Editors Note – As Blake pointed out, there is a 1 DVD + online movie plan for $8.99.
The wait is over…
Roku announced today that Hulu Plus is now available to watch as an application. You can try the service free for one week, but thereafter, for $7.99 a month, you can watch network television run shows within 12 hours of airing. You can also watch movies and other content that Hulu is publishing.
The $7.99 price also means it undercuts Netflix’s 2 DVD + streaming price by half. Netflix does offer 1 DVD and online movie subscription only for $8.99. Still, Netflix’s big advantage is their movies and TV shows come without commercial interruption and won’t edit for content.
The $17 combination might be a great duo to finally cut that cable TV cord.
Hulu Plus will start to show up on other platforms, like PS3 and XBox360 very soon. Of course, you can get it on your computer right now.
First Thoughts: Like I said in the review, Hulu Plus does have commercials. However, I can catch up on season shows like Glee and Grey’s Anatomy.
The one thing I am not too keen with Roku is their cataloging system. It would be nice to have a keyboard and a search option. However, I can go on the computer, type in the show I want to watch, then queue it up to play on the Roku.
I was really hoping the TV show “Sons of Anarchy” would be more up to date. However, restrictions only allow it to be seen via the computer. In fact, there are a few shows that are “Web Only”.
If I back out of a show, then go back in, I start from the beginning. Forwarding back to the spot I was at is a little choppy.
On the other hand, Netflix has their own limitations. If you want to watch the Starz channel, you have to switch over to a computer with Internet Explorer installed. Their search is almost non-existent. Once again, you can go to the computer to put shows in your queue, then watch on Roku.
At $59.99, the Roku is the cheapest option for IPTV. With $7.99 for Hulu Plus and $14.99 for Netflix, you might be able to justify cutting the cable cord and beef up your internet connection. Not to mention the original programming from independent content creators.
I don’t believe Netflix and Hulu are direct competitors. In my mind (and I suspect in the minds of most of its customers) Netflix is more about movies. Hulu is more about current TV shows, something I personally don’t care as much about. I’m already a one DVD plus streaming Netflix customer. I might take a look at the reduced-price Hulu Plus plan at some point in the future if Hulu gets enough content that appeals to me, but it would be in addition to Netflix.
In the meantime, several months have gone by since I dumped my $100-dollar-per-month Dish Network bill and I haven’t missed it at all. After I got rid of Dish Network life went on. The sky did not fall. I have more content available to me than I can ever possibly watch. What I don’t have is a monthly bill to pay for channels that I never watched in the first place.
That is correct, but most people have the 2 DVD plan, which apparently reduced to $13.99. You are correct. I’ll adjust. -j
I don’t know where you got that Netflix is $14.99, but the unlimited streaming plus one DVD out is $8.99 in the U.S.