The competition between video streaming services is constantly intensifying, and just somehow, Hulu has been able to find its way and position in the grand scheme of things.
If you’re wondering what Hulu is, all you have to do is to continue reading, and you’ll find out.
What is Hulu?
Hulu is one of the most popular on-demand video services currently, and it allows users to stream trending TV shows in Canada, Europe, the United States, and Japan. Hulu is co-owned by Comcast and the Walt Disney Company.
What Hulu does is focus primarily on streaming the most recent TV shows and some of its own original content rather than movies or documentaries.
They also offer a monthly subscription tier that allows you to customize your viewing experience.
Hulu is quite different from other popular video streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix because it allows users the earliest access to every trending series from several traditional networks.
What this means is that if you are a Hulu subscriber, you typically only have to wait 1 week, or in a few cases, one day to watch Fresh episodes of popular broadcast TV series after they have been released.
Another advantage of using Hulu is that, unlike regular cable, you do not have to worry about any hidden charges, installation appointments, or equipment rentals that are associated with having your Hulu subscription.
If you would rather watch your Hulu on the go or watch it at home, you have the privilege of doing so via any of your favorite streaming devices.
As we have mentioned earlier, Hulu, just like some other streaming networks, has its own amazing lineup of exclusive original videos.
What is Hulu + Live TV
hulu’s most recent feature is Hulu plus live TV. Following the most recent price increase in January 2019, the streaming service now charges $45 per month, and they allow subscribers to watch On Demand TV programming live from as many as 60 channels, including sports and local news.
There are so many other amazing features that you would enjoy when you subscribe to Hulu On-Demand tear that is mentioned above.
Some of the most recent additions of channels include investigation discovery, motor trend, TLC, Discovery Channel, and animal Planet.
Hulu + live TV is a service that you can compare to other services like Direct TV Now, Sling TV, or even PlayStation Vue, which are all known to allow access to live programming without the necessity for a satellite or cable subscription. Just like the aforementioned services, Hulu + live TV comes with its own Kinks.
As you can already guess, the streaming quality when it comes to live programs may be very poor and may also suffer whenever there are slower internet speeds or during high-traffic periods.
However, these downsides are not peculiar to Hulu+Live TV, as other streaming services also come with such problems.
If you would love to watch on your computer, go straight to the Hulu+live TV website new.hulu.com, where you can see a wide range of options for on-demand content just the same way you would with your traditional Hulu subscription.
However, you will also get to see a live TV button somewhere at the top of the screen. Please note that the integration between the new Hulu and the classic Hulu format isn’t exactly perfect.
So, if you will only be using Hulu on your devices where the full experience is supported, you will not run into so many problems.
However, if the devices you’re using are those where only the older Hulu is supported, there is no way you can escape running into trouble since there is no good integration between the new “my stuff” and the older style “watch list“.
However, there is hope that this aspect will continue to improve as Hulu rolls out fresh updates to is user user-experience.
Which devices can I watch with?
If you have visited the Hulu website, you will notice a list of devices where Hulu and Hulu+live TV are available.
These devices include mobile phones of both Android and iOS kinds, Apple TV, Roku Fire tablets, and Amazon Fire TV. You can also use your Hulu on Google Chromecast devices, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, Mac and PC browsers, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, One, and Xbox 360.
While PlayStation 3 and PS4 also support the regular Hulu, Hulu+live TV is not supported on this device because of its rivalry with PlayStation Vue, Sony’s own live TV streaming service.
Additionally, you can find the Hulu classic app on select Sony and Vizio TVs, TiVo, Android TV, Wii U, and some Blu-ray players from Samsung LG and Sony.
How much does Hulu currently cost?
Even though Hulu offered a free version of its library of content in the past, that is no longer available at the moment.
The platform has transferred to a completely subscription-based model since 2016, which means a total elimination of the free ad-supported Hulu service.
However, with their recent partnership with Yahoo, some of Hulu’s free content has been moved to Yahoo view.
