Netflix’s ad-supported tier might not allow offline downloads
So we know for sure that Netflix is working on an ad-supported tier that will be cheaper than the current tier and will be launching in 2023, but according to code spotted by developer Steve Moser, it will come with some limitations, namely the inability to download shows for offline viewing.
Right now regardless of which tier you’re subscribed to, you can download shows for offline viewing. This is useful if you’re traveling and want to keep some content on hand so you can watch it without an internet connection, but according to the code, the upcoming ad-supported tier will not allow for offline downloads.
This is actually the second disadvantage of the ad-supported tier. Back in July, Netflix suggested that the ad-supported tier might not have access to the company’s entire catalog. Presumably all of Netflix’s own shows will be available, but for other content that Netflix has to pay to license, that might be limited.
This means that there will now be two “cons” to subscribing to this tier, which we imagine could be done on purpose to encourage customers to pay more to upgrade to the more expensive tiers. That being said, we don’t know how much this ad-supported tier will cost. It is possible that it will be cheap enough where customers won’t mind losing out on some features if it means paying less every month.
Source: Pocket-lint