Hulu, an online video streaming website, specializes in TV content. Having struck up deals with major networks, such as ABC and NBC, it features the newest episodes of their hit shows, as soon as the day after they premiere. Recently, they released their new subscription-only service: Hulu Plus. For a price of $7.99 per month, they offer every episode of the most current season for shows, as well as past seasons of more popular content. Various movies and original content are also available for streaming with the service.
This past Friday, Hulu premiered it's Hulu Plus service for the Xbox 360. It functions as an app, similar to those for Facebook and Netflix. The interface itself is simple to understand, simply scroll up and down for categories of video (ranging from "New Arrivals" to "Most Popular") or left and right for content labeled under those categories. The controls during video playback are simply as well, press 'B' for an option bar to show up at the bottom, revealing buttons for 'Play', 'Stop', 'Fast Forward', etc. All the standard options are there, and it's easy to move over to them to control your video feed.
While the application itself is easy to use, there are a few negative aspects plaguing it. First off, Hulu Plus, while being a subscription-funded service, is still ad-supported. Hulu claims this is to keep prices low, and there are only about 3-4 3o second ads per average length TV episode, so it isn't too much of an annoyance. Second, even after the preliminary loading, the content occasionally stops streaming in order to buffer. Once again, this isn't a major issue, and it occurs even on Hulu's main site, but it does get irritating from time to time. Finally, and perhaps the biggest nuisance, many shows seem to be "web only," meaning they are only available to watch on the Hulu main site. Of course, this defeats the purpose of it even showing up on the Xbox catalog, as they aren't allowed to be viewed. Regardless, a Hulu Plus subscription works on all devices with Hulu applications, including computers, Xbox, and even mobile phones.
Ultimately, Hulu Plus for Xbox is an easy-to-use option for watching your favorite shows on your TV with only the need for an Xbox and an internet connection (and no need for cable!) The fact that it updates its extensive catalog of shows with the newest episodes gives it an edge over other services, such as Netflix, which are often left behind with their old content. Overall, Hulu Plus is worth at least a trial, to see if it fits your tastes. Thankfully, Hulu is offering a free week (ending May 6th) to try out the service for yourself: http://www.hulu.com/plus/unlock .
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