Hulu First Look

Hulu, the joint venture between NBC and FOX, began sending out logins to users who signed up for their private beta a few months ago. We were lucky enough to receive an invite, and gave the service a spin.

First of all, what is Hulu? Hulu is a content portal that will broadcast shows from NBC and FOX. The shows are not available for download, only for direct streaming from the site. Shows are offered with commercials in some instances, and without in others. For example, episodes of the Family Guy and the Simpsons featured no commercials, while episodes of the Office and Heroes did. Since Hulu is a joint venture between two competing networks, I’m guessing there will be inconsistencies in how the content is presented.

Mac users should be happy to note that Hulu uses Flash for it’s codec. Unlike NBC Direct which requires Windows (and .NET), Hulu ran just fine on both of my Intel Macs running Leopard/Safari 3/Flash 9 plugin. This is refreshing since the other video service I use, NetFlix’s “Watch Instantly”, is based on Flash, but requires Windows/IE to function.

We tested Hulu on our Media Center PC, which is hooked up to a Samsung Plasma HDTV (720p). At full screen, the video was grainy and pixelated. Compared to Netflix’s “Watch Instantly”, the full screen quality was subpar and generally unacceptable for HDTV viewing.

Hulu’s content (again, from both NBC and FOX) contains old and new shows, and, to my surprise, some movies as well.

Hulu also features user reviews inline with each episode. Additionally, you can embed episodes in your website or blog. The embed feature allows you to select either the entire episode, or a portion thereof. Of all of Hulu’s features, this is the most puzzling. Why would NBC balk at offering it’s episodes on iTunes at a cost of $1.99, but allow users to embed these episodes in to the blogs? It really doesn’t make much sense to me.

Looking for classics such as the A-Team, Adam-12, Remington Steele, or Hill Street Blues? Hulu has them. Movie selections included the Breakfast Club, Sideways, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Weekend at Bernies, Bulworth, The Sixth Sense and more. Shows that are currently airing include just about every selection from NBC and FOX that is currently on air. This also includes shows from these channels cable channels, like FX and USA. This brings shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Burn Notice, Monk, Ghost HUnters, and the Riches in to the fold.

Content wise, Hulu has a good selection right from the start. On it’s inaugural evening, I was having some issues with Hulu’s streaming. The shows would play, but were stuttering every two seconds. Most likely this was due to a high volume of users hitting the site for the first time. Rechecking the site this morning featured smooth streaming on every show I played. Hopefully, Hulu will be able to handle the load of a primetime viewing audience. My suggestion to whomever is in charge of IT at the Hulu operation – give Internap a call. A site that functions solely as a streaming content provider can’t afford to have choppy streams – ever.

While it is nice to have the Hulu option, I still miss NBC’s shows on iTunes. Being able to take the shows with you on your iPod/iPhone for trips and daily commutes was a big deal. The world is changing, and not everybody has the time to park their ass in front of a TV (or a computer) to watch their TV programming. With millions of devices capable of playing back video content anywhere, anytime, TV networks better start realizing that the game has changed. Hulu shows that they are catching on, but haven’t fully figured it out yet.

And now, Heroes series 2, episode 10, “Truth and Consequences”. Enjoy.

Category: News