Rovi is taking Hulu to court over program guide patents that the streaming site is allegedly infringing against. The suit was filed the same week that Fox announced it is putting up a pay wall around broadcast TV content that used to be free online. Read more »
With an expanded content library and a new key asset acquired to play in the consumer electronics market, Amazon is becoming more aggressive in its pursuit of Netflix. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time, with Netflix approval at all-time lows. Read more »
Fox is pushing its viewers to either keep their pay-TV subscriptions or subscribe to Hulu Plus: New episodes of popular Fox shows won’t be immediately available online without some kind of subscription, starting next month. Only one pay-TV provider has a deal with Fox. Read more »
People who have cut the cord aren’t doing so because they think Netflix provides a good alternative to their local cable TV company. In fact, those that go broadband-only are only slightly more likely to watch online video than those with pay-TV subscriptions, according to LRG. Read more »
The possible combination of Apple and Hulu has got the world buzzing with excitement, as such a deal could combine one of the top consumer electronics manufacturers with everyone’s favorite broadcast TV destination online. But the deal seems unlikely, given the lack of a strategic fit. Read more »
Hulu has once again rolled out its Facebook Connect capability, enabling users to easily share what they’re viewing on the online video site with their friends on Facebook. But after the botched initial launch, will users be willing to merge their accounts? Read more »
Microsoft could be rolling out a new subscription video service later this year, pitting it against services like Netflix and Hulu Plus, as Microsoft seeks to grab more revenues from Xbox subscribers. But it will need to be available on other devices, too. Read more »
Hulu CEO Jason Kilar gave an update on the company’s progress as it enters the second half of the year. One key takeaway: The company is well ahead of its target of reaching one million paying Hulu Plus subscribers by the end of the year. Read more »
Hulu’s Facebook Connect integration apparently isn’t going as well as planned. The feature has been pulled offline after people reported having issues with the sign-in process earlier today, with some being exposed to other users’ account data in the process. Read more »
Hulu is getting a lot more social with new features based on Facebook Connect. Users will now be able to log into the service with their Facebook account, comment on specific moments in a show they are watching, interact with friends and discover new content. Read more »
Hulu Plus brings movies and television shows the small screen of Android smartphones, but only six models are compatible for now. Sony Ericsson is leveraging HDTV technology for it’s new Android phones while the iPhone appears to be chipping away at Android’s popularity in the U.S. Read more »
Hulu Plus subscribers with Google Android phones can now watch their favorite movies and television shows on the go. The bad news: Only six handsets support the software for now. The good news: If your phone is supported, the Hulu Plus app offers a great experience. Read more »
Hulu topped all other ad networks for online video ads served, with 1.3 billion ad impressions during the month of May, according to comScore. That’s more than a quarter of the 4.6 billion ads that were served up by online video properties during the month. Read more »
Fans of Amelie, Pulp Fiction and Clerks can soon watch these titles on Hulu Plus, thanks to a new licensing agreement between Miramax and Hulu. And there is good news for freeloaders as well: About 15 Miramax titles will be available ad-supported on Hulu.com. Read more »
Roku will soon add support for casual games, starting with Rovio’s ultra-popular Angry Birds franchise, which will be launched on a new generation of devices. Angry Birds and other casual games will be rolled out this summer, as Roku adds new products to support the launch. Read more »
It looks like TiVo is finally adding Hulu Plus to the list of online video services available through its DVRs. And based on promotional materials spotted in some Best Buy stores, TiVo is offering up six free months of the Hulu Plus service to new customers. Read more »
Sony has brought back its PlayStation Network after a month-long outage, which means that PS3 users will also be able to once again access Netflix and Hulu Plus on their game console. However, Netflix isn’t planing to give users any credit for the outage time. Read more »
Hulu Plus is drastically expanding availability, now opening up to millions of Xbox game console owners. Thanks to its rollout on Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform and access to its install base, Hulu Plus could see a big boost in adoption. Read more »
If a new customer survey is any indication, satellite TV provider DirecTV might be interested in rolling out a subscription over-the-top video offering like Netflix’s streaming service. DirecTV is polling customers on how often they watch online video, perhaps to create its own online service. Read more »
The secret to making cord cutting mass market is for over-the-top video to become a little more like pay TV, but without the high price. With these week’s news, it looks like we may be inching closer to that reality. Read more »
