Netflix is looking for a thumbs up as star ratings fade away

Netflix’s video-streaming service is scrapping its familiar star-rating system, hoping to make it easier for its 94 million subscribers to signal whether they liked a movie or TV show. (Photo: Netflix/Facebook)

SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix’s video-streaming service is scrapping its familiar star-rating system, hoping to make it easier for its 94 million subscribers to signal whether they liked a movie or TV show.

The service is compressing its familiar one-to-five star system into a simpler choice of thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

The change, which Netflix is unveiling on Wednesday, is aimed at soliciting more viewer feedback and helping the service make better program recommendations.

Although the stars will fade away after a decade on Netflix’s streaming service, they will still be used on Netflix’s smaller DVD-by-mail service , where they have been around 17 years.

Netflix thinks streaming subscribers will click more frequently on the thumbs.