As I’ve alluded to in a few places, Hulu Plus ($9.99/mo) isn’t quite doing it for me. My main beef? The same one I have with Hulu Non-Plus — random, inconsistant content. In addition to the incomplete seasons found on Hulu, Plus also is missing seasons and does away with entire titles. So what I have available on my laptop isn’t necessarily what I have available on my iPhone. Here’s what they have to say:
Currently we don’t have the rights to make all shows on Hulu.com available on all devices — we’re working hard to continue clearing shows for mobile and TV access.
Hulu just isn’t (yet?) the episodic television archive Holy Grail folks like Mari and I have been hoping for. Granted, this isn’t all on Hulu — we recognize there are complex licensing issues at play and rights don’t come cheap.
Having said that, I am finding a decent amount of content to keep me occupied. But… it’s largely the same content available via my Netflix subscription. So once the official iPhone app hits, I’ll have less reason to continue with Hulu Plus.
As to the reason I can’t quite bring myself to cancel Hulu Plus, I’m waiting on hardware. Television was meant to be watched on television. And I keep hoping a lower-end Samsung or Sony Blu-ray player will join the mix any day, allowing me to really see if Hulu Plus is a service I need. But each time I threaten to leave, while awaiting cheaper platforms, I’m reminded that I may not be invited back. Until the beta/preview concludes.
I broke down and bought a refurbished Samsung C6900 bluray and sold my old Sony S370. I didn’t want to wait for the Sony rollout of the app. And even when it comes to Sony Blurays, who knows what models will be supported. Hulu plus on the C6900 works quiet well and passes the wife test… :-) Now we just need more content!
I’m enjoying it, but running into the same problem you are. Currently, I have an old eMachines tower that runs Windows Media Center with the Boxee and Hulu Desktop plugins, so I’ve had a chance to experience Hulu Plus on my desktop quite nicely. Unfortunately, the interface is still abysmal and like you, I’m having trouble finding *unique* content.
Plus, I have AT&T’s uVerse service hooked up to the same TV. As my wife pointed out, why would I want to watch something on Hulu that I can also watch on uVerse? Granted, Hulu Plus is MUCH cheaper, but it still has ads, is lower quality (at least on my end), and isn’t as easy to find things on.
At least you have the iPhone option – I’m here with my Nexus One wondering when Hulu is going to let me use the ‘cool new Flash’ on my phone to view stuff.
I realize it’s not entirely Hulu’s fault – the networks and labels and such seem to cling to this misguided belief that I’m willing to pay extra to watch content on a smaller screen, just cause I can carry it with me. They’re crazy.
The fact that I can’t seem to watch my Hulu Plus content through Hulu Desktop makes no sense to me at all, and I’m waiting for Sony to add support for either my S570 Blu-ray player, or my TV with the Bravia widgets, so I can not worry about having to hook up a computer at all. I get the feeling that in 6-12 months all of these things will be ironed out and it’ll work seamlessly on lots of hardware, but having to pay the full price while they’re still figuring it out it was irritates me.
It will also be much more interesting whenever Apple gets around to releasing the revamped AppleTV. Instead of channels, we get apps with content. I can see the content providers just releasing their own apps (ABC, HBO, etc) and we just subscribe per “channel”. Then there goes Hulu…
Yeah… Basically, I don’t need a low-end Blu-ray player added to the mix. But since Xbox 360 won’t be supported until next year and who knows when or if Roku and TiVo get any love, I want to only make some sort of minimal hardware investment. And, I agree, Apple could shake it all up. We shall see. In the meantime, I guess I’ll keep paying the $10…
You can do it Dave! Sometimes you’ve gotta vote with your wallet.
While Hulu Plus is not quite the home run many were hoping for, the shortcomings (paid subscription AND ads being the big complaint for many) are not as significant as some are making them out to be IMO. At the end of the day, Hulu Plus is good enough… for now. I plan to continue paying the $10/month – which I think is fairly reasonable – as I bank on the idea that the breadth of content will only get better over time.
Wait, Hulu Plus content isn’t available through Hulu Desktop? I’m canceling then – what a freakin waste.
“Television was meant to be watched on television”
I disagree with this. Probably 80% of the non-sports that I turn on my TV is just as good watching transcoded down to my phone.
Guess it depends on your situation. I enjoy watching programming on larger screens and with company. Hulu Plus has been nice at the gym while on the cardio gear a couple times, though. But mobile access isn’t enough to keep me around long term.
