I tried Netflix’s Play Something feature — and the results surprised me

I tried Netflix'south Play Something feature — and the results surprised me

Image of the Play Something prompt on Netflix

(Image credit: Netflix)

This might seem familiar to yous: I'chiliad sitting on my couch, aimlessly scrolling through Netflix. I examine my List, peruse the various rows vertically and horizontally and tab through the Movies and TV shows section. After what seems similar hours (or perchance decades) later, I withal can't frackin' pick a title. And I write a weekly "what to scout this weekend" guide! This should be piece of cake for me!

To cure the indecision dejection of people similar me, Netflix rolled out Play Something before this year. It'due south a sort of shuffle function that literally does what its name says — it plays something! Not completely randomly, simply based on the tastes and preferences expressed past your by viewing history. Simply yous don't accept to cull; the algorithm does information technology for y'all.

I was pretty skeptical of information technology when information technology launched. Plus, it wasn't (and all the same isn't) available on Netflix'southward Apple tree Television app and so I forgot about it. But while I was testing the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus, I noticed the Play Something pick and decided to give it a shot. The results weren't at all what I imagined.

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Netflix is massive and needs better discovery

My initial expectation of Play Something was that it would serve as a kind of discovery manner — like Netflix's version of my commodity on shows and movies to sentinel afterwards Squid Game. Like, "Hey, we know you like this thing, so hither's this other thing you've never seen that'due south like."

Screenshot from Squid Game showing Gi-hun holding honeycomb candy — (Image credit: Netflix)

The fact is, Netflix has so ... much ... stuff. The size of its library is unfathomable. I've had friends talk excitedly about a Netflix show that I've never even heard of — and that's literally my task. Yet, the sheer latitude and depth of the programming makes discovery extremely difficult on your ain. The themed rows on my Netflix home screen aren't specially helpful. "Futuristic Sci-Fi," sure. "Considering you watch [insert championship]," understandable. But "Exciting TV Shows" seems overly broad. And "Mood Boosters?" Whatever.

Those rows can really make my indecision worse. I start internally arguing almost whether Start Up tin can truly be considered a "Familiar Tv Favorite" or puzzling over why Criminal Minds is in the "Accolade-Winning Boob tube Shows" category.

Fifty-fifty when I do find something that looks interesting, I don't start playing it immediately. I add it to My Listing or make a mental note, and so proceed scrolling in case I observe something even better to watch among the zillions of other programs. Information technology's a classic case of option paralysis — which is where Play Something should step in.

Netflix's algorithm has its limits

One evening, I fired upwardly Netflix and selected the Play Something option. Information technology took xv skips to discover a title that was new to me. I either had already watched something, was in the middle of watching information technology or I wasn't interested.

Here are the 15 Play Something offerings I got:

Grey's Anatomy (previously watched elsewhere)
Y'all (currently watching)
Groovy British Baking Show (currently watching)
Sexual practice Education (currently watching)
Schitt'southward Creek (previously watched elsewhere)
Shameless (previously watched elsewhere)
Seinfeld (previously watched elsewhere)
Lucifer (not interested)
The Blacklist (not interested)
Midnight Mass (not interested)
My Unorthodox Life (watched on Netflix)
Money Heist (currently watching)
Chicago Med (not interested)
Love on the Spectrum (currently watching)
On the Verge (new to me!)

None of these suggestions are egregiously out of footstep with my preferences. As yous tin run into, the majority of them are shows I've watched or am in the middle of watching. To be fair, Netflix explains that Play Something volition evangelize: a brand new series or picture show, a series or flick y'all're already watching, a series or motion-picture show on your list, or an unfinished series or picture show you may want to revisit.

I suppose I as well tin can't actually fault Netflix for not realizing if I've watched shows elsewhere, on broadcast, cable or another streaming service (though an I've Watched This Already" button would be smashing). For instance, while I viewed the first five seasons of Schitt's Creek on Netflix, I tuned into Popular TV for the concluding installment. I was one of millions of people who saw Seinfeld during its first run on NBC. I do have plans to rewatch it on Netflix at some point, then information technology's an understandable proposition.

Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose looks as Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose reads a menu on Schitt's Creek — (Paradigm credit: Pop TV)

In general, though, my Play Something results bespeak that it'southward less of a discovery tool and more than of a reminder to grab up on shows I've fallen behind on. Aye, yeah, I know in that location's new episodes of Sex Education and Money Heist — I'll get to them, uh, shortly! Promise! But Netflix already has a feature that reminds you to become back to watching a evidence you lot started. It's called "Keep Watching" (and I detest it).

Merely the fifteenth offer, On the Verge, was new to me (I had heard about Julie Delpy's series, but it had escaped my heed). I out of fifteen isn't a slap-up runway record, though, if you lot desire to use Play Something to observe gems yous don't already know well-nigh. It takes time to procedure what championship is playing, hit next, see the new program queue upward, and so on. At that point, it's taking nearly as much fourth dimension as scrolling.

Speaking of time saving, for people with less than stellar internet, Netflix is getting an upgrade that will make it easier to stream videos on a irksome connection.

I didn't await Play Something to be perfect and find exactly what would suit my mood in a particular moment within one or two recommendations. But I had hoped it might at least somewhat relieve my decision paralysis. Instead, information technology's added a different kind of anxiety to the Netflix experience. Maybe if I was the type of person to wake up and choose chaos, Play Something would be perfect.

For at present, I'll proceed on scrolling, scrolling.

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Kelly is a senior writer covering streaming media for Tom'southward Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance amusement writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she'south not watching TV and movies for work, she's watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.