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Updated: Changes on Roku’s web site are revealing that the company is about to launch a Hulu Plus channel on its line of devices. This cooperation could be a major win for Roku, since it will be the first set-top box to officially support Hulu Plus, giving it competitive advantage over Apple TV, (s AAPL) Boxee and Google TV. (s GOOG)
There have been rumors floating around in recent days that Roku was teaming up with Hulu, but the company didn’t want to comment on those speculations when we contacted them today. Hulu didn’t reply in time for comment.
However, Roku.com already has a partner page for Hulu Plus at roku.com/hulu-partner, complete with the following title:
“Roku Netflix Player | Watch HULU Movies and TV Shows Instantly on your TV”
The page itself makes no mention of Hulu except for this title, but a closer look at the HTML source code reveals the following description:
“Instantly watch Hulu+ instant movies and TV shows on the Roku player directly to any TV. No extra cost to your Hulu+ fees. Hulu+ ready devices are easy to set up.”
Roku CEO Anthony Wood hinted at some major content partners joining Roku in the coming months when he recently stopped by our office to talk about its new device line-up, but he didn’t reveal any further details. He also said that the company has now sold close to one million devices. Watch the entire interview with Wood below:
Update: The Hulu partner page has now been removed from Roku.com.
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I love my Roku. The recent additions in Channels enhances my TV viewing. Can’t wait for Hulu. I use Hulu plus on my linux box.
I love the Video, TV shows, Internet morphing going on in my family room.
A recent CNN channel I added to my roku lets me watch the clips from CNN in HD that I am interested in, missing all the stories I don’t want to view and commercials.
I keep my Blue Ray Netflix device for Blue ray and DVD’s now. Roku for everything else. I downgraded my Dish Network package and cut my costs in half.
http://www.roku-channels.com/ list some but not all the Roku Channels out there.
I even became a developer and developed a “private” channel to host my family videos from for other members in my family who I have introduced Roku to. Still upload my videos to my family website but the Roku users can watch them on the TV set.
I don’t have hulu on my roku but I do have pandora, YouTube, facebook, twit.tv, revision3, free mit courses, roku news, and many other channels. HD is stable, better than pc. Why watch web video on pc when you can remove the pc entirely and upgrade your experience.
It’s not the first set top box with Hulu+, I’ve been watching on my PS3 for a couple of months. It was a little uneven at first, but a recent software update made watching the new fall shows work pretty well.
I think the folks at Sony would love to point out that the PS3 is more than just a really expensive set-top box :)
Though, to be fair to Adam, I also have a PS3 and use it much the same. (Though being able to also play video games — or invite my brother over to play video games — has been worth the extra cash.)
Sounds like there is gonna be a choice:
Does your average couch potato pay extra for these separate services, or do they accept the time it takes to get them from somewhere like Netflix or LOVEFiLM?
Would that mean we start time shifting our watercooler lives, to fit in with a cheaper alternative we have to wait for?
CBS might be coming aboard Hulu Plus:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-22/cbs-may-participate-in-hulu-plus-subscription-service-ceo-says.html
Hulu(free) might not survive once the Comcast deal goes through.
Here’s an interesting article about the fate of Hulu(free):
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS333587224820100927
CBS might be coming aboard Hulu Plus:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-22/cbs-may-participate-in-hulu-plus-subscription-service-ceo-says.html
It’s great that Roku is adding so many partners, but the addition of yet another subscription service is slowly driving up the recurring cost of ownership of the device.
That’s a good point – but maybe also one of the reasons that makes 12% of Roku owners cut the cord…
Just Hulu+ content, though? When I had Hulu+ for a month, it wasn’t “everything Hulu offers plus some additional stuff”. It was “a special selection of stuff”, which is kind of pointless.
My understanding is that connected devices only get Hulu+ content due to licensing restrictions…
And that fact, for me, makes it nowhere near worth $10/month.