All the recent episodes of specific series will be made available on the website, and some new episodes as well will be included eight days after they have been aired.
The traditional Hulu streaming service is now shared into an ad-supported subscription tier priced at $6 a month as a result of a recent price drop of $2 a month, and also an ad-free tier priced at $12 a month, which is also considered very affordable.
The Hulu+live TV package is priced at $45 monthly. If you would prefer a live TV plan, Hulu has one that excludes all on-demand content and is priced at $44 a month. However, a tiny $1 discount is not worth throwing away all the extras for.
Quite interesting is the fact that even though Hulu decided to reduce the charges for its ad-based subscription in January 2019 by as much as $2, the company made up for that by not only increasing the price of its live TV option but also adding a $6 increase to the ad-free Hulu when you include it with the $45 a month live TV option.
Before now, you could get access to the Hulu Plus live TV subscription for $40 a month and also get basic Hulu on demand with it. All of that goes to show you that, well, you think the company may have lost, was just an opportunity to make some extra box someplace else.
Add-ons
If you have a lot of money you are willing to invest in your viewing experience, then things can get a lot more expensive using Hulu.
For Hulu subscribers who are fans of Cinemax, HBO, or Showtime, you can get access to all of those on Hulu for a few extra bucks added to your Hulu subscription.
For HBO, you have to pay $15; for Showtime, you have to pay $9; and for Cinemax, you have to pay $10 in addition to your subscription fee.
For Hulu Live TV, the service normally comes with 50 hours of online cloud storage. But, if you would like to get extra 200 hours of online DVR storage space, you can do so for an additional $15 monthly.
The service, however, comes with a 2-screen limit that you can use to watch your favorite shows at the same time.
You can also upgrade that to unlimited screens at home or as many as three screens on the go for an additional $15.
The good news is that if you’re willing to subscribe to both upgrades, Hulu gives you a 10% price slash making both available to you for only $20 a month in addition to your subscription.
For individuals who do not have cable, any of the above subscriptions would be totally worth it.
All of these features offer limitless hours of amazing content, including some very unique series that you cannot find anywhere else.
While it is true that subscriptions can be a little expensive, having to deal with herbs and very few available screens can make anybody consider a similar pricing service is very affordable.
However, remember to factor in the cost of your internet connection.
Speed is everything
Hulu plus live TV and Hulu can easily be streamed at a plethora of different quality levels, which will automatically adjust according to your internet speed.
If you want smooth, interruption-free playback, it is recommended that you get a minimum download speed of 8 Mbps for Hulu + live TV and 6 Mbps for Hulu in HD.
If you have plans on streaming to multiple devices at the same time, you will require more bandwidth to enjoy a quality experience.
At present, 4K streaming is yet to be supported, and Hulu has not indicated when or if ever they would make provisions for 4K streaming.
Below are the internet requirements speeds for Hulu:
- 1080p HD: 6Mbps
- 720p HD: 3Mbps
- Standard definition: 1.5Mbps
- Hulu+Live TV: 8Mbps
How do you get Hulu?
If you are ready to sign up for Hulu, then I am happy to tell you that it is completely easy to do.
You can get it done in just a couple of minutes from your computer or your smartphone.
The first step would be to visit hulu.com/welcome and move along with the on-screen instruction.
To make payment simpler, you can also link your Hulu account with your Android or Apple account.
Unlike when you use traditional television, Hulu does not require any long-term commitment or contracts.
You can decide to go with the 7 days free trial service and cancel after the trial without paying any fees (but bear in mind that you would have to fill in your credit card details during the sign-up).
If, after the trial, you decide to opt-out or after the first subscription, you decide to cancel, you can easily get that done online or through Hulu customer service.
Similarly, if you decide to return to the Hulu service, that can also be done, as your account information will remain accessible to you.
As you can already tell, Hulu offers an amazing viewing experience. So, if you would like to share or ask any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment in the comment section provided below we look forward to interacting with you.
