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Filed under: Internet, Video, Web

Hulu to begin charging for (some) content next year?

Hulu
Hulu is quite simply one of the best ways to watch TV on the internet. In fact, in some ways, Hulu offers a better viewing experience than old fashioned TV. For example, you tend to have just 2-3 minutes of commercials to put up with when watching a one hour (or rather, 42 minute) program on Hulu, instead of 18 minutes of advertisements.

But partly for that reason, FOX, NBC, ABC, and the other content networks that are supplying Hulu with a steady stream of TV shows and movies aren't making as much money from the site as they do when that content is viewed on TV. And according to FOX News Corp deputy chairman Chase Carey, one way to address that issue is to start charging for Hulu content. '

Now, before you freak out, it's not entirely clear at the moment exactly what content would be moved behind a paid firewall. It's unlikely that Hulu would require users to pay to watch everything on the site. But it is possible that some exclusive content could be available only to paying subscribers or one-time viewers.

Of course, it's possible that the forces behind Hulu could go all out and treat itself like a cable network, requiring users to pay to view anything on the site -- at which point Hulu's audience would sharply decline while internet piracy would shoot up.

What do you think? Is there some content you would pay to see on Hulu? Or are you already paying for that content from iTunes, Amazon, or other internet video distributors?

[via TV Squad]

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web

Hulu working on a subscription-based video service

Hulu Mad Men

Over the past year or so Hulu has quickly become one of the most popular online video sites even though it's only open to US viewers. Hulu's success likely comes from a number of factors including a focus on high quality professionally produced content including network TV shows and movies, a simple user interface, and relatively unobtrusive advertisements that are much easier to put up with than the 18 minutes of ads in every hour of US broadcast television.

But Hulu's focus on advertising supported content has likely prevented some premium content owners like HBO and Showtime from making full length content available. Now it looks like Hulu is testing out a subscription-based service.

I really hope any subscription service would offer content that's not currently available to Hulu customers. I'd hate to see some of the content that's currently available for free disappear behind a paywall. But at this point it's too early to say exactly what the service will look like, or even it will ever appear.

[via Business Insider]

Filed under: Internet, Video

How to add Hulu Desktop icon to Windows Media Center

Hulu MCE
Hulu Desktop is a pretty nifty application that lets you find and watch Hulu video content on a home theater PC using a media center remote control without a keyboard. But if you already have a home theater PC connected to your TV, you may want to integrate Hulu Desktop with your other media center software. Here's a little trick that will add a Hulu icon to Windows Vista Media Center that makes it easy to launch Hulu Desktop. When you close the application, you'll also be returned to Windows Media Center.

Basically what you need to do is download and install Chad Dyess' modified Media Center Launcher Configuration Utility. This tool lets you add a shortcut for practically any program to Windows Media Center. Next, you'll want to make sure Hulu Desktop is installed. Finally, run the configuration utility and point it to the HuluDesktop.exe file.

That's pretty much all there is to it. You can also create a graphic for the program icon if you want and select which section of Windows Media Center the shortcut will appear in. You can find a more detailed set of instructions at tech-recipes.

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web

Hulu begins rolling out ABC shows

Hulu ABC
Online video site Hulu has begun adding content from TV network ABC to its site. Hulu and ABC's parent company Disney announced a partnership deal back in April, but today is the first day you can actually find ABC content on Hulu... just not very much of it.

Hulu is starting with Grey's Anatomy, and has plans to roll out other shows including Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Scrubs, and I Survived a Japanese Game Show over the next few weeks. Sure, it'd be nice if all this stuff were available on day one, but it's summertime and there aren't as many new episodes of existing shows to add to the site, so I can see why Hulu would want to drag things out a bit.

Now if only the company could snag some CBS and CW content...

Filed under: Video, Browsers, Mobile

Hulu blocks Skyfire mobile browser from accessing videos

Skyfire Hulu
Mobile web browser Skyfire is one of the only browsers around that lets users watch movies from online video site Hulu. Or rather, it was. WMExperts reports that Hulu has begun blocking Skyfire users.

This development comes on a long, protracted battle between Hulu and Boxee, a media center application for OS X, Windows, and Ubuntu Linux that provides access to web video from dozens of sources.

After killing Boxee support, Hulu eventually launched its own desktop application, cleverly called Hulu Desktop. Does this mean that Hulu might be working on a mobile viewing device? I wouldn't be surprised if the company simply wanted more control over how users can interact with the media on its web site. On the other hand, since Boxee, Skyfire, and most other applications that allow users to watch Hulu video leave the advertising intact, I can't see how it should make much difference to Hulu and the company's content partners how you watch the videos.

