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Are you content with its content?
By now you've heard all about how Netflix's content library doesn't quite have the breadth of its US counterpart, but it has caught up in a massive way, thanks to Netflix's focus on original content over licensed material.
It's true that as of launch, our Netflix has a smaller range than the US service. This will surely bother people who've been experiencing US Netflix through a VPN or Smart DNS service, but for those jumping on board now, Netflix Australia still has a better variety of content than its local competitors.
Browsing its content offerings, it becomes evident that Netflix is running fairly light on non-Netflix Original content. However, this is offset by the fact that the quality of stuff on offer is genuinely high.
In terms of local content, Stan definitely has Netflix beat, with a hefty range of original Australian shows on offer, as well as home-grown movies.
However, there's still a nice selection of Aussie shows and films to choose from, as well as a range of stand up comedy specials from local comedians like Kitty Flanagan, Jimeoin and the Umbilical Brothers.
Documentaries are plentiful though, and there's a good range of overseas TV shows to choose from – we've even put together a list of the best Netflix shows streaming right now in Australia.
There's also a nice selection of back catalogue films available – while the U.S. version of Netflix has more films on offer, the quality of the movies available on the Australian version is generally higher, with familiar studio movies taking up more of Netflix's virtual shelf space.
Still, there's no denying that Netflix Australia's content offering is small compared to what's available on the US version, though you can rest assured that its content library will continue to grow over time.
Regardless, Netflix's subscription price is worth it for its original content alone – instant access to entire seasons of brilliant Netflix Originals like Mindhunter, Orange is the New Black, GLOW, Stranger Things, BoJack Horseman, Narcos, 13 Reasons Why, Queer Eye and many others make joining the service a no-brainer.
Netflix's collection of original movies also continues to grow, with the likes of Roma, Triple Frontier, Bright, In the Shadow of the Moon, Murder Mystery and The Perfection providing something for the whole family.
Verdict
After anticipating the arrival of Netflix to our shores for what feels like an eternity, the service has managed to deliver the flawless streaming experience we've all heard about for so long.
Where it falls down in terms of its content selection, it makes up for in terms of speed and the quality of its streaming.
While other streaming services are still trying to find their footing, Netflix Australia delivers a perfected streaming experience right out of the gate – we've not encountered a single error or buffering problem in any of our tests, and streams always began immediately and cleared up into full HD in a matter of seconds.
We liked
Netflix Australia's user experience is identical to that of its overseas counterparts, so if you've already been experiencing the service through a VPN or Smart DNS service, you'll feel right at home.
While we've never had a problem watching an overseas version of Netflix, the local version of the service is even faster and smoother, delivering high definition quality in a matter of seconds.
Our time with the local version Netflix has been completely free of bugs or buffering problems, as the service has had plenty of time to mature and iron out any problems before reaching our shores.
This might be a matter of taste, but the service's range of Netflix Originals are fantastic, even rivalling the best shows that HBO has to offer in terms of quality, and in a delivery format that is unmatched in the television industry.
Best of all, we love that we can watch Netflix on a large variety of devices, without having to be tied down limited number of devices.
We disliked
There's no denying that Netflix Australia's content line-up is well behind the US version in terms of sheer quantity, so we hope that its library continues to grow with time.
We also wish we could see everything Netflix has to offer in each of its genres, without having to take wild guesses in its search bar to see if the service has a particular show or movie.
Final Verdict
When we first published our Stan review, we claimed that it was the best streaming service that Australians had to date.
Well, consider that statement redacted – Netflix has taken Stan's crown as the best streaming service in Australia.
Featuring flawless, fast streams in high quality and without any buffering problems or errors to speak of, Netflix delivers the gold standard when it comes to its streaming experience.
While its content library is undeniably lacking compared to its US version, the Australian version is still in line with what its local competitors are offering.
We believe that Netflix Australia's content selection will only continue to grow in time, and even with its current content line-up, its range of excellent Netflix Originals shows makes signing up an absolute no-brainer.
