Four tips that can enhance your Netflix experience

If you’re anything like me, you probably love binge-watching shows on Netflix. Whether it’s “Orange is the New Black,” the new season of “House of Cards,” or catching up on “Mad Men” episodes, Netflix has become a key player in my post-work and weekend routine. After spending endless hours streaming my favorite TV shows and movies, I have discovered some Netflix secrets that I think will enhance your viewing experience. These are in addition to the tips my colleague Sharon Profis shared with you a few years back.

Keyboard shortcuts

Let’s face it, watching Netflix on a laptop isn’t as convenient as watching on a TV. Besides the smaller screen, one of the biggest pains is the lack of a remote control. It can be annoying to have to click the mouse or trackpad to play or pause a video, but you don’t have to do this. Most people aren’t aware that there are actually a handful of keyboard shortcuts that simplify just about everything.

Pressing the Enter or Space key will toggle pause and play, while the Left arrow can be held to rewind the video and the Right arrow to fast forward it. Tapping the up arrow or down arrow will increase or decrease the volume, while clicking on the M key will mute the video.

MyList

Movies and TV shows are frequently coming and going from Netflix. Here at CNET we have an excellent series that tells you exactly when these shows are departing. If you don’t have time to tune in, you can always check the “My List” section on the Netflix website. From here you can view and organize all of the shows you want to watch. The best part? The list even displays when shows are about to leave the service.

Manage profiles

This one should be a no-brainer for a lot of people. If you share an account with a few different people and are sick and tired of seeing recommendations for things like “My Little Pony,” make sure you have set up profiles for each user. You can have up to five profiles on a single Netflix account. Having your own profile will keep your list, ratings and personalized suggestions separate from your friends’. You should also always remember to rate the movies and TV shows you watch. This will help make your Netflix recommendations a lot more accurate.

Find shows

I find that I waste a lot of time simply looking for a movie or TV show to watch. Well, that was until I found my new favorite tool. If you just want a quick recommendation, try WhatIsOnNetflix.com. The site shows recently added and new content to Netflix and has a list of top-ranked movies curated from IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. There’s even a “Random Pick” tool to help you out when you just can’t decide what to watch.