Hulu: Online TV with Choices

Oh, how I love Hulu! I was a beta tester for a few month before it was released to the public and I briefly wrote about it at The Tech Brief. A few things have changed such as the ability to now watch HD movies and TV shows for free. Not to mention the thousand of other standard definition movies and TV shows that are also free. Free comes at a price though, and a price that most users, if not all, are more than happy to pay.

If you are not quite sure what Hulu is, then allow me to briefly explain. However, my words are no match for the true experience. Hulu is a place where TV networks have come together to create an amazing online television watching experience. Once you go to the site, you are welcome with a clean, easy to use, interface. You can search for TV shows and movies and watch them instantly. Registering is free, and watching whatever you want is free. Due to this, advertising is a big source of revenue, and they have come up with a creative way to view those advertisements.

When Hulu launched a couple of weeks ago, one of their big promises was to give users choice about how they want their advertising. While this was not available immediately on launch, Hulu is rolling out this capability now on certain content. Many people come from the philosophy that ads spliced into a movie ruin the flow, so they would rather watch the pre-roll trailer. Others don't mind the break that the short advertisements provide when scattered throughout the movie. I personally really like the idea of watching a movie trailer before a movie. Regardless of your preferences, at least Hulu is giving their users some control here.

Hulu is great, and I am sure their success rate continues to grow as television becomes more prevalent online. Missed a show? Make Hulu your main destination!