Netfix is the primary reason for people to watch online video on their TV set, be it through a connected device, or simply by connecting their computer to the TV. 70 percent of online video viewers watch Netflix this way, according to a new survey. Read more »
Before today, users who wanted mobile access to Hulu’s subscription service needed an iPad or other iOS device to watch their favorite broadcast shows on the go. But the startup said today at CES that an Android mobile app would be released in the coming months. Read more »
2010 was a year of shifts and experiments as the power of streaming content began to truly change the business of entertainment. And 2011′s undoubtedly only going to be more crazy in that regard. But what’s going to be the source of those changes? Read more »
Hulu has been fairly successful in bringing high-quality, broadcast content available online. But with its IPO plans shelved, it looks like Hulu might never be able to shake itself free of its content partners — who just happen to also be its shareholders. Read more »
Blame cord cutting, at least in part, for the drop in cable subscriber numbers in 2010. Looking towards 2011, we expect this trend could gather further steam thanks to bundled subscription offerings from players like Microsoft and Apple. We also expect a new iteration of the ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Getting a new TiVo Premiere DVR through a lease from your cable company? Then don’t be surprised if it offers you less than the same device sold in stores: Hulu and Netflix aren’t allowed to offer their subscription services on DVRs distributed by cable companies. Read more »
Hulu Plus is becoming available on more and more connected devices these days, and features a pretty slick user interface. But given that a lot of Hulu content isn’t available on Hulu Plus, does it make sense as a service for those dropping their cable? Read more »
Hulu Plus is making a run at Netflix, with a price cut announced today and broad distribution across a number of devices — including many that Netflix is already on. But at the Web 2.0 Summit, Netflix’s CEO downlplayed the competitive threat posed by Hulu’s subscription service. Read more »
Hulu Plus is now available in the Roku channel store. New users can check the service out for a week, after which it will cost $7.99 per month. That money gets you plenty of TV shows, with commercials. Check out a first look at the service. Read more »
Online video startup Hulu cut the price of its Plus service to $7.99 a month, shaving $2 off the cost of monthly subscription. The service also announced a number of new devices that it will become available on, as well as a number of new promotions Read more »
Hulu is making its subscription service available in the Roku Channel Store as part of a software update on the streaming set-top box. In a tweet, Roku confirmed that the Hulu Plus channel can now be downloaded, and gave instructions on how to access the service. Read more »
Want Hulu Plus, but tired of waiting for your invitation? Well, the wait’s over: The paid service is now open to anyone interested. In addition, more shows have been added to the catalog, as well as another connected device to bring Hulu Plus to televisions. Read more »
Hulu might slash the price of Hulu Plus in half, from $9.95 a month to $4.95 a month. The possibility of a price cut could indicate the subscription service, which is still in beta, might not have generated the consumer interest that Hulu had hoped for. Read more »
There’s no perfect solution yet to watching all the content you want on your TV, but for me, the PS3 has become invaluable. When you look at all the features gaming consoles offer on top of basic set-top services, it makes the extra money worthwhile. Read more »
Make no mistake: Time Warner is building a pay wall for its cable assets online. Its Google TV and TV Everywhere initiatives are defensive measures designed to keep customers subscribed to pay TV. But if its strategy is to restrict access to content, it will lose. Read more »
Today, Roku is officially confirming that a Hulu Plus channel will be available on the set-top box later this fall. In addition, TiVo has announced that they too will be teaming with Hulu to provide Hulu Plus access to TiVo Premiere subscribers. Read more »
Roku users will soon be able to access Hulu Plus on their devices, if recent changes to the Roku.com web site are any indicator. The site already features a partner page for Hulu, boasting that Hulu PLus is easy to set up on Roku’s boxes. Read more »
During today’s press event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the iTunes store has sold 450 million TV episodes. How will its newly announced 99 cent rental program change the marketplace, especially with Hulu Plus around? It depends what’s on offer. Read more »
The Sony PlayStation3 didn’t offer any real advantages over other gaming devices or set-top boxes until it got dibs on Hulu Plus, making the PS3 the first console able to stream Hulu to the TV. But what’s the user experience actually like? Read more »
Not only is Netflix aware of the competitive threat Hulu poses, but it is committed to fighting back by offering its own mix of exclusive and non-exclusive TV content. As a result, expect even more deals that let Netflix stream full seasons of TV shows online. Read more »
