Netflix just announced it is rolling out a number of family-friendly features in the coming months, including a $12-a-month plan offering four simultaneous video streams.

The new features are designed to make it easier for families with multiple Netflix users to share and enjoy the service. The improved family plan aims to prove that Netflix understands how viewers actually want to use its service. People want to share, and sharing is good, not just for consumers, but for Netflix as well.

Netflix just released its first-quarter earnings letter (PDF) on Monday, April 22, along with announcing a new $12-a-month-plan that doubles the current limit of two simultaneous video streams. According to the streaming service, the new family plan is most suitable for large families for whom the two-stream limit was not enough. Netflix also says it expects less than one percent of members to take advantage of the plan.

"The core focus is on the immediate family. We don't think there's much going on with sharing password with a marginal acquaintance," Netflix Chief Financial Officer (CFO) David Wells explained during the earnings call.

While Netflix says it has large families in mind, the new subscription model seems more in line with roommate situations, families with kids away at college and Netflix users who share their passwords with their friends. Sharing account details with friends who live elsewhere may not be the best idea, but sharing an account with roommates would indeed make things easier.

Simply put, this new four-stream subscription would allow up to four viewers in a household to watch different videos in different rooms. Roommates are already splitting the bills for electric, cable and Internet services, so why not Netflix?

The new plan could also help reduce drop-off rates, as it allows college students to keep using their parents' Netflix accounts even if they're away at school. In other words, Netflix may market its new subscription plan as a solution for large families, but the company may in fact be able to reach as many people as possible with its subscription service, while also charging a subtle premium to keep things going.