Completely agree with your assessment, Dave. Watching content on a mobile device (phone or tablet) is not the goal, just a stop gap. If I am traveling, I will download a movie or two (that I have a slight interest in) to my iPad. However, if there is a television show or movie I really want to sit back and enjoy in the best fashion possible, it needs to be projected on a big screen, preferably in HD.
I’ve used the app on my iPhone once so far, just to see that it worked, but for us the breakthrough will come when I can watch it with my TV or Blu-ray player. We can hook up a computer now to watch a show pretty easily, but it’s far more of a pain than just selecting the content through the TV. I assume it’ll be ironed out soon, and maybe we will get some more announcements at CEDIA next month. Overall, $10 a month is still far cheaper than cable, or a monthly TiVo fee, and will have fewer commercials than either.
“Guess it depends on your situation. I enjoy watching programming on larger screens and with company. Hulu Plus has been nice at the gym while on the cardio gear a couple times, though. But mobile access isn’t enough to keep me around long term.”
I continue to assert that, at least in its current incarnation, Hulu Plus is aimed at the mobile market. Their attitude toward picture quality is a large part of what makes me think that.
Now, that could easily change for Hulu, given their current inside track on HD library acquisition. But it’s also worth noting that their current inside track only remains valid if they don’t do a really significant IPO.
Also interesting that Neflix’ streaming acquisition priorities also seemed aimed at the mobile market. On current trajectories, both Hulu and Netflix are aimed a ten buck package that you can both view on your mobile, and in low quality on your lean-back system.
So for heavy mobile users and/or cut-the-cable budget lean-back users, Hulu and Netflix should be the compelling choices.
But I think folks are going to be coming into the streaming HD lean-back space that will big foot Hulu and Netflix in hi-res acquisition, (not to mention the incumbent cablecos’ VOD revenue stream.) My guess is that the streaming space will segment into the mobile/low-end, and the premium lean-back, with minimal overlap between the two. At least in the short to mid term…
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“Hulu just isn’t (yet?) the episodic television archive Holy Grail folks like Mari and I have been hoping for.”
Can we finally all come to consensus that, at least in the foreseeable future, the old Qwest TV ad is only going to be available a la carte, which means it’s going to be really expensive. At least at first, the Qwest TV ad will only be available for the kind of folks who buy 70″ TV’s right now…
“I continue to assert that, at least in its current incarnation, Hulu Plus is aimed at the mobile market. Their attitude toward picture quality is a large part of what makes me think that.”
I couldn’t disagree more. While the quality for all content may not be up to what some would consider an acceptable level (720p minimum for all material?), it is clear from the early press releases and comments from Hulu that the intended goal is to provide service wherever you are (the road or living room) on the appropriate devices.
Comments from Jason Kilar, Hulu CEO, regarding the introduction of Hulu Plus:
http://blog.hulu.com/2010/06/29/introducing-hulu-plus-more-wherever-more-whenever-than-ever/
While I would agree that not all material gets the best treatment, I would say that the HD content I have seen on my PS3 is right in line quality wise with nearly every other service (Netflix, Amazon VoD, Blockbuster Vod) and platform (PS3, Roku, Samsung TVs, Samsung BD players) I have seen; Vudu on my Samsung being the exception as it is clearly superior from what I have seen.
To my previous comments I would add that the UI for Hulu Plus on my PS3 (assuming it is the same for other devices) is the most polished, intuitive UI I have used. Clearly a lot of thought went into tailoring it for the 10′ (leanback) experience.
“I couldn’t disagree more … it is clear from the early press releases and comments from Hulu that the intended goal is…”
You’re trying to refute what I noted based on the public marketing comments of the company in question?
Are you an astroturfer, or are you just not the sharpest knife in the drawer? Refutations are certainly possible. I’m not always correct. But a company’s public statements about its intentions often have little overlap with its actual intentions.
“I couldn’t disagree more. …the intended goal is to provide service wherever you are (the road or living room) on the appropriate devices.”
Given that is pretty much exactly what I said, how are you disagreeing?
I’m just noting that the goal is to provide a pretty low quality product in the living room. And that their target market seems to be heavy mobile users and/or cut-the-cable budget lean-back users.
“I couldn’t disagree more. While the quality for all content may not be up to what some would consider an acceptable level (720p minimum for all material?)”
