TP-Link AC750 Wi-Fi range extender ($25)

What is it: A compact gizmo that plugs directly into a power outlet and boosts the range of your home Wi-Fi network.
Who it’s for: Anyone who has Wi-Fi dead spots in their house.
Why you should snag it: I bought my own Wi-Fi extender earlier this year for about $100, and I thought that was a pretty good deal. But $25? That’s a no-brainer.

Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker ($28)

What is it: A small portable speaker that connects wirelessly to your iPhone, iPad or Android phone, perfect for playing tunes on the go. It also doubles as a speakerphone thanks to its built-in mic.
Who it’s for: Music lovers who want to take their tunes to the park, the pool (yes, the speaker is water-resistant) or just about anywhere else.
Why you should snag it: The Oontz Angle 3 Bluetooth speaker checks all the boxes—light, small, stereo, sweet sound, and (as of this week) 72 percent off.

Roku Express ($29)

What it is: A palm-sized, easy-to-use TV set top box that lets you stream Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Google Play videos (among other streaming video services) to your HDTV.
Who it’s for: Anyone who’s still leery about streaming TV shows and movies over the Internet to their TV.
Why you should snag it: Roku’s streaming set-top boxes are among the easiest to use, particularly beginners, and at just $29, the Express is one of the best streaming video bargains out there.

Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub ($10)

What it is: A tiny USB hub that plugs into your laptop’s USB port, giving you four new USB ports in the process.
Who it’s for: Any laptop user who wants to plug in (say) a mouse, a keyboard, and external hard drive and a printer, all at the same time.
Why you should snag it: There’s no easier, cheaper way to give your laptop (or any Mac or PC, for that matter) four new USB ports.

Click here for more great tech deals!

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The $29 Roku Express sits right next to your HDTV and comes with just two ports: one for an HDMI cable that plugs into your TV set, another for power. Once you’ve hooked it up, just connect the Roku Express to your Wi-Fi network, switch your TV to the right video input (like, say, HDMI 1 or HDMI 2), and start streaming shows from the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, and more. Also nice: the easy-to-use remote, which boasts big, bright buttons that send you directly to Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services.

Check out the Roku Express on Amazon!

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All that’s changed thanks to Netflix’s offline playback feature. This lets you download Netflix videos and TV shows to your iPhone, iPad or Android handset, perfect for watching on your phone without an Internet connection.

Just tap the title of a downloaded Netflix video to start watching, or tap Edit to delete a video from your device’s storage.

The new “Download & Go” feature comes in the latest version of the Netflix app, so make sure to install the update before trying to download any shows.

Once you fire up the updated Netflix app, you’ll be greeted by a “Download & Go” splash screen. Tap “Find something to download” to see a list of Netflix videos available for download.

When you find a TV show or movie you want to save for offline viewing, just tap the Download button (the one that looks like a downward arrow) on its title page or next to the episode title. Keep in mind that not all Netflix titles are available for download yet, so make sure to browse the “Available for Download” category if you’re looking for videos to watch offline.

To find all the Netflix videos you’ve downloaded, tap the main menu button in the top-left corner of the Netflix interface (you may have to tap the “Back” button a few times to get there), then tap My Downloads. Go ahead and tap a title to start watching, or tap the Edit button to delete a video from your device.

Selecting the “Higher” setting for Netflix downloads will make your offline shows look a bit sharper, but they’ll also consume more storage.

So, how much storage do Netflix videos gobble up? That depends on the length of the title and the video quality—and as usual, the sharper the picture, the more storage space you’ll need.

Using the “Standard” setting for video quality (which you can adjust by tapping the main menu button, followed by App Settings and then Video Quality), a 21-minute episode of “The Office” used a reasonable 88 megabytes of storage on my iPhone, with the same episode swelling to about 114 MB when I switched to “Higher” quality.

The storage difference between “Standard” and “Higher” video quality was more dramatic with the 107-minute movie “Adventureland,” which took up 487 MB at the Standard setting and a whopping 1.8 GB at the Higher setting.

And here’s an odd thing: you can’t assume a shorter video will automatically take up less storage space than a longer one. For example, the two-hour movie “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” used about 192 MB of storage at “Standard” quality, while the 95-minute “Burn After Reading” gobbled up 392 MB at the same video-quality setting. Go figure.

Bonus tip

To delete all your downloaded Netflix videos at one, tap the main menu button, tap App Settings, then tap the Trash button next to “Delete All Downloads.”

Click here for more Netflix tips!

