What a joke
I bought a new Windows Phone today because I really enjoyed Windows 8 and 10 on the desktop. I'm a C# developer so I'm already heavily invested in Microsoft technologies and I really wanted to see windows phone be great. After 15 minute of setting up the phone/getting apps updated I try to watch a video - and I'm stuck with those damn buttons at full brightness.
The first thing my wife said was, 'Don't those go away?'
No, no they don't. We couldn't believe it. Now, for local content, you can download the 'File' app, and use that to magically play the video without the bar (which, despite some of the nonsense posted in this thread, clearly show that there is no technical limitation preventing this....it's possible). But for everything else - like Netflix - there doesn't seem to be any way to do this.
Not only am I taking this phone back for an Android, everyone that I've shown it too (my wife, and two co-workers) can't believe that there is no way to hide the buttons. That's four people who are convinced Windows sucks on the phone. When you've got 1-2% marketshare - you need to be able to wow other people when you show off what your phone can do. It's disappointing, both because I *almost* love this phone, and because I want to see Windows succeed.
Maybe someone should sell an appropriately sized piece of plastic tape owners of these 'smartphones' can purchase to strategically block out the buttons?