Latest Hulu rumors suggest it could be up for sale, again

While viewers enjoy promotions like free Star Trek and Kurosawa, Hulu’s owners are once again considering selling the video streaming site. The last bit of news was that News Corp and Disney were considering buying one another out, but according to Reuters, anonymous sources confirm that the board is reaching out to several potential buyers while it considers its options. Another possibility from Variety suggests that the two would remain as part owners, and welcome another party to join, perhaps CBS. This wouldn’t be the first time Hulu’s owners tried to sell the site however, as it went through the whole process — without changing hands — back in 2011. Perhaps this time, with a new CEO in place, all the companies involved can figure out what they want Hulu to be going forward.

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Source: Reuters, Variety

Hulu Plus on Apple TV redesigned with simplicity and easy discovery features in mind

Hulu Plus on Apple TV redesigned with simplicity and easy discovery features in mind

It’s not often that we see those services present on the Apple TV get tweaked, but today Hulu announced its Plus offering has been on the receiving end of a major design overhaul. Clearly taking a cue from Cupertino’s own iTunes app on the tiny media box, the Hulu Plus redesign makes perfect use of a top navigation bar, which, as pictured above, lists familiar entries like TV, Movies, Kids, Latino, Queue and Search — a nice visual (and useful) change when compared to what we’ve been become accustomed to since the app first arrived on the “hobby” platform. According to Hulu, the redesign was driven by the idea to bring quick access to what subscribers are trying to watch, as well as the thought of delivering an easier discovery experience which aims to help with finding new shows and making it easier to watch recent episodes of those that are already preferred. Apple TV owners running the latest firmware can play with the fresh UI now — of course, that’s for those who are already shelling out the required $8 monthly fee for Hulu’s premium ware.

[Thanks, Andrew]

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Source: Hulu

CBS tries multi-stage syndication for The Good Wife on Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus and TV

CBS tries multiplatform syndication for The Good Wife on Amazon, Hulu Plus and TV

Almost by definition, TV syndication in the modern era leads us to wonder just where and when we’ll get to see a show online. For CBS’ The Good Wife, streaming on third-party services will be a cornerstone of an uncommon, multi-step syndication strategy that puts the internet first. The drama will be available for Amazon Prime Instant Video subscribers starting March 14th, expanding beyond its existing availability for purchase. Hulu Plus members, meanwhile, will get their own turn at streaming in September. Traditional TV will still be around, but it’s notably pushed to the back of the queue — Hallmark won’t have airing rights until January 2014, and most other broadcasters will be denied until a year after Hulu. The new approach another sign that CBS’ one-time cold shoulder to some forms of digital distribution is growing warmer and warmer.

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Hulu Plus gets ‘Kids Lock’ feature on iPad, enhances the experience for little ones

Hulu Plus gets 'Kids Lock' feature on iPad, enhances the experience for little ones

Hulu’s Kids Lock has already been implemented on Android, and now it’s time for the children-tailored, itty-bitty feature to make its way to iOS — well, at least to the iPad. It’s rather simple, really: Kids Lock essentially comes in the form of a virtual button on the app, allowing parents — or whoever’s in charge — to easily secure their tiny loved ones into the Hulu Kids experience. Meanwhile, getting back to the TV shows and movies watched by the bosses of the house is fairly uncomplicated — all there’s to do is enter the account password and bam, all is golden and everyone can go back to watching Parenthood. Aside from Kids Lock, v2.7 doesn’t add too much more, save for a few bugs being fixed and some backend enhancements to make Hulu’s iOS application more stable overall.

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Source: Hulu Plus (iTunes)

Hulu Plus now available for Nintendo’s Wii U

Hulu Plus now available for Nintendo's Wii U

The Nintendo Wii U shipped without some of the services we’d heard it would feature, but now Hulu Plus has joined Netflix on the console. Although it’s late arriving, it does feature second screen navigation on the GamePad with several playback control options, or the ability to watch video on the touchscreen. We’re still waiting to see the TVii app next month and Amazon’s Instant Video, but early adopters should be able to take advantage, assuming they’re a subscriber or sign up for a trial membership. Check after the break for a quick demo video to see how it all works.

[Thanks, Quazie]

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Source: Hulu Blog

Wii U’s Nintendo TVii, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus pushed to December (update)

When Nintendo’s Wii U launches this weekend, it won’t arrive with most of its primary multimedia features — namely, Nintendo TVii, Amazon Instant Video, or Hulu Plus. All were said to come pre-loaded on the new console, but reviewers found out early that a launch day patch would enable the functionality. As it turns out, that patch will actually arrive at some point in December, bearing Nintendo TVii, with the rest of the apps arriving “in the coming weeks” (no hard date is given for any of the apps). The console is still expected to launch with Miiverse, Nintendo Network, and backwards compatibility with the Nintendo Wii — none of which is currently enabled on the Wii U (presumably still arriving in some form of day-one patch). We’ve reached out to Nintendo to see if those things are still planned for launch.

