There’s more to preparing for a lockdown than stocking up on beans and toilet paper.

Staying indoors for roughly three weeks can take its toll, both emotionally and physically, especially if you’re going it alone.

There are a few ways to stay sane over the next few weeks. Stay active with a workout app, play podcasts in your home so that you’re not sitting in silence when the TV isn’t on, and reach out to people when you need a little outside contact.

If you want to hang out with your friends, it doesn’t get better than a movie night.

We told you about Netflix Party last week – the Chrome extension that lets you sync up and chat while watching your favourite shows or movies.

Here are three more ways to watch a bit of TV together, from The Verge.

METASTREAM

With Metastream you can live chat while watching videos as a group, on a range of platforms including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Twitch, and Crunchyroll. The app is still being developed so you might encounter some kinks.

To host a movie night with Metastream do this:

• Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome
• Navigate to https://app.getmetastream.com/
• Type in a display name and click “Get Started.”
• Click “Start Session” on the next screen.
• Click the “Invite” button on the left to get a link to share; click “Copy” and send it to your friends. In the same window, you can also make the session public, private, or offline, and change the number of users allowed (you can have an unlimited number of users). Close out of that window.

You friend will then click on that link to join the session and the watching can begin.

SCENER

Scener allows you to video chat while you watch Netflix so that you can see each other, adding to the group watching experience. Unfortunately, it only works for Netflix and you can only use it through the primary profile on your account.

How to get started:

• Download the Chrome extension and create an account.
• Click on the extension’s icon to the right of the address bar.
• Sign into Netflix.
• Click “Create a private group.”
• Type in a name for your group and then click “Next.”
• Scener will give you a link to share with your friends to invite them to the group. Click the “Copy” button next to the link. Then click “Done” to close the window.

Send the link to your friends, and they’ll click on it to join. Then all that’s left to do is click the ‘Watch Together’ button.

TWOSEVEN

In addition to Netflix, TwoSeven lets you watch Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now, YouTube, and Vimeo.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome and create an account by clicking on the extension icon and going to the site. You will have to confirm your email.
• Click on the TwoSeven icon next to the address bar, then click “Go to twoseven.xyz”
• Click “Get Started.” Here you can change your avatar and username by clicking on the icon in the top right corner, to the right of the cog icon. Select “Account” to access your profile settings.
• Click “Start Watching.”
• You’ll get a pop-up window that lets you create a private room. You can either allow the other participants to have control of the webcam and mic or let the admins only have access. Make your selection and then click “Just Me.”
• Click on the icon in the top right corner which has two people and a plus sign. Click on “Copy Link” and share that link with friends.
• Once you do, they’ll be added to the watch session.

For a more detailed breakdown of how to use the extensions above, read the full article.

[source:verge]