Hulu Plus Service Announced, Also Coming to Xbox 360 and PS3
The long-rumored subscription service for Hulu.com has become a reality.
The company announced Hulu Plus this week, a monthly premium service that allows users to download full programs from the likes of Fox, ABC and NBC either on their computer or through mobile devices, such as the iPad and the iPhone 3GS.
The service runs $9.99 per month, and there are no additional fees for playing shows or movies on additional devices.
Hulu Plus has a user-friendly interface that allows users to find their favorite programs with ease, whether it’s the first season of "The X-Files," the latest episodes from the Tina Fey-Alec Baldwin comedy show "30 Rock" or some classic bits from "Saturday Night Live." It also runs in streaming HD at 720p.
The service isn’t just limited to mobile and computer devices. Hulu also confirmed that it’s coming to game consoles as well. The PlayStation Network should have Hulu Plus ready to go in July, while Xbox Live will receive it sometime in early 2011.
There are two things worth noting about the service on these gaming consoles. In order to use Hulu Plus on the PlayStation 3, you’ll need to be a subscriber to the newly introduced PlayStation Plus service, which runs $17.99 for three months or $49.99 for a yearly membership. Meanwhile, on the Xbox Live front, Hulu is making the program compatible with the motion-sensitive Kinect peripheral, so you can scan through menus and activate shows using hand movements.
“For our end users, we’re offering them the most convenient way to access their favorite shows, on devices they love, in high-definition, at a fair price," a statement from Hulu reads.
"For our advertisers, who allow us to keep our Hulu Plus price low with the support of ad revenue, we offer one of the world’s most effective advertising platforms, with the ability to speak effectively to our users across a variety of devices, anywhere they happen to be.”
More programs and networks will be added to Hulu Plus in the months ahead as its service reaches new venues, the company said.
- Motion Gaming Review: Kinect vs. Nintendo Wii vs. PlayStation
- Apple to Make 'TV that Includes Everything,' Analyst Says
- The Most Influential Video Games of the Last 50 Years
