over to the website and sign up for your free trial – you’ll need a Credit Card or PayPal account to get under way, but it’s fairly simple to do.
I’m new to this whole Netflix thing.. How do I choose what quality I want to stream at? Or does Netflix just negotiate that automatically? If so, how can I tell which quality stream I’m getting?
On the one hand I’m keen to switch to the local version but I’m just going to keep an eye on it for now, while sticking with the US account. Once the content improves a bit (which I hope and am confident it will), then I’ll kill the DNS changer.
Ok so I’m trying to sign up but in payment details it asks for a zip code….I ignore that it says zip code and enter my post code, and it keeps coming up with an error message that I need to enter a valid zip code. I thought maybe I need to go to a separate australian version of the site, but the link in this article is the same….It looks like other people have signed up no problems so what am I doing wrong…
Ok…so fixed now, I think its cause my DNS settings were set up to work with U.S.A services like Hulu Plus…changed DNS settings and was no longer asking for a zip code
Just joined. Works much smoother than the WWE Network. Getting smooth 1080p without any buffering at all. WWE Network struggles to stream 720p to my house.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia…. missing! NOOOOOO!!!
thanks for the update
i am sticking with the US version
Would this work with a fetch TV box or does it require a new set top box?
Requires a gen 2 Fetch TV box, the one with the power light is bar across the top-right not with the illuminated Fetch TV logo on the left.
Woop! Finally casting off the shackles of Foxtel. I noticed that we actually got Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (wasn’t on the leaked catalogue). Double woop!
I think it was wasn’t it?
Yes it was, I believe I said it was on the 9th row….