[via AppScout]

Filed under: Business, Internet, Video, Op-Ed

You'll never really get Hulu on your TV, so stop whining

As Boxee announced the (long overdue) release of it's Windows version, geeks everywhere itching to cut the Cable TV cord -- presumably leaving the one connected to the cable modem alone -- sighed lovingly, and once again began to wax poetic on whether or not Hulu would come back to Boxee.

Even Avner Ronen, CEO of Boxee sounded hopeful in his quick interview with NewTeeVee.

I on the other hand, think all of you are nuts. Hulu is not (officially) available on your TV and it never will be.

Read more →

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web

Paid subscriptions coming to Hulu?

Hulu
Right now all of the content on web video service Hulu is free and ad-supported. But News Corp chief digital officer Jonathan Miller (formerly of Download Squad's parent company AOL), says that could change. Speaking at an event last night, Miller said some of the TV shows and movies on Hulu future could be made available only to paying subscribers in the future.

There are no plans to launch Hulu subscriptions at the moment, and Miller was just speaking in hypotheticals. But News Corp is one of Hulu's two primary backers (the other being NBC), so if he thinks subscriptions are a good idea, it might be time to start throwing a little money in a piggy bank for a Hulu day fund.

[via Digg]

Filed under: Video, Windows, Macintosh, Beta, Web

Hulu launches desktop app for watching web video

Hulu Desktop
Online video site Hulu has launched a desktop application for Windows and OS X that allows you to find and watch Hulu videos without firing up a web browser.

Hulu has been fighting a battle with media center application Boxee for months. Boxee is a desktop application that lets people interact with media on their hard drives or the web using a big screen interface that makes a good case for sticking your computer next to your TV. But Hulu's content partners like Fox and NBC make a lot more money when you watch TV shows through old fashioned TV broadcasts instead of on the internet, so I wasn't surprised to see Hulu disable Boxee support. But I was rather surprised to see Hulu launch its own desktop client today.

Hulu Desktop beta is designed to let you navigate Hulu from your couch, and it works either with a mouse and keyboard or a Windows Media Center or Apple remote control. You can use the desktop client to search for videos or browse through media by category. Videos can be viewed in full screen mode, and when you use the navigation tools to find additional programming the video will continue playing in a small window.

If you link Hulu Desktop to your Hulu account you can access your personal information including your Hulu queue from the desktop client.

Hulu Desktop is one of the first tools launched as part of a new Hulu Labs, a new experimental section of Hulu. Other Labs tools include the ability to browser for programs by original air date, video recommendations based on your viewing history, and video panel widgets.

Update: Oh yeah, before you ask... Hulu Desktop won't work outside of the US any better than the web version of Hulu does.

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web

Hulu gets more aggressive on geolocation, blocks Hotspot Shield


Hulu is a service that provides access to advertising-supported videos from TV and movie studios. Officially, it's only available to viewers in the United States, because Hulu only has the rights to distribute those videos in the US, and only has the advertising partnerships in place to make money from US views.

But the internet being what it is, a relatively small number of people have been using tricks to get around the geolocation restrictions, using proxy tools like Hotspot Shield for ages. This week, Hulu tightened its grip and started blocking access to anyone using anonymous proxy tools. In other words, Hotspot Shield ain't going to let you watch Hulu from the UK anymore.

I certainly hope this means Hulu plans to roll out international service soon, because the alternative for many users will be to turn to downloading movies and TV shows from BitTorrent or other services.

[via NewTeeVee]

Filed under: Internet, Video

Disney joins Hulu


The rumors have been swirling around for a few weeks, but today the Walt Disney Company officially announced that it is becoming an equity partner in Hulu. Disney, through a subsidiary of ABC Enterprises Inc., will join NBC Universal and News Corp. as an investor and content provider. Full-length episodes from ABC primetime, ABC Family and SOAPnet will be added to Hulu's content library, as well as classic ABC shows and select shows and movies from The Disney Channel. Essentially, ABC.com's streaming content will be coming to Hulu.

With the addition of ABC, three of the four major US television networks are now partners in Hulu. This leaves CBS and its TV.com venture all by its lonesome. As for YouTube, which is trying to get into the commercial content game, let's just say this move won't help the already anemic offering.

Despite the boxee nastiness (which has been mitigated, for now), Hulu continues to take off and is positioning itself as the defacto destination for online television viewing, provided of course, you live in the US. Having one robust platform is not only easier for viewers to navigate, it is easier to sell to advertisers.

