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Netflix is testing a new 'Ultra' tier of service

It may spell bad news for Premium users.

Kaitlin Benz Editorial Summer Intern 2018 / News
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Josh Miller/CNET

Netflix may be introducing a new, higher tier of service.

Known as Ultra, the new tier would allow four devices to receive Ultra HD video and audio streaming simultaneously, according to Italian blog Tutto Android.

Netflix currently has three subscription plans: $7.99 Basic, $10.99 Standard and $13.99 Premium. Basic allows users to watch Netflix on one screen at a time; Standard allows viewing on two screens; and Premium allows four screens. Screens can be TVs, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

"We continuously test new things at Netflix and these tests typically vary in length of time," Smita Saran, a Netflix spokeswoman, said in an email. "In this case, we are testing slightly different price points and features to better understand how consumers value Netflix."

Not all Netflix subscribers will see the test and the company may not ever offer the specific price points or features being tested, Saran said.

The Ultra plan may affect some aspects of the current Premium plan, according to PhoneArena. Some Italian users say "promotional material" from Netflix indicates the new plan would halve the number of screens Premium users can use simultaneously from four to two, PhoneArena reports. Similarly, the Standard plan may be downgraded to just one display.

Ultra would be priced at €16.99 in Italy. That's about $19.80.

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Screenshot from Italian blog, Tutto Android about Netflix's rumored subscription plan changes. 

Tutto Android
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