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Netflix: How to Curate Your Queue and Keep Your Flicks Organized

by Ben Deitz on January 10, 2011 at 05:20 PM

netflix queue
If you're like us, then your Netflix queue has expanded to the point where its gravitational pull sucks in every film in its vicinity. A strained metaphor, perhaps, but it's easy to find your queue so overstuffed that it becomes utterly unmanageable and daunting. We've got a few essential organizational tips that will make the life of any cinema junkie exponentially easier.

The simplest way to trim the fat off your queue is to make sure you don't list any films that are available to stream. Take a quick look through your movies. Make sure to add any streamable flicks to your Instant Queue, and delete them from your disc queue (don't worry, they'll remain in Instant). Movies regularly come in and out of Instant availability, so make sure to keep an eye on previously un-streamable films, as well as those that are no longer available to watch instantly. (They'll be moved into your Instant Queue's "Saved" section.)

For those comfortable with a bit of browser tinkering, custom queue management scripts are a great way to add some much-needed versatility to Netflix. Netflix Queue Sorter is a great tool that will let you add a variety of sorting options, whether by star rating, year, genre or any number of other qualifiers. Another great script is RottenFlix, which imports Rotten Tomatoes ratings directly into your queue, letting you know right away whether a movie is a dud or not. There are a variety of other scripts worth checking out, as well, including Netflix Notes, which allows you to comment on any selection in your queue, and Netflix boximages in queue, which does exactly what its title says. These are primarily Firefox scripts that require the Greasemonkey utility, so make sure you're familiar with simple Firefox scripts before you jump in.
netflix preferences
If you're living with a significant other or in a large household, adding multiple profiles to one account is an excellent way to cut clutter. To set up a new account, go into the "Your Account & Help" menu, then scroll down and click the "Account Profiles" link under the "Preferences" heading. Here, you can add a new profile, designate how many DVDs will be shipped to it, and add a content filter to keep younger viewers from watching anything risque. By setting up multiple profiles, you can also create multiple queues. (Assign each one to a separate genre, or split them between movies and television shows.) While not exactly streamlined, this is the best way to create differentiated queues for those with an organizational bent.

Tags: Netflix, netflix queue, netflix streaming, netflix watch instantly, NetflixQueue, NetflixStreaming, NetflixWatchInstantly, productivity, tech tips, TechTips, tips

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