Netflix gets a new, more cinematic look on TV

Netflix is getting a new, more cinematic look on TVs.

The video streaming service is replacing its familiar look -- one dominated by long rows of box art from movies and TV shows -- with a new interface that takes better advantage of the expansive real estate of big-screen TVs.

The redesigned look, debuting Wednesday, features multiple wide-screen images for each suggested title, along with a punchy synopsis and details about why Netflix is recommending it. Tests with several hundred thousand subscribers in the U.S. revealed that this new approach increased viewing.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

“Our members collectively watch more than a billion hours of Netflix a month -- most of it on TV,” Neil Hunt, Netflix’s chief product officer, said in a statement. “This is the biggest challenge to the Netflix experience ... making it even easier to find something great to watch.”

The new look will be rolled out to Netflix’s 40 million global subscribers over the next two weeks, and is designed to work with Internet-connected smart TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles and dedicated streaming devices such as the Roku 3.

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