It’s not about the horizontal lines. It’s about the bit rate. Hulu Plus is intentionally sending a noticeably degraded picture from the “720p” that other companies are sending.
And I don’t think that’s due to a technological speed bump. I think that’s due to the desires of the rights’ holders. So I don’t see any reason for it to change any time soon.
But, hey, if you just want to repeat the marketing material, look, it’s 720p! That must be good. Also, Tide really gets your whites whiter! And you should eat at McDonald’s because I’m lovin’ it!
Play nicely, Chucky. He’s not an astroturfer. We’ve got a special, civil community here – let’s keep it that way.
As for me, Netflix streaming HD on a big screen is good enough for most stuff. (Haven’t sampled Hulu HD yet.) If I want the highest of res video, I’ll go with a different service (Xbox 360 Zune HD, Amazon VOD) or Blu-ray.
Also, if $10 is only the mobile tier for Netflix, Hulu, whomever, then offer me a $25/mo or $35/mo tier for more content and higher res/bitrates on the TV. If they make it compelling, I’m willing to pay. (I think I pay Cox about $80 or $100/mo in television services. I’d reallocate if a competitive over-the-top offering came around.)
Speaking of not quite compelling – anyone else having Hulu Plus issues on their iPhone? Sometimes it starts to stream content without audio and I have to close and reopen the app to get it going. Also, it doesn’t always rotate from portrait to landscape – or not quickly. Or dropping the audio when it does.
“I’m not always correct”
Agreed!
“Play nicely, Chucky. He’s not an astroturfer. We’ve got a special, civil community here – let’s keep it that way.”
Fair enough. A notch over the top. I just have trouble with “Brawndo! It’s got electrolytes!” while I’m still drinking my first cup of coffee of the day.
Three cheers for special, civil communities.
“As for me, Netflix streaming HD on a big screen is good enough for most stuff”
Agreed. Netflix streaming HD is right on the line of where lean-back quality gets to “good enough”. Hulu Plus just ain’t sending enough bits per second to get anywhere near that quality.
“Also, if $10 is only the mobile tier for Netflix, Hulu, whomever, then offer me a $25/mo or $35/mo tier for more content and higher res on the TV. If they make it compelling, I’m willing to pay. (I think I pay Cox about $80 or $100/mo in television services. I’d reallocate if a competitive over-the-top offering came around.)”
Sure. I’d reallocate too. But that’s kinda the thing. In whose interests is it to sell you a package that you currently spend $80-$100 on for $25-$35 instead? It’s certainly not in the interests of the rights’ holders. The price to lease hi-res streaming rights seems to be much more expensive than is the current popular perception.
And think about it this way: if the current market price for a decent premium cable package is $100/mo, what would the going rate be for the all-you-can-eat Qwest TV ad paradise, if someone could put it all together today? I’d say it’d have to be priced at least at $300/mo to even begin to make any sense for the rights’ holders.
Or to put it yet another way, the bulk of the pricing power of video rights lies in hi-res for lean-back. If you’re OK with low-res video, (which is all anyone needs for mobile use), things are going to be a bargain paradise going forward. If you want hi-res for your lean-back, not so much.
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Now, none of this rambling means that no one is going to put together a compelling $25-$35 per month hi-res streaming service. All I’m really saying is that such a service will have a rather limited menu of choices.
Maybe… it could depend. This might be an easy way to monetize a studio’s back catalog and a Hulu could take less of a cut than Comcast. Then again, your argument could also apply to eating into DVD sales. In the end, it could all work out – people can purchase and watch content in the way they prefer, the studios get paid and we have a choice of pipe and display. HBO’s indication that it’ll go to an over the top subscription of some sort is is interesting. Will they take out the middle man? Hm.
to me – streaming is more about convenience and mobile viewing for now. I do most of my netflix viewing on the Wii and bring the Wii on extended family trips to have something better than hotel TV to watch. For myself travelling alone I just rip some TiVo shows/DVDs to my phone and watch those during travel. Then laptop in the hotel room to do Hulu and netflix.
so anyhow – none of these services are compelling yet save from some 2nd teir stuff on Netflix via TiVo on my big screen.
Mobile is where it is at to get a new market but until Win7 on mobile they are limited to iPhone/iPad segment which while active is simply not the full market
Hmm… isn’t one of the advantages of Hulu Plus supposed to be better catalog?