Update: Netflix reps tell us the app will be available “when Wii U ships,” but won’t be part of Nintendo TVii “until Q1.”

Continue reading Wii U’s Nintendo TVii, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus pushed to December (update)

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Wii U’s Nintendo TVii, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus pushed to December (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hulu adds Kids section for little streamers, updates PS3 app with renewed remote support

Hulu adds Kids section for little streamers, updates PS3 app with renewed remote support

Whether you have streaming-savvy children, or are just a big kid yourself, Hulu has added a new section to its bulging catalogue specifically for you. Hulu Kids puts all the ad-free shows available to Plus subscribers in one place, and splits them into categories for filtering, say, only dinosaur-related programs. The section has its own website, or can now be accessed through the obvious option in the Browse menu. PS3 owners will be happy to know the Hulu Plus app has been updated, too, bringing back the Blu-Ray remote functionality that was, for some wacky reason, removed in the last update. And, what better way is there to relax after a humiliating public defeat than dropping the controller, and taking in a calming dose of SpongeBob?

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Hulu adds Kids section for little streamers, updates PS3 app with renewed remote support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CBS and Hulu make content deal, stream back catalog shows starting in January 2013

CSI Miami and David Caruso

CBS has been the lone Hulu refusenik among the biggest US broadcasters — even with rumors of licensing discussions underway at least two years ago, we’ve usually had to visit the network’s own site if we wanted a CSI fix without paying by the show. The deadlock is over at last now that CBS and Hulu have struck a deal. The agreement isn’t quite what we’d hope for, focusing almost exclusively on back catalog titles like Medium and Star Trek, although celebrity gossip junkies will like knowing that Entertaintment Tonight segments will be viewable the day they air on regular TV. We’ll have to wait until January 2013 for the selection to be ready — not to mention shell out for Hulu Plus to get full access — but there’s at least an end in sight to one of the longer content droughts in streaming video.

Continue reading CBS and Hulu make content deal, stream back catalog shows starting in January 2013

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CBS and Hulu make content deal, stream back catalog shows starting in January 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku update adds cross-provider search over Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle

Roku update adds crossprovider search across Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle

We’ve seen web portals that let you search for TV and movies on the internet across different services, but a new update for Roku is bringing that capability directly to its set-top boxes. Whether you’re searching by movie, TV show, actor or director it will sniff out related content across some of the higher profile services it offers, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, Vudu and HBO Go. The new Roku Search function is front and center (once your second gen HD or higher player has been updated to the latest version) and in our tests worked quickly, pulling up content wherever it was available and mentioning if it was available in HD. The only downside is navigating the onscreen keyboard via remote, although you can always sub in your mobile device thanks to those recently upgraded remote apps for iOS and Android. All in all Roku says it can reach its tendrils across around 130,000 titles and almost 100,000 actors and directors. Check after the break for a couple of screenshots and a quick demo video, hit the official blog for more info or force an update on your hockey puck to check it out yourself.

Continue reading Roku update adds cross-provider search over Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle

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Roku update adds cross-provider search over Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Vudu and Crackle originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hulu Plus app heads to Windows 8 PCs and tablets, tailored for new UI (video)

Hulu Plus app heads to Windows 8 tablets and tablets, tailored for new UI

Windows 8 users, what with their “Modern” UI and pinned applications, won’t have to stoop to using Hulu Plus in an antiquated internet browser any longer. Hulu today announced its brand new Windows 8 and Windows 8 tablet application, which is designed specifically for use with the tiled UI that Micrsoft’s new multiplatform OS is based around. The new app aims to take advantage of that UI in a variety of ways — pinning an episode or show to your start screen, for instance, or multitasking with other apps while Hulu continues playing in a smaller window, cropped to the left. We’ve dropped a video walkthrough of the app just below the break.

Those with early access to Windows 8 can grab the app right now in the Windows Store through this link (at least, when it goes live again — it seems to be down right now); the app will be available to the rest of us at launch on October 26th, and on Windows 8 tablets the same day.

Continue reading Hulu Plus app heads to Windows 8 PCs and tablets, tailored for new UI (video)

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Hulu Plus app heads to Windows 8 PCs and tablets, tailored for new UI (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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