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Netflix to Replace 5-Star Ratings With Thumbs Up or Down

You either liked it or you didn't; no more internal debates over just how much or how little you enjoyed something.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Netflix is taking the gray area out of its ratings system.

In the not-so-distant future, the streaming giant will replace its current five-star ratings system with something a little easier: thumbs up or down. You either liked it or you didn't; no more internal debates over just how much or how little you enjoyed something.

The change will go into effect globally, beginning in April, Netflix Vice President of Product Todd Yellin said at a Thursday press briefing, according to The Verge. Netflix will also reportedly start showing users an algorithm-based percentage match for each show and movie, giving people an idea of how likely they are to enjoy it.

"Five stars feels very yesterday now," Yellin said, according to the report.

Netflix has been considering this move for a while. Business Insider, citing the company's Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt, in January 2016 reported that Netflix was looking to replace the five-star system with something better.

"The problem, Hunt tells Business Insider, is that people subconsciously try to be critics," the site reported at the time. "When they rate a movie or show from one to five stars, they fall into trying to objectively assess the 'quality,' instead of basing the stars on how much 'enjoyment' they got out of it."

So, if you got a lot of enjoyment out of watching a movie, but only rated it two stars because it's not what the rest of the world would deem a quality picture, Netflix will think you hated it. In the future, the streaming site might not recommend a similar title you actually might have watched and enjoyed.

Netflix started testing the thumbs up/down system last year with hundreds of thousands of new users around the world, according to The Verge. Yellin told reporters that the new system encouraged 200 percent more ratings compared to the five-star model.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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