Netflix has been quietly raising the prices of its multiple tiers across regions, with members in the US, UK and Central Europe now facing increased costs.

A standard plan (Full HD content) has risen to $15.49 per month in the US, £10.99 in the UK, and €14.99 in Europe. The premium plan (Ultra HD content) is now $19.99 / £15.99 / €20.99 per month respectively.

There's a basic plan too, priced at $9.99 / £6.99 / €8.99 per month, but that only allows streaming to one device at a time and in standard definition.

An email to customers explained the reason for the latest price hike is to "bring you more great entertainment".

"This update will allow us to deliver even more value for your membership - with stories that lift you up, move you or simply make your day a bit better," it said. There were no further details.

If you don't fancy the prospect of paying the latest fees for the premium package and 4K streaming, you can always downgrade to Full HD only, on the standard plan, as so:

  • Go to Netflix.com in a browser and sign into your account (select your account if you have multiple family sign-in options)
  • Hover over your avatar to the top right, select Account from the drop menu
  • Under 'Plan Details' select 'Change plan'
  • Choose 'Next Plan: Standard' and the blue Continue button

That's it, job done. But do consider that you won't be able to view content in greater than Full HD (1080p) resolution, which means waving goodbye to both UHD (4K) resolution and HDR (high dynamic range). You will also max out at two screens. Lastly, you won't be able to temporarily download content for future viewing like you can on the future plan.

The choice, of course, is yours. If you relish the Ultra HD Netflix experience - and most shows are now shot in the Ultra HD format - and have a big-screen 4K telly to enjoy the experience on then we suggest sticking with the top-end package. But, if every penny counts then that annual saving might be the better choice for you - especially if viewing on smaller screens, and/or fewer screens, where Ultra HD resolution can become negatable anyway.