Retina

Watch in sync with friends — synchronized playback, live chat, queue, and reactions.

Retina — Synchronized Streaming for Groups * Overview Retina is a browser extension that synchronizes video playback across multiple viewers in real time. It is designed for individuals who wish to watch a show or film together while physically apart, and includes supporting features for communication during playback. *Core Features ** Synchronized Playback When any participant plays, pauses, seeks, or rewinds a video, the change is applied to all connected viewers simultaneously. This maintains a consistent playback position across the group for the duration of the session. ** Live Chat A chat panel is displayed alongside the video player, allowing participants to communicate without switching to a separate application or browser tab. ** Reactions Participants can send emoji-based reactions that appear over the video in real time, visible to all members of the session. **Shared Queue Participants can add content to a shared queue. When the current item ends, the group advances to the next queued item together. * Platform Compatibility Retina integrates with the video players used by major streaming platforms, including Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu. Each participant streams through their own account on the respective service; Retina does not alter video quality, subtitle settings, or language preferences. * Setup No account registration is required to use Retina. After installing the extension, a user may create a session on a supported streaming site and share the generated room code or link with other participants. No persistent data is retained after a session ends. * Interface The sidebar can be toggled on or off using a keyboard shortcut, allowing users to switch between standard viewing and group-session viewing without reloading the page. * Typical Use Cases - Individuals maintaining a regular viewing schedule with a partner or friend in a different location - Groups coordinating a recurring watch-along - Communities following a series together on an episode-by-episode basis * Privacy Retina synchronizes playback and provides communication features during a session. It does not require or store streaming service credentials, and does not function as a substitute for a streaming subscription. Each participant must maintain their own access to the content being viewed.