Apple discontinued the Mac Pro earlier this year, ending a 20-year run for a computer that once represented the very best of the company’s desktop lineup. However, Apple reportedly had much bigger plans for the machine before ultimately replacing it with the Mac Studio.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple developed an M3 Extreme chip that could have offered twice as many CPU and GPU cores as the M3 Ultra. The processor was intended to sit above the Ultra tier and could have finally given the Mac Pro the performance advantage it badly needed. Apple eventually abandoned the chip due to concerns over production costs and limited demand for such an expensive machine.
Apple had been working on an Extreme chip for years
Rumors about an Extreme-tier Apple chip first appeared in 2022, when Gurman reported that the company was developing an M2 Extreme for its first Apple silicon Mac Pro. The processor was expected to feature as many as 48 CPU cores and 152 GPU cores, double the rumored M2 Ultra configuration. However, it would have been extremely expensive to manufacture. Gurman estimated that an M2 Extreme Mac Pro could have cost at least $10,000 before upgrades, turning it into an extraordinarily niche product.
Digital Trends Graphic / Digital Trends
Engineering challenges also reportedly played a role. Apple ultimately decided that the development and production costs were difficult to justify for a computer that would sell in relatively small numbers. Bloomberg’s latest report suggests Apple later developed an M3 Extreme before cancelling that project for similar reasons.
The chip could have given the Mac Pro a reason to exist
Apple launched its first Apple silicon Mac Pro in 2023 with the same M2 Ultra chip found inside the Mac Studio. The Mac Pro offered PCIe expansion, yet it cost twice as much despite delivering nearly identical CPU and GPU performance. An M3 Extreme could have changed the equation. Gurman says the chip was designed with twice as many CPU and GPU cores as the M3 Ultra, which tops out at a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU.
Apple also reportedly developed an M3 Ultra Mac Pro that never reached the market. The Mac Pro remained stuck on its 2023 chip until Apple discontinued it in March, and it is not expected to return anytime soon.
Netflix’s recommendation algorithm has evolved and can be good at predicting what you’ll want to watch next. The problem is that it often ends up showing the same titles, making it harder to actually discover what aligns with your unique tastes.
If you’ve ever felt like your homepage is stuck recommending the same movies or Netflix Originals, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are better ways to discover your next favorite watch without wasting time scrolling through the home page. Here’s what you need to know.
The issue with Netflix’s home page recommendations
The problem, however, is that it often ends up showing you more of what you’ve already watched instead of helping you discover something new. If you’ve recently binged a crime thriller or romantic comedy, your homepage can often become flooded with only similar titles, creating a sort of recommendation bubble that’s hard to escape.
New, trendy releases and Netflix Originals also tend to be shoved down your throat and given more priority over your actual watch history, which means older classics, international films, and hidden gems can get buried.
While the homepage is useful for casual browsing, I’ve found that relying on it alone can make Netflix’s massive catalog feel a little limited. That’s why I turn to these sources for building my Netflix watch list instead.
Award databases
Official sources for the star-studded recommendations
Credit: Oscars
One of my favorite places to discover new (and old) movies and shows is the extensive award databases that house some of the most critically acclaimed titles of the decade and beyond. The likes of the Academy Awards and Golden Globes have official award databases, sorted by years, decades, and even award categories, allowing you to browse flexibly. This is one way I find interesting foreign language films, as well as classics that often may not show up on Netflix’s search results.
You can also specifically look up award-winning title collections on Netflix (the “Oscars Spotlight” is a favorite of mine) or filter your search using award names to narrow down titles. I’ve found many underrated, local gems by simply searching for award-winning films in my region.
Review aggregators
The popular ratings take over
This might be an obvious one, but an external source that many viewers turn to when it comes to discovery is their favorite review aggregator. I always look up the IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes scores of shows that I’m on the fence about. Although it’s not a foolproof way to find titles, it’s definitely a good way to get the big picture about movies and shows, especially newer ones.
You can also use review aggregators as a recommendation system, outside of just glancing at a title’s overall rating. When you use a website like IMDb, you can find top 100 or top 250 lists that show, for instance, the highest-rated titles on Netflix. Such lists can be further filtered by popularity and number of ratings, allowing you to narrow down to the cream of the crop. This tactic has helped me filter and find the most popular titles liked by audiences, looking beyond Netflix’s own popular lists.
Beyond IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, websites like Metacritic and TV Time can be useful. Each platform has its own community and ranking system, which means you’ll often uncover recommendations that never surface on Netflix’s homepage.
Tudum lists
Curated lists for your discovery
Netflix Tudum is an often-overlooked resource for Netflix recommendations. This official Netflix companion website houses a wide collection of lists and recommended watches (often trendy and specific), so you can find similar titles to your most loved recent watch. Tudum’s “What to Watch” section is specifically built to help you find new titles that align with your tastes, and if you want to look past the trending, new titles, Tudum can also help you find personalized picks (since it taps into your Netflix history).
I’ve also found Tudum useful for seasonal watch lists, genre-specific recommendations, and curated collections built around new releases. Since the recommendations come directly from Netflix, it’s often one of the easiest ways to discover titles that may not be prominently featured on your homepage.
The More Like This feature
An underrated feature, right under your nose
This is a Netflix feature that’s often ignored because of its placement, but if you’ve ever noticed it, the “More Like This” recommendations that pop up when you click under a title’s preview can actually be really useful for discovery. This lets you find similar titles to the one you’re previewing without any extra searches, and I’ve found these recommendations to be more relevant and less focused on trending or new titles.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 4.2/HDMI ARC/Optical in/AUX in
Drivers
Dynamic Driver
With 2 angled full-range drivers, spatial audio, and Bluetooth built-in, the TV speaker is a powerful soundbar to help deliver amazing sound to the entire room.
If I finish a movie I love, this is usually one of the first places I check before I move on to Tudum or reviews. To find these recommendations, simply click the down arrow on a title (when you hover over it on your home page), scroll down, and find the More like this section.
Netflix secret codes
The secret to better browsing
Netflix’s secret codes, an underutilized Netflix tool that flies under the radar, are a cheat code to beat the search algorithm. If you’ve ever felt frustrated with the results of your (super niche) searches or felt that results are often irrelevant to your search, then secret codes will help you filter titles by genres, languages, and specific tropes.
Using a Netflix secret code is simple: once you find a genre or trope-based secret code, you just need to type and search for it in your Netflix search bar. You can access Netflix’s full list of secret codes and use them for easy filtering and discovery.
Film creators and reviews
Finding filmmaking excellence
Credit: Letterboxd
Finally, my favorite way to find new titles, beyond the homepage recommendations and external ratings, is engaging with content from film creators. I love to watch video essays and cinema analysis, and creators like Thomas Flight have helped me find some of the best films I’ve watched, on Netflix and beyond.
You can also tap into resources like Letterboxd for detailed reviews, lists, and recommendations from fellow movie lovers. These tend to be more detailed and focused on aspects like storytelling, performances, and filmmaking techniques, making them a perfect resource for finding great films that escape your Netflix algorithm.
While Netflix’s homepage can be a useful starting point, it shouldn’t be your only source of discovery. This combination of external resources and Netflix’s underrated discovery tools can help you find titles that fill in the gaps of your personal watch list.
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Two or four
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