Can't Decide What to Watch on Netflix? This App Chooses For You (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6k5Mieyw_Mw4IEpmPc6Sj3o-9eVrDd4G1zyn0JJ28y1Nuxl0TZsmhh0aFg1sa4M6eN-lf9TYrtL-T6aNGwrLOj9vAD8hktfaZnao7e8kb_oiC3E968yNYbow2NYPUJ37ApGs0_80ARA/s1600/ipad_2up_hometimes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6k5Mieyw_Mw4IEpmPc6Sj3o-9eVrDd4G1zyn0JJ28y1Nuxl0TZsmhh0aFg1sa4M6eN-lf9TYrtL-T6aNGwrLOj9vAD8hktfaZnao7e8kb_oiC3E968yNYbow2NYPUJ37ApGs0_80ARA/s1600/ipad_2up_hometimes2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">Spending more time trying to choose what to watch on Netflix than you are actually watching movies?</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">You might want to <a data-rapid_p="68" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:734dcf62-69e3-3db5-bb85-ba427bcc1c7f;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/netflix-showdown/mnnjdpeifhophmpnfhfnimhdegicgcab?hl=en" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">install Netflix Showdown</a>, an extension for the Google Chrome browser that either forces you to pick a Netflix movie before a short timer runs out, or else chooses one for you. It’s the perfect tool for your movie-watching buddy (or you!) who can never bring himself to just pick a darn movie already. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">The extension loads on top of the Netflix.com website and works like this: Either you choose three different titles you’re having trouble deciding between, or the app will choose three random titles from Netflix for you. You then have a set amount of time — either 15 seconds, 50 seconds or 90 seconds (you decide) — to make a final selection from among those three titles.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">This is the “Showdown” of Netflix Showdown: The three movies are fighting for your approval.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;"><img alt="image" height="257" src="http://l2.yimg.com/cd/resizer/FIT_TO_WIDTH-w500/ea77db6bd1fa703166bb7f1dfe2d4292b2c2640b" style="border: 0px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="500" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">If you don’t make a selection before the timer runs out, Netflix Showdown can choose for you and will auto-play one of the three flicks or TV shows.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">Here, for example, Netflix Showdown has automatically selected “101 Dalmations,” “Super 8” and “Firefly” as the Showdown titles. Since I didn’t click on any of the posters before the time ran out, the app chose “Super 8” for me, and will start playing it in a few seconds. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;"><img alt="image" src="http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2014-01-17/b7e34071-ba07-4e3f-a58e-c36a6e057d9d_netflix-showdown.gif" style="border: 0px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">Now, there are obvious downsides to Netflix Showdown. It only works on your laptop, so if you watch Netflix on a tablet, a gaming console or a Roku, you can’t use it. Second, it only works on the Google Chrome browser: Internet Explorer and Firefox users are out of luck. And sometimes, the movies that Netflix Showdown chooses are complete duds. Netflix Showdown — which is in no way associated with Netflix — is not quite as smart as Netflix’s learning software, which Netflix used to create something similar to Netflix Showdown in <a data-rapid_p="69" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:734dcf62-69e3-3db5-bb85-ba427bcc1c7f;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/netflix-max-221008517.html" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">one of the mini-games in its new Netflix Max app</a>. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">Netflix Showdown, however, works a little bit faster than Netflix Max and also gives you some agency in setting up the titles you want to choose from. It’s perfect if you’re indecisive but committed to watching Netflix, or if you’re watching with a group of people and there are several different votes on what you should watch. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;">No need to come to blows with your buddies on Movie Night: Just let Netflix Showdown choose for you.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;"><a data-rapid_p="70" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:734dcf62-69e3-3db5-bb85-ba427bcc1c7f;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/netflix-showdown/mnnjdpeifhophmpnfhfnimhdegicgcab?hl=en" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">You can try Netflix Showdown now by downloading the Chrome extension right here</a>. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-top: 0.55em;"><em>Y</em><em>ahoo Tech is a brand new tech site from David Pogue and an all-star team of writers. <a data-rapid_p="71" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:734dcf62-69e3-3db5-bb85-ba427bcc1c7f;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://www.facebook.com/yahootech" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Follow us on Facebook</a> for all the latest.</em></div></div>

Can't Decide What to Watch on Netflix? This App Chooses For You (BLOG)

Spending more time trying to choose what to watch on Netflix than you are actually watching movies? You might want to  install Netflix Showd...

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