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Hi Mary Ellen! That’s a tough situation. Normally, I’d suggest saving money by simply moving your Wi-Fi router closer to your Roku. But since we’re dealing with a weak Wi-Fi signal that’s shared, I’m guessing that moving the router closer to your condo isn’t an option (although it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?).

All that said, I actually do have a few of suggestions that might help you squeeze a bit more bandwidth out of your weak Wi-Fi signal, starting with…

Try a Wi-Fi Extender

As long as your condo’s shared Wi-Fi router isn’t too far away, a wireless extender may do the trick. A Wi-Fi extender piggybacks onto to an existing Wi-Fi access point to create its own local network, which essentially extending the range of the original network.

A Wi-Fi extender piggybacks onto to an existing Wi-Fi access point to create its own local network.

Setting up a Wi-Fi extender is easy. All you need to do is power it up, then use the extender’s configuration utility to choose a nearby Wi-Fi signal to extend. If the router you’re trying to extend is locked, you’ll need its password. You can then give the extender its own SSID (the name the extender uses to identify itself when you’re searching for Wi-Fi signals) and connect your Roku and other devices to the extender rather than your condo’s Wi-Fi router. You could also just keep the same SSID as the shared router, but doing so would make it tough to tell whether your devices are connected to the extender or the (weaker) shared signal.

While Wi-Fi extenders are easy to use, they’re not necessarily cheap. The one I use in my Brooklyn apartment goes for about $100, and the cheapest extender recommended by The Wirecutter costs about $65.

The other issue is performance. If your condo’s shared Wi-Fi router is too far away or if there’s too many other competing Wi-Fi signals nearby (which I’m guessing is the case, given that you live in a condo), an extender may not be able to connect to the shared router—or, even if it can, the boosted signal might not be strong enough for smooth streaming video.

Unfortunately, the only way to find out if a Wi-Fi extender will work in your particular situation is to try one, so you might want to make sure you’re protected by a 30-day return policy before you break out your credit card.

Note: If you do decide to go for a Wi-Fi extender, you should do your best to ensure that the extender uses one frequency band to connect to the main Wi-Fi router and another for connecting to other Wi-Fi devices, like your Roku. Most Wi-Fi extenders these days are dual-band, giving you the choice or either the speedy but short-range 5 Ghz band, or the longer-range but slower 2.4 Ghz band. If your extender uses the same frequency band for connecting both to your condo’s shared Wi-Fi and connecting to your Roku, you’ll degrade wireless performance for everyone on the network, not just you. If all that sounds complicated, well, it is; luckily, Wirecutter has tips (scroll down to the paragraph that begins “The main problem with…”) on the best way to configure your extender.

Use an Ethernet cable

If your shared Wi-Fi router is too far away for a Wi-Fi extender to work, you could try another option: a direct wired connection.

You can always just connect your Roku (or Apple TV, pictured here) to a router directly via Ethernet.

Simply put, you could connect an Ethernet cable to one of the Ethernet ports on the shared Wi-Fi router and then string the cable all the way to your condo. You could then connect the cable directly to your Roku—or, even better, connect it to your own Wi-Fi router, thus creating your own local Wi-Fi network.

The upside of using an wired Ethernet cable is that you won’t have to worry about signal loss between the shared Wi-Fi router and your condo. (There’s always a little signal loss whenever you’re dealing with a lengthy Ethernet cable, but it’s minuscule compared to how much Wi-Fi signals degrade over a comparable distance.)

The downside, of course, is convincing your building manager to let you string Ethernet cable from the shared Wi-Fi router to your unit, plus the hassle of actually running the cable.

Try a powerline networking kit

If dealing with all that Ethernet cable sounds daunting, here’s an idea that might sound more tempting: using the existing electrical wiring in your building to extend your condo’s Wi-Fi signal. A “powerline” networking kit generally comes with a pair of small adapters, each with their own Ethernet ports. You connect one adapter to the main Wi-Fi router via an Ethernet cable (a short cable this time), then plug the adapter itself into a nearby power outlet. Next, you take the second adapter, plug it into another power outlet in a different room (or a different unit, in this case), connect it via Ethernet to your Roku, another Wi-Fi router or any Ethernet-enabled device, and voilà—you’re connected.

Powerline adapters let you set up data networks using standard electrical outlets, but you’ll pay a price in terms of performance. (Image credit: Zytel)

Powerline networking kits are generally a bit cheaper than Wi-Fi extenders (Wirecutter’s top pick is only about $85), and since you only need to plug them into exiting power outlets, there’s no need to string Ethernet cable.

