Have you ever been watching something on Netflix on your Android device and thought, “What did they say?”. While it is nice to have the streaming service run on any compatible Android machine, the audio quality can be a bit hit-or-miss at the best of times. To address this, Netflix has rolled out an update to improve the audio quality of the app on Android devices.

The app will now be able to stream audio in xHE-AAC (Extended HE-AAC with MPEG-D DRC), which sounds like the name of one of Elon Musk’s kids. Don’t worry about all those cobbled together letters though, all you need to know is that Netflix’s audio is about to become more adaptive and hopefully sound better.

Do you hear the Netflix sing?

The best part of this audio upgrade is the variable bitrate that can change based on the speed of your connection. Thus, when your internet speed is fast, the audio will reflect that and will scale back when on a less stable connection. Netflix is also implementing loudness management to ensure that scenes don’t constantly switch between being bitterly loud and barely audible; loudness management should ensure a more equal listening experience between action-packed gunfights and quieter conversations.

To make use of this small but appreciated upgrade, you’ll need a device that can at least run Android 9 Pie. It should update automatically but if you’re unsure if the rollout has reached your device yet you can simply check if there’s an update available in the Google Play Store.

While you’re checking for those updates, why not take a look at the slate of movies Netflix is planning to debut in 2021. There’s a whole load of them so at least you’ll be able to watch them with some better sound.

(Source: Engadget)