Netflix is considering an offline mode after saying it would 'never happen'

Netflix's director of technology described offline playblack as a 'short term fix for a bigger problem' in 2014

(Netflix)

At the end of 2014, Netflix’s director of technology said that offline playback is “never going to happen” as it would only be a “short term fix for a bigger problem".

The idea was that WiFi and 4G would soon become so ubiquitous worldwide that creating an option to download episodes/films and watch them offline would be a waste of time.

But it seems high-quality internet isn’t spreading as fast as the company had hoped, with CEO Reed Hastings saying when asked again by TechRadar about the possibility of cached playback: “We should keep an open mind on all this.

"As we expand around the world where we see an uneven set of networks, it's something we should keep an open mind about."

Offline mode is something users have craved for a while, not only those in areas with limited access to the internet but for people who frequently travel on planes and underground trains.

Earlier this week, Netflix responded to the backlash over its VPN ban, which prevents users from circumventing territorial content restrictions.