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Netflix is open to letting you save shows to watch offline

As easy as it is to stream from Netflix, it's pretty annoying to watch stuff when you're somewhere without an internet connection like an airplane or subway car.

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But for the first time ever, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings hinted that the company could allow offline viewing one day.

Here's what Hastings said when asked about offline streaming during the company's earnings call on Monday:

Orange Is The New Black
Taylor Schilling, right, plays the fictional Piper on the hit Netflix show "Orange is the New Black" Netflix via Huffington Post

"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."

That's not a "no."

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One of Netflix's main rivals, Amazon Video, already lets users store videos offline on their devices. (It's an amazing feature too.) Amazon also just announced it'll start selling a standalone video streaming service for $8.99 per month, which is a dollar cheaper than Netflix's subscription. 

However, offline viewing often has limitations, like a 48-hour window before the video disappears from your device. Netflix would have to negotiate those rights with its various content partners. Don't expect anything too soon.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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