Netflix's new 1.5x viewing feature cops flak

Some Netflix viewers could now speed through director Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up" rather than saviouring it at full speed.

Netflix is experimenting with a feature that lets viewers watch movies at up to 1.5 times the usual speed, testing an approach that has become popular with podcasts and YouTube clips.

The option is available on Android mobile devices.

Other forms of media have already embraced faster playback speed.

YouTube lets viewers watch clips at up to 2 times the normal rate, as does Apple's podcast app offers 1.5x and 2x options. The feature lets podcast listeners gobble up lengthy series in half the time - with the side effect of chipmunk-sounding voices. Likewise, a YouTube user can watch a 10-minute cooking video in five or six minutes.

And it seems like just the ticket to speed-binge through a season of "24" in just 18 hours.

But the approach is more controversial when it comes to videos that people consider art. Netflix has developed a reputation for challenging the norms of entertainment, often in ways that offend more tradition-bound viewers.

The company has offended cinephiles by pushing for movies to be released at home at the same time they appear in theaters and allowing viewers to skip opening credits.

Director Judd Apatow objected to the 1.5x move on Monday, telling Netflix he would call "every director and show creator on Earth to fight you on this."

"We give you nice things," he said on Twitter. "Leave them as they were intended to be seen."

Apatow's works include "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up".

A Netflix Australia-New Zealand spokesperson said, "We're always experimenting with new ways to help members use Netflix. This test makes it possible to vary the speed at which people watch shows on their mobiles. As with any test, it may not become a permanent feature on Netflix."

With reporting by Bloomberg.