I don’t understand the appeal of Hulu. I find their website to be terrible and can never find a full length show to watch, just dumb promo clips. But fans of Hulu rejoice, the long rumored pay version of the service is official. For $10 a month you can subscribe to Hulu Plus. The service will be available on the PS3, iPad, iPhones later this year and next year they are creating a custom experience for XBox Live Users. I’m not sure if this is a compelling enough offer to make me switch from Netflix Instant Watch as it seems to contain a lot of the same content. But I’m all for these new streaming services. Full Press release after the break.
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, announced today that it is the exclusive HDTV partner for the invitation-only preview of Hulu Plus™ on connected devices, expanding the amount of premium HD content that is available to Samsung consumers. Hulu Plus, the first ad-supported subscription service to offer full current season runs of hit TV programs from ABC, FOX and NBC across multiple Web-connected devices, in HD, for only $9.99 a month, will give TV lovers access to their favorite shows from current hit programs such as Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock and The Office to classics such as The X-Files, Arrested Development and Ally McBeal. It will be available today for download through Samsung Apps on select 2010 Blu-ray players, Blu-ray home theater systems, and the majority of 2010 Samsung TVs 40″ and above.
Consumers who download Hulu Plus on Samsung Apps, the world’s first HDTV-based application store, can watch sample content and request an invite for the preview of the Hulu Plus service. After the end of the preview period, all Samsung Apps users will be able to download and subscribe to the full Hulu Plus service. The addition of Hulu Plus demonstrates continued momentum for Samsung Apps as leading content owners develop applications for the platform, making it easier for consumers to discover and enjoy the content they want, when they want it.
“With the addition of Hulu Plus to Samsung Apps, our customers now have access to an ever-expanding catalog of premium HD content at the push of a button,” said Eric Anderson, vice president of content and product solutions, Samsung Electronics America. “We are excited to be the exclusive HDTV partner in making Hulu Plus available on the largest screen in the home during this preview period.”
Samsung, the market leader in connected TV, is committed to expanding the types of experiences available to consumers. In 2008, the company was the first to deliver text-based RSS feeds, bringing news, weather and stock information directly to the TV with its InfoLink feature. In 2009, Samsung added Yahoo! widgets to the connected TV experience, as well as streaming video services with providers like Blockbuster and Amazon video-on-demand. With the launch of Samsung Apps this year, Samsung is broadening the connected TV experience, bringing services such as text-based information, casual games, communications, social and location services, and full HD video to consumers. The addition of Hulu Plus to Samsung Apps demonstrates continued momentum around the platform as leading content providers recognize the platform’s flexibility in delivering the growing types of content that meet consumers’ demand. Hulu Plus joins more than 30 other industry-leading partners on Samsung Apps including Blockbuster, Facebook, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, USA TODAY, and Vudu, in bringing personalized, easy to use connected TV experiences to consumers.
This news gets an C. There’s no compelling reason to use this service.