Contemplating on cutting the cord but don’t know your options? Your search for an honest and comprehensive review about Hulu ends here. In a world where people have no time to stop and stare, there’s little scope for small joys like bonding with family or simply laying in bed on a rainy day. Even though the good old TV has been castigated and stamped as an “idiot box” for the longest time, we can’t deny that entertainment plays a huge role in knitting relationships and taking the edge off our stressful lives.
Furthermore, it saves us from being sucked into a cyclone of monotony and helps us experience the deepest emotions that we may otherwise not. But our busy schedules put a stopper on watching TV as per broadcast programming. This is where streaming sites like Hulu come into the picture.
Hulu: A Modern Era of Television
While video-on-demand giant Netflix has always been in the limelight for pioneering streaming services, people know very little about its rivals such as Hulu. Similar to Netflix, Hulu is based out of America and offers subscription-based VOD services in alliance with The Walt Disney group, 21st Century Fox, and Comcast. Their primary focus is on TV shows which are made available for viewing by obtaining rights from the concerned TV channel.
Initially, the online streaming company came out with two subscription plans – a free version (Hulu) and a paid version (Hulu Plus). However, the free version has been discontinued due to loss of network partnerships and Hulu is now Hulu Plus.
Hulu Plan & Pricing
• Limited Commercial – At just $7.99/month, you can get unlimited access to Hulu’s content in high definition with short commercials in between. If ads don’t bother you much, this is probably the best deal available out there.
• No Commercial – By paying roughly $4 extra, you can get rid of those annoying ads and enjoy watching your favourite shows in HD. This plan costs $11.99/month which is still cheaper than many other similar services.
Hulu also offers an add-on feature called “Showtime” at $8.99/month which can be bundled with either of the aforementioned plans. This feature gives you access to premium content including Hollywood hits and critically acclaimed shows like Homeland.
Ps: Note that you can cancel your subscription or switch plans anytime you wish.
Choice of Content On Hulu
Hulu boasts of a behemothic library with over 86,000 TV episodes belonging to approximately 2,900 TV titles, and about 2,500 movies. This is still smaller in comparison to Netflix but beats all its rivals in terms of freshness of content offered.
Hulu has tied up with highly popular TV networks such as ABC, FOX TV, NBC, Comedy Central, TLC, BBC, CBS, Viacom Media Networks, Time Warner, A&E, Disney, and Discovery Communications and many live sports online package. The company also spins out in-house TV series like The Morning After, Battleground, The Path, and Casual. They’re coming up with an exciting show this year called The Handmaid’s Tale which is based on the famous novel written by Margaret Atwood.
Some other popular shows that are available on Hulu include The Daily Show, Southpark, Vikings, the Star Trek series, etc. Hulu also has a fairly decent collection of movies like Interstellar, Cloverfield, all James Bond flicks, When Harry Met Sally, etc.
Supported Devices
In the beginning, Hulu could only be accessed through a computer or a laptop but today, it is compatible with a host of other devices such as – Blu-ray players, Roku TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS & Android handhelds, Smart TVs, etc. However, you must be informed that you can watch content on Hulu only on one device at a time.
Why Choose Hulu?
Firstly, Hulu recently announced a launch of a Live TV streaming option that allows users to watch TV shows or games as they’re being aired, on two devices simultaneously. Although the pricing is a bit higher ($40) compared to its other plans and rivals like SlingTV, it’s totally worth signing up for. Hulu Live streaming has a significantly improved user interface, enabling users to filter their favorite shows, genres, and TV networks thereby resulting in better suggestions.
Secondly, Hulu sets itself apart by adding the latest episodes of a TV series as soon as it has been released whereas other companies like Netflix take eons to update their library.
Getting Started
Using Hulu is as simple as ABC. All you have to do is log onto the official website and create an account using an email ID and a unique password. Then, select a plan, enter your payment details, and start watching.
Although, we can help you to download their official app. Just follow below links and download their apps for Android or iOS devices.
Links | Android | |iOS| | Web Portal |
The Big Caveat
No doubt, Hulu is one of the best media streaming sites available but there’s one major drawback. Their services are currently restricted to the American and Japanese audience. Securing rights from content owners for every region can take a lot of time and effort but have said that Hulu definitely has plans of expanding their services to other parts of the world in the near future. At this point, we don’t have an exact schedule regarding their plans but as soon as we do, we shall update you.
Also, as we mentioned earlier, Hulu’s focal point is on TV shows and therefore, their movie library is not up to the mark compared to the competitors. However, if you’re a small screen video person, Hulu should be your top pick. Hulu is perhaps the best alternative to Cable TV!