Hulu Plus announced

[Vyse]

Hulu begins charging for content with Hulu Plus. So, what does $10/month get you?

-"Current Season Ticket": You will be able to watch the current seasons of ABC, NBC, and Fox shows in their entirety instead of the "five trailing episode" business

-TV's past: All of L&O SVU, Buffy, Roswell, Arrested Development, and more.

-The ability to experience Hulu on various devices: In addition to your computer (Windows, Mac, and Linux), apps for the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch (iPhone 4 or 3GS running iOS 4/3rd Gen touch running iOS 4) are out now. It's in supported Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players and coming soon/eventually to the PS3, Xbox 360 (requires XBL Gold but will have Kinect and Xbox Live Party support), and TVs and Blu-ray players from Sony and VIZIO.

-High-Definition content: 'nuff said.

Who's biting? I said I would get this for my 360, even though PlayOn has been serviceable for me. The high-def content sounds like an upgrade worth getting, as well as access to past shows.


One more thing, in big letters:
Hulu is, was, and will continue to be free. There have been talks in the past year to offer up a subscription service to go along with the basic free site that would offer more content and devices that can't access Hulu like the Flash-less but still popular iPhone and the PS3 - which despite having a web browser with Flash, can't play Hulu videos.

[Temple Fugate]

I'm all for this plan. They keep what's free free, and offer enhanced service at a nominal fee.

One thing I wonder about is ads before/within shows. Will there still be the usual amount of advertising, or will it be reduced somewhat? I realize the point of paying the extra fee would be canceled out by eliminating advertising entirely, but I would actually consider paying $15-$20 if it meant watching shows completely uninterrupted. I'd cancel my cable service here and now.

[PC!]

Sounds fantastic. People who don't want to pay get the same service as before, and those willing to pay get the service, plus a lot more. Great move on Hulu's part.

[Tay the Cat]

There will still be ads, so no thanks.

[Daxdiv]

Well, as long as the 5 trailing episodes are kept as free, I like this plan. 10 bucks a month isn't that bad of a plan as well. I might want to do this later down the line if it comes to the Xbox 360.

[Mynd Hed]

Here's the thing: Netflix is slightly cheaper ($9/mo for the one-disc plan with streaming), has no ads, is already on every current video game console, Roku, net-connected Blu-Ray players, and certain brands of toaster, and sends you physical discs to boot. So I'm sticking with that.

Nix the ads for paid subscribers and stop talking about getting on video game consoles and actually do it, Hulu, and we'll talk.

[Temple Fugate]

Here's the thing: Netflix is slightly cheaper ($9/mo for the one-disc plan with streaming), has no ads, is already on every current video game console, Roku, net-connected Blu-Ray players, and certain brands of toaster, and sends you physical discs to boot. So I'm sticking with that.

I almost have to watch a show as it's airing, week by week. No patience. If Hulu Plus supported every show I followed (which isn't that many but they're spread across different networks and studios) I would go with it. Netflix would do me for movie rentals and old series Hulu Plus wouldn't have, but I'd need my weekly TV fix.

[Mandouga]

In any case, Vyse:

-What exactly does "and more" mean

-You say that Hulu will still be free, but what does that mean, exactly? I know that the "apps" are part of Hulu Plus, but would I still be able to watch Gigantor on the hulu.com website on my PC without having to get the "Plus" part of it?

Also, for the record, the ads aren't what worry me, it's whether or not "the classics" (both the ones that have been there for a while, and the recently added ones) can still be seen on the actual website without having to "upgrade" to the paid version (I kind of prefer to watch new and current shows on TV, so I really only watch Hulu for the older stuff). Also, what does this mean for the anime that's posted there? Some are recent shows, while others are much older (e.g., the Toei stuff)? Will the anime on there still be free?

[Vyse]

In any case, Vyse:

-What exactly does "and more" mean

I have a gut feeling you did not click on the link to Hulu Plus, which revealed more than I was willing to type, especially considering that some of us may have already own all of Buffy, The X Files, or Angel on DVD. Since I'm thinking you did not click, here's what Hulu is willing to divulge and, except for SNL (which they say it has 10 seasons), it implies that it will be every season: X-Files, Buffy, SVU, Grey's Anatomy, Roswell, The Office, Arrested Development, Ally McBeal, Heroes, 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, 8 Simple Rules, American Dad!, Angel, Biggest Loser, Brothers & Sisters, Dancing With The Stars, Eli Stone, Legend of the Seeker, Life, Lipstick Jungle, Miami Vice, My Name Is Earl, Parks and Recreation, Prison Break, Quantum Leap, Reaper, Samantha Who?, SNL, Supernanny, The Pretender, What About Brian. There will be more.

-You say that Hulu will still be free, but what does that mean, exactly? I know that the "apps" are part of Hulu Plus, but would I still be able to watch Gigantor on the hulu.com website on my PC without having to get the "Plus" part of it?

Here's what I know and it will be in a font of 6 because I'm not willing to re-type it again:

Hulu is, was, and will continue to be free. The 5 trailing episodes. The old anime whose rights have yet to expire. The movies. All that is still free on your computer.

If that doesn't satisfy you, here's a video explaining Hulu Plus:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/160617/hul...t-is-hulu-plus

I have requested a preview invite, since the service isn't ready yet. Once I get the invite, I'll dig around and report what I find. Until then, whatever's free remains free.

