New Premium Service Brings Hulu to Consoles

[Logan Westbrook]

New Premium Service Brings Hulu to Consoles

PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will soon be able to stream content from Hulu via its new subscription service.

Hulu joins the likes of Netflix and the iPlayer in offering streamable media to console owners through Hulu Plus. Hulu Plus is ten bucks a month, and gives access to every aired episode of the current seasons of shows like House and Family Guy, and a library of past shows like the X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On top of that, supported content can be streamed in 720p high-definition.

Unfortunately, neither of the console versions of the service is ready to go just yet. The PS3 service launches in July, which could mean two days, or it could mean thirty-two days, and the 360 version is coming in "early 2011". A Hulu Plus subscription isn't tied to a single device though, so there's nothing stopping you from getting a subscription and watching on your computer until the console versions are ready.

Hulu Plus is currently available by invitation only - presumably so it can be tested before being released to the general public - but Hulu says that it will remove this need for an invitation as soon as it's ready. You can request an invitation by visiting the Hulu website [http://www.hulu.com/plus/invite] and entering your e-mail address. Unfortunately, Hulu Plus is US only, much like the regular site. The rest of us are just going to have to look on in envy I suppose.

Source: GamaSutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29176/Hulu_Confirms_VideoOnDemand_Service_Coming_To_PS3_In_July.php]




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[Mr. Grey]

So they are actually going through with this subscription plan... when there's Netflix already there?

Yeah... good luck, Hulu. You may very well need it.

EDIT: What are the statistics for the use of Netflix on consoles currently, anyways?

 

[brodie21]

yay, another thing i wont use. im not a big fan of monthly subscriptions.

 

[Trivun]

Hah, as soon as I saw this in the News feed I thought "one, it'll be paid subscription, and two, it'll be US only". I bloody called it right, straight off the mark! Why is it all the cool stuff is always US only, from Escapist competitions to this Hulu thing? And bloody subscription fees, why can't we just pay once and leave it without being wringed out of as much money as possible every month or whenever? Honestly, that's exactly why I won't play MMOs, or join this site's very own Publisher's Club...

 

[Jared]

yay, another thing i wont use. im not a big fan of monthly subscriptions.

Same, although, I am sure it will have its sues for those who have an itnrest for it

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

Uh-huh... I think I'll stick to Netflix and watch Hulu via my computer thank you.

 

[Treblaine]

Hate to sound like a broken record on PC, but can't (Americans) get Hulu for free and ad-funded in any web-browser? And I have yet to find a PC or laptop that does not support HDMI out, so if you are DESPERATE to watch it on a HDTV you can do that. It's not harder to set that up than returning your TV or any other task to do with the general runnign of a PC.

Hah, as soon as I saw this in the News feed I thought "one, it'll be paid subscription, and two, it'll be US only". I bloody called it right, straight off the mark!

On the other hand, they don't get BBC iPlayer so we haven't got it that bad in comparison overall.

 

[Mr. Grey]

Like they said on Major Nelson's blog, this is a complete disaster.

Hulu is free for every USA resident and they once again want you to pay ATOP of your already existing subscription to watch this.

I think Hulu is going with a subscription plan regardless, on the PC and the consoles.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Are people really this lazy to not download Hulu off of the website?

 

[The Austin]

Another victory for my low grade laptop!

 

[Korey Von Doom]

Who would use this?

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Hulu has a much better selection than Netflix for TV, that said, I don't watch movies or TV anymore.

Hell, I still haven't watched Doctor Who or The Dark Knight.

 

[Hiphophippo]

I've already been running hulu on my ps3 for awhile soooo....

 

[burgbrand22]

Cool, but 2 questions:

1. Hulu or Netflix?
2. Are the anime shows in Hulu in English or Japanese w/ subtitles (prefer the latter)?

 

[Danpascooch]

Wait, it's free on the computer, but requires a subsciption on the 360?

That's a stupid policy, if they actually made it free on the 360, I would use it, and they would make ad revenue off of me, but since they want a fee, screw it.

They should offer a free service with ads for the consoles, much like they do on the computer now.

 

[SachielOne]

Can someone please tell these people europeans want stuff like this too?

Hulu only has the rights for internet broadcast within the US. It sucks, but you can always break out a proxy server.

 

[Vohn_exel]

Everytime I go to Hulu, they only have the last five episodes of the shows they have. It's the same with Fox and from what I can tell, all the major networks. Then, I go to ABC.com. I watched all the freaking episodes of Lost there. A few old school commercials was all I had to endure.

Why the crap can't other stations do this? In my opinion THIS is the future of TV on the internet, not the "Oh yeah, I hear all the youngins are in on that interwebs thing" that the other stations are doing. I think the forced add commercials are a bit old fashioned but seriously, you have your shows on there, you have your adds. People are watching just like they would on a TV, and they come to you instead of pirating your stuff. Why wouldn't you want to do this?