This weekend, Hulu and Roku are offering two months of free streaming to new customers. Where “new” generally means new email address. Given the imminent arrival of Showtime on Hulu (for an additional fee), I figured I’d strike while the iron is hot. However, the signup process was something of a turn off. Hulu, Roku, or maybe both require a gender and birth year to complete the registration process and surely feed their advertising initiatives. Obviously those can be spoofed if one so chooses, but I played along. However, where they lost me is Roku, versus Hulu, requiring a credit card on file.
I suppose it’s not much different than Apple hanging onto my info for iPhone app purchases, but I’m just not interested. In fact, I’ve gone out of my way to create Roku account without a credit card. So I passed. Look, between TiVo-ed shows, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO GO, I gots plenty of commercial-free content. Too much, in fact.
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By the by, the promo graphic terminology is somewhat amusing. How exactly do you turn a Roku on (or off)? Also, squeezing two months into a two day weekend suggests amazing time-space continuum powers. :)
What? Youre Roku doesn't have a power button floating ominously above it? Weird.
I have generally given up on my Roku, For me the only real advantage is the universal search but I usually know were things are streaming I want to watch. My primary consumption is Amazon, Netflix, HBO go and Showtime anytime. I use my Fire TV mostly followed by Apple TV for its apps you can't get elsewhere IE Watch ABC. Hulu will never be a viable option for me as long as I have to watch that many commercials I can't skip and pay for it.