And, Daxdiv, you did not read my post. [/sad panda] Because it is coming to the 360:

-The ability to experience Hulu on various devices: In addition to your computer (Windows, Mac, and Linux), apps for the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch (iPhone 4 or 3GS running iOS 4/3rd Gen touch running iOS 4) are out now. It's in supported Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players and coming soon/eventually to the PS3, Xbox 360 (requires XBL Gold but will have Kinect and Xbox Live Party support), and TVs and Blu-ray players from Sony and VIZIO.

Again, it's coming to the 360 eventually - they have it pegged for early 2011 and it will be after the PS3 gets it. It will have support for navigation via Kinect and Xbox Live Parties.


EDIT: PS3 owners may have to blow money on Playstation Plus to get Hulu Plus on their system.

[Mynd Hed]

Wow, so in order to get Hulu into your living room, unless you just happen to own a Samsung-brand Blu-Ray player or 'net-connected TV, you have to pay for not one but TWO monthly subscriptions (the premium version of either XBL or PSN, and the Hulu subscription), AND you still get ads? Smooth....

[Jadeling]

I think I'll stick to my Netflix and checking out actual network sites for my tv and movie needs.

[Mandouga]

@Vyse: I didn't mean to imply ignorance, or anything like that. It's just that "free" could mean anything, and I just wanted to make sure that there weren't any hidden catches I didn't previously know about. I saw what you typed the first time. Maybe I should have clicked on the link. I just wanted to make sure all the information was there; that we wouldn't be going to the website on our PCs to watch one our favorite shows (regardless of when, or where they were made), only to be told that we would have to get Hulu Plus to watch it. I wanted know what exactly I would be getting into.

I will say that I think I understand now; that it is exactly what it sounds like. Again, I didn't mean to imply any kind of ignorance.

[Spaceman]

Why can't Hulu's free service be available on iDevices? Seriously?

[Mynd Hed]

Because you can't just push out your advertising-based service to just ANYONE. You've got to charge subscriptions so that you can accurately count how many people are viewing the ads. I mean, how else are you going to do it? Use COMPUTERS to get the most accurate ratings and demographics information ever available to the entertainment industry, and then use COMPUTERS to distribute your content more cheaply than ever before, and use COMPUTERS to deliver advertising specifically targeted to each individual viewer's demographic? Don't make me laugh. Why, such a business model would benefit from being distributed as widely as possible on as many platforms as possible with no pay wall or barrier to entry for the end user!

[The Nameless]

I must be the only person in the whole world who records their shows, with the intent to keep them around indefinitely. Don't really watch much network primetime, but it works wonders with my Daily Show and Colbert Report.

But on the main topic now: What wasn't working about the current model for Hulu and couldn't they expect to make money off of DVD sets? The main appeal of Hulu was free stuff.

[The Penguin]

But on the main topic now: What wasn't working about the current model for Hulu and couldn't they expect to make money off of DVD sets? The main appeal of Hulu was free stuff.

The current model of Hulu and the "free stuff" is not going anywhere. If you chose to pay you are paying for additional stuff. DVD sets are about FOX, NBC, etc. making money. Hulu Plus is about Hulu making money.

[The Nameless]

OK, it was stupid of me to phrase it that way.

I thought Hulu was turning adequate profits (though the site is a joint venture between three major networks and a private equity firm, "adequate profits" are not enough for them).

[Mynd Hed]

Charging extra for more content makes sense, especially when you consider that offering full seasons of a show and full runs of entire shows is almost certainly going to cannibalize DVD sales to some extent and hence content providers are going to expect a bigger kickback for allowing it.

What puzzles me is the decision to charge to be able to watch Hulu on platforms other than the PC. That's not how the advertising model works: Hulu should WANT to get in front of as many eyes as possible. Physical media that rely on ad revenue like magazines and newspapers typically charge for subscriptions to cover the costs of production and distribution, since those increase in direct proportion to the number of subscribers. With digital distro, the distribution cost is negligible, the cost of production is static and does not increase proportionately to the audience, and neither one rises when you expand to different platforms after the initial (negligible) investment to create a new client, so where's the logic in charging for access on some platforms but not others?

[Temple Fugate]

What puzzles me is the decision to charge to be able to watch Hulu on platforms other than the PC. That's not how the advertising model works: Hulu should WANT to get in front of as many eyes as possible. Physical media that rely on ad revenue like magazines and newspapers typically charge for subscriptions to cover the costs of production and distribution, since those increase in direct proportion to the number of subscribers. With digital distro, the distribution cost is negligible, the cost of production is static and does not increase proportionately to the audience, and neither one rises when you expand to different platforms after the initial (negligible) investment to create a new client, so where's the logic in charging for access on some platforms but not others?

I have a feeling Hulu has nothing to do with the situation. PSN and XBOX Live are probably just trying to cash in for themselves by forcing their users to subscribe to their premium services.

[Mynd Hed]

That part of it makes sense from Sony and Microsoft's point of view since it adds value to their paid services, but why would HULU make access on video game consoles and portable platforms a feature reserved only for paying Hulu Plus subscribers? Isn't that a feature that it benefits them to give to everybody, since it means more eyeballs viewing their ads?