Again, though, you’ll need to check with your building manager to see if they’ll let you connect a powerline adapter to the condo’s shared Wi-Fi router. Also, as with Wi-Fi extenders, powerline data performance will suffer the further the two adapters are from each other.

Other factors that might slow a powerline network’s performance to a crawl include whether the powerline network would need to jump from one electrical circuit to another (probably yes, since the condo’s shared Wi-Fi router isn’t located in your unit), as well as how many other electrical appliances are plugged into those circuits (a lot, I’m guessing).

Downshift your Netflix bandwidth usage

OK, so let’s say the Wi-Fi extender didn’t work, powerline isn’t an option, and you struck out with the super when you asked about Ethernet. Now what?

Change your Netflix bandwidth settings could help smooth out video playback over a weak Wi-Fi signal.

Well, if you use your Roku to watch Netflix videos, there’s another option: lower the amount of bandwidth Netflix needs for streaming. Doing so might let you stream Netflix movies and TV shows over a weak Wi-Fi signal without buffering, although you’ll sacrifice video quality—potentially a lot of video quality—in the process.

Just log in to your Netflix account on a desktop Web browser, hover your mouse over your profile name in the top-right corner of the page, click Your Account in the menu that appears, then click “Playback settings” under the My Profile heading.

Next, pick a setting. Try “Medium” first to see if that plays smoothly; if not, downshift to “Low.” (These playback settings will transfer over to the Netflix app on Roku, by the way.) You might have to settle for VHS-level video quality, but at least the picture won’t freeze every few seconds.

Use (or rather, don’t use) your Android or iOS device as a wireless hotspot 

So, what about tethering your Roku to your hotspot-enabled Android or iOS device—would that work? Perhaps, but unless you’re fine with massive overage charges on your wireless bill, I’d advise against it.

Why? Because streaming video over a cellular data connection could easily blow through your monthly mobile data allowance in a matter of hours, particularly if you’re watching HD-quality video. Even if you’re lucking enough to have an unlimited 4G data plan, your unlimited data usually doesn’t extend to using your phone as a hotspot.

Hope this helps, Mary Ellen, and good luck!

Anyone else have suggestions with how to deal with weak wi-fi signals in shared spaces? If so, post ’em below in the comments.

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Hi Mary! I don’t know a way to view an old snapshot of your Netflix queue, but I think I can do you one better: a list of every Netflix video you’ve ever streamed.

And if you want to delete a video from the list—maybe to nix some of those “Because you watched” recommendations—there’s a way to do that, too.

Just tap the little “x” to delete a video from your Netflix viewing history.

Here’s what you do…

• First, hover your mouse over your username on the main Netflix home screen, then click “Your Account.” If you’re using the Netflix app for iOS or Android, tap the three-line “hamburger” button in the top corner of the screen, then tap “Account.”
• Scroll down and click (or tap) “Viewing activity”—and there it is, a list of everything you’ve ever streamed. Or, if you’re still into physical media, rented, from Netflix. For me, the my Netflix queue goes all the way back to 2007.
• You can delete a title from the list by clicking the little “x” next to its name.

Don’t see a video that you watched on the list? Maybe it’s because you streamed the title using a different Netflix profile. Go back and switch profiles (just click or tap your username in the top corner of the screen), then head back to the “My Activity” screen.

Hope that helps, Mary. Still have questions? Let me know!

Bonus tip

See the switch in the top corner of the “My Activity” screen? By default, it’s set to “Watching.” Toggle the switch to “Rating” (the star) to see a list of all the Netflix titles you’ve rated.

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You can also dial up—or down—how much bandwidth you use when you stream Netflix over your phone’s cellular connection, change the font and color of subtitles, and even get creative with your searches.

Take control of your List

Remember the old Netflix Queue? It’s still around, although you may have to dig around for you queue—or rather, “Your List,” as it’s now called—on your Netflix home screen depending on how often you use it.

Once you change the Order in My List setting, Netflix will stop messing with the order of your List titles.

Once you find your list in your Netflix account, you may notice that it’s not quite in the state you left it—that is, Netflix may have shuffled the titles on your list according to its secret recommendation sauce.

If you want your list to appear in the order you left it, try this:

• From your desktop browser, hover your mouse over your username in the top-right corner of the screen, click Your Account, then click Order in My List (in the My Profile section).
• Click the Manual Ordering option, then click the blue Save button.

To reorder your list, you’ll have to visit Netflix in a desktop browser. Once you do, click the My List heading, then drag and drop videos to reorder them.