The financial terms of the agreement weren't released, though I expect those details to emerge.

[via Mashable]

Filed under: Internet, Video, Google

YouTube goes Hulu, adds TV, movies

YouTube Shows
Over the last few years YouTube has successfully demonstrated that people will spend countless hours watching short user generated videos. But you know what else people like to watch? Professionally produced dramas, comedies, documentaries, cartoons, and news programs. Rival video site Hulu may not have anywhere near the audience that YouTube has, but it's choc full of professional video content (that you can only see in the US for the most part), which is much easier to monetize.

Now YouTube is stepping up its game, by offering content from TV and movie studios in a new section labeled "Shows." According to the New York Times, Google has signed agreements to distribute content from Sony, Lions Gate, CBS, MGM, and other studios.

The move will allow YouTube to place pre-roll, post-roll, and interstitial ads in video content, something it doesn't do with user generated videos.

Right now, the selection of TV shows and movies on YouTube is rather sad. Most of the content consists of old programs that you probably forgot existed, plus one new show from CBS: Harper's Island. Since Fox and NBC are the driving forces behind Hulu, it's not likely that we'll see their content on YouTube anytime soon. And there's talk that ABC could joing Hulu in the not too distant future.

Filed under: Internet, Video

Hulu to add British TV... for US viewers only

Hulu
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Hulu has hired a new VP in charge of international business, paidContent is reporting that Hulu has signed a deal to distribute several TV shows from the UK's Channel 4. But for now, they'll only be available to US viewers.

The deal covers several programs including Peep Show, Rude Tube, Queer as Folk, Green Wing, and Underbelly. The shows aren't available on the web site yet, but they should begin showing up soon.

There's still no word on when Hulu will launch in the UK, or why Hulu couldn't at least work out a deal to stream TV shows purchased from that country in Britain.

Filed under: Macintosh, Linux, web 2.0

New boxee alpha brings Pandora, XUL-browsing and an API


At the boxee meet-up in NYC tonight, the team is unveiling a new bleeding-edge alpha that adds lots and lots of cool stuff to my personal favorite media center solution.

The latest release, which should be available as you read this (or very shortly thereafter), brings:

The API has great potential for future plugins and implementations and I'm really excited about the new XUL-based browser. Because XUL is what all Mozilla based browsers use, discriminating against boxee users will be decidedly more difficult (if not impossible) for Hulu and other services that insist on driving users away from legally obtainable content.

Boxee is available for Mac OS X, Apple TV, Ubuntu and is in private alpha for Windows.


Filed under: Internet, Video, Web

Hulu plans to go international


Online video site Hulu has become one of the most popular video portals in the internet over the past year. It showcases high quality content from major television and film studios with fewer commercials than you'd see if you watched the same programs on TV. But Hulu has faced one major hurdle: The company doesn't have deals in place to distribute that content outside of the US, which is why international users are typically met with a message telling them that videos aren't available when they visit the site.

Hulu's been planning to go global for a while now, but it looks like the company could be a bit closer. PaidContent reports that the company has hired a new vice president to oversee international operations.

It seems likely that one of the first areas outside the US that Hulu will be available will be the UK. What I'd love to see is a reciprocal relationship, where in addition to streaming US content to British viewers, Hulu could work out a deal to distribute BBC content in the US.

Filed under: Internet, Video

Internet on TV updates: Pandora for Vudu, iPhone Boxee remote

Pandora on Vudu
For the last decade or so people have been talking about how eventually the TV screen and computer monitor will merge. Over the last year or two, we've actually started to see that happen. More and more people are watching TV on their computers either using TV tuner cards or internet video from sites like Hulu. And computer apps like Boxee and set top boxes like Vudu are making it easier for people to watch internet content on their televisions.

Today both Boxee and Vudu announced new services. Vudu is partnering with internet radio station Pandora to allow users to stream personalized music stations over their TV/home entertainment system. And Boxee has launched an application for the iPhone that lets users turn their phone into a remote control for Boxee.

The Boxee iPhone Remote is available in the Boxee App Box, which was launched a few weeks ago. Boxee has been in the news a lot lately due to the company's battle with Hulu. After a bit of back and forth over whether Boxee users should be able to watch Hulu videos using the full screen Boxee browser for the TV (instead of visiting Hulu's web site using a computer), the folks at Boxee seem to be focusing on building a larger community of developers and applications around their platform. This weekend Boxee also announced support for Blip.tv content through a plugin available at the Boxee App Box.

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