hulu

I regret selling my DVDs

I used to have hundreds of DVDs. They lined an entire bookshelf. I knew I never watched many of them; besides, the future was digital, wasn't it? It was 2006. My iPod Video told me so.

I sold about half my discs to the departed Kim's Video up the street, and then--pressured a bit by my family needs and small apartment--I did the unthinkable: I tossed out the remaining boxes and stuffed the discs in a binder.

It felt like sacrilege for my treasured and somewhat hard-to-find discs--my Canadian version of Cronenberg's "eXistenZ" with a commentary track, my various out-of-print Criterion movies. I gambled that I'd never really play these discs many more times, what with Netflix instant streaming and iTunes movie rentals.

Mostly, I was right. Then came "Kiki's Delivery Service."… Read more

It's Wii time for Hulu Plus

Hulu Plus subscribers can now access the service on the Nintendo Wii videogame console.

The partnership will offer Hulu Plus subscribers more ways to watch their streaming video on their TVs.

That's the knock on Hulu Plus and Amazon right now. Netflix, the No. 1 Web video-rental service, is compatible with many more devices. I should say that's one of the knocks. The big criticism of Hulu Plus is that managers charge the same $8 price for its streaming video but then force advertisements on viewers. But that's for another story.

When it comes to hardware, Hulu … Read more

Will Will Arnett eat Alec Baldwin in Hulu Super Bowl spot?

You might remember that, three years ago, Alec Baldwin rather graced the Super Bowl in an ad for Hulu.

In those heady times before he became subsumed into the alien world of Words With Friends, Baldwin offered that everyone in TV was, in fact, an alien. (I have embedded the evidence below.)

For this year's Super Bowl, it seems that concept is making a comeback, except this time with Will Arnett. Here we see him in front of the same large white doors that separate us from TV world.

Finally, he enters. But what is this all about? Should … Read more

Amazon may be aiming at Netflix with new streaming service

Amazon may be looking to cut into Netflix's action by launching a new video streaming service.

Citing information from industry sources, The New York Post said the new service would expand beyond Amazon's current Instant Video by launching as a standalone, subscription-based business.

Amazon's Instant Video is free with a $79 Amazon Prime subscription, though nonsubscribers can buy or rent individual movies and TV episodes on a per-title basis. In contrast, the new service would borrow a page from Netflix's business model. Amazon is just currently trying to figure out what to charge, one source told … Read more

Netflix naysayers are many but subscription model looks sturdy

The Netflix bears are salivating.

When the video-rental company reports earnings later today, Netflix's financial performance is expected to show sluggishness due to higher costs of streaming content and an international expansion. The company's increased dependency on streaming movies over the Internet is supposed to mean slimmer margins than when the business was focused on renting DVDs.

In the immediate future, movies from Disney and Sony Pictures are supposed to disappear next month. Netflix obtained those films via a deal with Starz, the premium cable-TV service, but the contract was not renewed. This will diminish an already slim … Read more

Hulu to launch first original scripted series

Hulu is beefing up its effort to be an Internet video destination to challenge Netflix with plans to produce its first scripted series next month.

The video-steaming service has ordered 13 episodes of "Battleground," a political comedy about a primary campaign for a Wisconsin Senate seat, that will debut on February 14, Hulu announced today. Hulu will follow that up with 10 new episodes of "A Day in the Life," a documentary series about famous people that returns in March, and a six-part travelogue from Richard Linklater, director of "Dazed and Confused, the company said … Read more

Hulu Plus subscribers hit 1.5 million, sales jump 60 percent

The video-streaming service Hulu reported that revenue rose 60 percent last year and said its subscriber base now numbers 1.5 million.

Impressive, right? Hold on just a second.

As Hulu CEO Jason Kilar put it in a post on Hulu's blog:

We grew the business 60 percent from 2010 to approximately $420 million in revenue. We exceeded our plan despite the soft advertising market (economy) in the second half of 2011.... Hulu Plus now has more than 1.5 million paying subscribers. But let's put that into context. Hulu Plus is a subscription service that charges $7.… Read more

Get Hulu Plus free for three months

Note: Sorry about the newsletter snafu yesterday! Still working out the kinks, so stay tuned.

Ah, Hulu. For anyone looking to cut the cable-TV cord, the service is pretty indispensable. Unlike Netflix, it lets you watch many, if not most, current TV shows the day after they air.

But here's the thing: If you want access on your Roku box, game console, Android phone/tablet, iOS device, or whatever, you need to subscribe to Hulu Plus.

Normally that costs $7.99 per month, but right now you can get Hulu Plus free for three months. (Note that if you'… Read more

Watching online video via game consoles grows in popularity

People are increasingly using their game consoles for more than just playing games.

Thanks to the greater availability of Netflix, Hulu, and similar services, streaming videos via a game console has grown in popularity over last year, according to a study from Nielsen released yesterday.

Surveying more than 3,000 people in the U.S. in October, Nielsen found that video streaming now accounts for 14 percent of all time spent on Microsoft's Xbox 360, 15 percent of time spent on the Sony PlayStation 3, and 33 percent spent on the Nintendo Wii.

As a whole, time spent on … Read more

Verizon may hook up with Redbox for Web video

Verizon Communications is in talks with Redbox about an online video service that would compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu, according to Bloomberg.

The telecommunications would work with Redbox, which runs a chain of movie-rental kiosks placed in front of supermarkets and retail stores, to create a content-distribution plan, Bloomberg said, citing unnamed sources. The deal would provide Verizon with experience on working with content providers and align it with a brand known for movie delivery. Redbox is a unit of Coinstar.

The news comes after Reuters reported that Verizon was ready to create its own online video service, … Read more