Change your video quality

It’s pretty amazing that you can watch HD Netflix videos over your Android or iOS device—and it’s also incredibly easy to blow through your monthly cellular data allowance in the process.

You can change Netflix’s cellular bandwidth setting directly from your iOS or Android device.

That’s why on-the-go Netflix watchers would be well advised to adjust a setting that’ll let you limit how much cellular bandwidth you use while streaming videos.

First, open the Netflix app on your iOS or Android handset, tap the three-line “hamburger” button in the top corner of the screen, then tap App Settings. On Android devices, tap Cellular Data Usage; for iOS devices, the Cellular Data Usage setting is the one and only options.

The default setting for Cellular Data Usage is Automatic, which means Netflix will determine the right amount of cellular data based on the quality of your cellular signal, the location of your device, and various other arcane factors. To take control yourself, uncheck the Automatic setting and pick an option.

If you don’t mind a picture that’s a little softer than DVD quality, go ahead and pick the Low setting, which will consume about 1GB of data every four hours—relatively conservative as far as video streaming goes.

If you simply must have a razor-sharp image for your Netflix account, you can merge into the fast lane with the High setting, which burns through a gig of data every hour. And if you’re one of those lucky souls who still has an unlimited data plan, you can go full throttle with the aptly named Unlimited setting.

Change the way subtitles look

Having a hard time reading the default yellow subtitles on certain Netflix videos, or just want to jazz up the way subtitles look? There’s a Netflix setting that’ll let you change the color, font, size, and even styling of subtitles.

Want the subtitles in your Netflix videos to be purple? No problem.

On a desktop browser, go to the Netflix home page, hover your mouse over your username, click Your Account, then click Subtitle Appearance in the My Profile section.

Now, go ahead and tweak. There are seven fonts and eight colors to choose from, and you can also boost or shrink the font size as well as pick a “shadow” setting for the subtitles. When you’re done, click the blue Save button.

A couple of caveats about the Subtitle Appearance setting: in my most recent tests, custom subtitle settings only seemed to work in desktop browsers and on the Android version of the Netflix app.

Also, some Netflix videos have “burned in” subtitles that can’t be changed.

Get creative with your Netflix searches

Not all that long ago, Netflix’s search feature would only let you search for movie and TV show titles. If you typed in, say, “Clint Eastwood,” you might get a couple of Biography channel shows on the “Dirty Harry” star, but no hits like “Unforgiven” or “Mystic River.”

You can now search Netflix for actor names and even genres.

The good news is that Netflix’s search box has gotten a lot more clever in recent months. Search on “Clint Eastwood” now and you’ll see all the movies he’s acted in and directed. You can even search on a genre, like “Romantic Comedies” or “Zombie Horror Movies.”

Keep in mind, though, that the Netflix search engine still isn’t Google-smart. If you type in “Clint Eatwood” instead of “Clint Eastwood,” you’ll get a “Your search did not have any matches” error.

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With a little effort, you can shake up your stagnating Netflix list and find some truly enticing movies and TV shows to watch, from timeless classics to guilty pleasures.

Read on for four ways to stock your Netflix list with up better videos, starting with…

1. Get your old Netflix queue back

So, first things first: what happened to our old Netflix queues, and why can’t we order them any way we want?

There’s an easy way to keep Netflix from sorting your “list” automatically.

Well, several months ago, Netflix decided to reboot the whole “queue” concept into something called “My List.”

With the new name came a new feature: automatic ordering, in which Netflix-suggested titles are “promoted” to the top of the list—which is actually more of a grid of movie posters.

If you love the new wall of auto-ordered “My List” videos, great. Want your old queue back—along with the ability to reorder it yourself?

Here’s the trick…

• Hover your mouse over your name in the top-right corner of any Netflix page, then select Your Account from the drop-down menu.
• In the Your Profile section, click the “Order in My List” link.
• Select Manual Ordering in the pop-up window.
• All set? Select My List from the Watch Instantly menu, and presto—it’s your old Netflix queue, back from the dead. Just drag and drop a title to move it up or down your list.

2. Rate more movies

The big brains at Netflix have spend many years and millions of dollars perfecting the secret sauce in their video recommendation “engine”—you know, the one that tees up movies and TV shows in the “Top Picks” section of your account.

The more movies and TV shows you rate on Netflix, the better your recommendations will be.

OK, but what if you’re not that impressed with the the videos Netflix thinks you want to watch? If that’s the case, you can help improve your personalized Netflix picks by rating some movies yourself.

Here’s how…

• Log into Netflix on the web, hover your mouse over the “Taste Profile” heading at the top of the page, then select “Rate Shows and Movies.”
• On the next page, you’ll see a grid of 20 movies to rate. Go ahead and click a star rating—anything from one to five—for any movie or show you’ve seen. You can also click “Haven’t Seen It” or simply skip anything you’re not familiar with.
• Don’t feel like you have to rate Netflix’s entire video collection in one shot. Instead, try rating a few movies every time you visit the site, and don’t forget to rate the videos you’ve recently streamed.
• Finally, here’s something to keep in mind while rating videos: be honest. Sure, we all know “Citizen Kane” is a great movie, but did you fall asleep the last time to tried to watch it? If so, consider giving it something less than a five-star rating. Remember: the more honest you are, the better Netflix’s recommendations will be.

3. Create a Netflix profile for every family member—including your kids

My little two-year-old daughter loves Barney. Loves it. Can’t get enough. And when she’s home sick, I’ll give in to her sniffly, weepy pleas and dial up her favorite purple dinosaur on Netflix.

Don’t want Barney taking over your Netflix account? If so, make sure to create separate profiles for your kids.

The only problem, though, is that my Netflix suggestions page is now littered with picks only a toddler would love, from “Barney: Let’s Go to the Zoo” to “Thomas & Friends: Sticky Situations.” Ugh.

The solution: Create separate Netflix profiles for each member of your family, particularly your little ones.

Not only will it keep Barney from taking over your list of saved videos, it’ll also come in handy if your significant other has a hankering for a particular genre—say, zombie movies—that you’d rather skip.

• Log in to Netflix on the web, hover your mouse over your name in the top-right corner of the screen, then select “Manage Profiles” from the drop-down menu that appears.
• Click the big “plus” sign next to “Add Profile,” then type in a name and click the “Continue” button. If the new profile is for one of your kids, you can check the box labeled “This is a profile for kids under 12” to add some parental control.

Now, the next time your little one wants to watch Barney or Dora, make sure to switch to her profile when you log into Netflix—and make sure you’re logged into your own profile whenever you’re organizing your list, streaming shows, or rating movies.

4. Sort video categories by rating

Nothing that appealing in the scrolling rows of videos on Netflix’s main page? You might have better luck by diving into a particular genre—and when you do, don’t forget to sort.

Dive into Netflix’s video genres to sort movies and TV shows by star rating.

Netflix lets you sort its various categories and subcategories by year, MPAA rating, and (of course) alphabetically. If you ask me, though, sorting by star rating is the best way to bubble up some videos you’ll definitely want to watch.

• Hover your mouse over the Watch Instantly heading at the top of any Netflix page, then select a genre—anything from Action & Adventure and Comedies to Romance and Thrillers.
• Now, see the “Sort by” menu in the top-right corner of the page? Click the menu, and select either “Suggestions for you” or “Highest rated.”
• Behold! Netflix videos you may actually want to watch.

Got more Netflix tricks you’d like to share? Post ’em below!

Click here for more Netflix tips!

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Well, turns out that our Netflix queues have quietly morphed into a new feature called “My List,” which is slated to roll out to all Netflix users over the next couple of weeks.

Don’t know what a Netflix instant queue is—or was? Well, it’s actually an artifact of Netflix’s old DVD-by-mail service, which only lets you keep a limited number of DVDs (anywhere from one to 8 or so, depending on your subscription plan) at home.

Of course, when it comes to Netflix’s library of on-demand instant videos, you don’t necessarily need an ordered “queue.” A saved “list” of bookmarked, want-to-watch videos seems like a better fit … hence the name change, I’m guessing.

Don’t want your saved My List videos ordered automatically? You can reorder your list manually by changing a single setting.

Anyway, if you visit Netflix.com now, you’ll probably see a new “Your List” row near the top of your page, populated by any movies or TV shows that you’ve previously saved to your old Netflix queue.

Move your mouse over the arrows flanking the “Your List” row to scroll back and forth. You can also add or remove videos from the list by clicking the “Add to/Remove from List” button from a video description page or pop-up.

OK, but what about ordering your queue—er, list? Well, Netflix says it can now sort your list automatically, “presenting you with the titles you’re most likely to want to watch right up front.”

All well and good, but there’s also an option to sort your list manually. Just click the “My Account” link at the top of the page, then click the “Order in My List” link. You can also click the “See All” link next to Your List on the Netflix.com home page, then click the “Change order to:” button.

Also, keep in mind that the Netflix mobile apps still show a row of Instant Queue videos, but I’m guessing it’ll turn into My List sooner rather than later. Update [9/4/13]: And yes, the Instant Queue

on mobile devices has indeed made the switch to “My List.”

Have questions about the new Netflix “My List” feature, or about Netflix in general? Post ’em below, or send me an email.

Note: Since Netflix appears to be rolling out My List slowly, you may see only some (or even none) of the new My List features in your account quite yet.

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The reason I ask is because most mobile Wi-Fi hotspot plans are “capped” at about two to five GB (short for “gigabyte“) a month, and if you start watching HD-quality videos on Netflix or another video service, you could easily burn through your monthly data limit in a matter of hours.

Luckily for Netflix users, there’s a key account setting that’ll put data-hungry “instant” movies and TV shows on a diet.

What’s the catch? You’ll see—literally.

You’ll find the setting under the Your Account link in the top-right corner of the Netflix website. Just log in, click the link, find the “Instant Watching” section, then click “Manage video quality” under the “Settings” heading.

On the following page, you’ll get the choice of three video-quality settings: “Good,” “Better,” and “Best.”

The “Best” setting is the only one that’ll deliver HD-quality streaming video, but it’ll also chew through data at an alarming rate—think up to 2.3 GB an hour for HD movies and TV shows.

That means if you have a monthly data limit of 5 GB and start watching one of Netflix’s HD streaming videos, you could conceivably blow through your monthly data limit in under two-and-a-half hours. Yikes!

You can save bandwidth by choosing between three difference video quality settings: “Best,” “Better,” and “Good.”

The next setting, “Better,” tops out at about 0.7 GB an hour, thus extending your Netflix instant-video viewing by a few more hours.

The price you’ll pay for downshifting to “Better” video quality, though, is no more HD-quality video; instead, expect roughly the same video quality you’d get from a DVD.

Personally, I thought the “Better” video setting looked just fine on my big-screen HDTV, although I immediately noticed the difference once I switched back to the “Best” setting.

The lowest setting, “Good,” looks even softer than DVD, if not quite as muddy as VHS. That said, it has the virtue of using the least amount of bandwidth: just 0.3 GB an hour, or at least three hours of streaming video per gigabyte.

Once you choose a setting, click the “Save” button, and that’s it—and yes, the video quality setting will apply to other gadgets that stream Netflix videos, including TV set-top boxes like Apple TV and Roku and portable devices like the iPad.

Bonus tip

If you’re watching Netflix videos in a web browser, you can save bandwidth while using the “Best” setting by turning off HD-quality streaming. Just start playing a video, hover your mouse over the HD icon near the bottom of the screen, then uncheck the “Allow HD” box.

Click here for more Netflix tips, or here for more about mobile Wi-Fi hotspots.

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Update [6/22/12]: Netflix has now completely removed the option to put your account on hold. Instead, Netflix suggests you cancel your membership and reinstate it later, with your queue still intact.

There’s a setting on your Netflix account page that’ll let you put your subscription on hold for up to three months, during which you won’t be billed and your queue, video ratings, and other site features will be put on ice. Of course, you won’t be able to stream movies, either, nor will DVD customers get any more discs sent to their mailboxes.

Netflix’s “account hold” feature could come in handy for anyone who’s planning on taking, say, a lengthy trip around the world, or if you’re simply taking a break from streaming movies and TV shows.

One downside, though, is that if you deactivate your account in the middle of a billing period, you’ll still be billed for the entire month.

For that reason, you should keep an eye on your monthly billing date (which you can find by clicking the “See membership terms & details” link on the “Your Account & Help” page) and try to “hold” your account just before your next billing period begins.

So, ready to take a vacation from Netflix? Here’s how:

• Click the “Your Account & Help” link in the top-right corner of any Netflix page.
• Under the “Manage Account” heading, click “Put membership on hold.”
• Next, select the date when you’d like your account to be automatically reactivated—anywhere from a week to three months out.
• Click the “Start Account Hold Now” button.
• Make sure to mail back any DVDs or Blu-rays from Netflix within a week, or Netflix will charge you up to $20 per disc.
• Want to reactivate your account a little early? Just log back in to Netflix.com to turn your account back on.

Note: Starting in May, Netflix will no longer reactivate “on hold” accounts automatically; instead, you’ll have to remember to log back in to Netflix.com within three months of pausing your subscription.

Have any questions about Netflix, or home video in general? Let me know!

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