GatorDeb

They just put up 150 Criterion films at Hulu Plus.

http://www.hulu.com/criterion

Supermallet

I tried Hulu Plus for a few months, while it's a good idea, the fact that you can only access all the content on your computer and not through the various other apps killed it for me. What's the point of Hulu on my iPad if I can only watch two of the seven shows I have subscriptions to?

Matthew Chmiel

Can you go into detail on the specific content you can only watch on your computer?

I'll be signing up sooner or later just to have unlimited access to the Criterion Collection, but most likely when it becomes available for the XBOX (despite having a PS3 and numerous computers to watch it on).

GatorDeb

Huh, I had no idea, I only use it through the PC. Love love love love it

DJariya

I subscribe to Hulu Plus and most of the content is not just for the computer. You have to make sure the content has the green mark next to it otherwise it's for computer-only. Typically TV shows that are not produced by FOX, NBC and ABC are computer-only.

I have a Sony Blu-Ray player and you can access Hulu Plus on it and watch the content in HD 720p on my HDTV. It's also going to be available on the XBox 360 in a few months as well. I believe there are some other HDTV's that can access it as well.

Back to the point of this, this seems like a cool idea just to watch the movies. I mostly watch Hulu Plus to catch shows that my DVR doesn't have room for. But, I think most film nuts would rather have a physical DVD or Blu-Ray of Criterion Collection movies so they can watch the bonus material as well, which Criterion does a good job with.

parker63

According to the website, "Hulu Plus is available on connected TVs and Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and more":

http://www.hulu.com/plus?src=topnav#devices

I know for sure it's an available option for me right now on my PS3 and my Sony Blu-ray S570 player. The site says it's also available right now on the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and coming soon to Android phones. Sony, Samsung and Vizio TV's have it too.

I haven't tried Hulu's "Plus" service yet because up to now I haven't seen any real value to subscribing to it. I would be curious to know if Hulu Plus would insert 30-second commercial "breaks" in the Criterion Collection or if they would play back completely commercial free. I would assume that if you are paying for a monthly subscription then you wouldn't have to deal with commercials, but I'm unsure of the real answer.

Matthew Chmiel

Criterion and Hulu have mentioned that ALL of the films' respective bonus material will be on there sooner rather than later.

godzilla rules

I hate Hulu Plus. What a waste of money. I like how they are getting better movies, but the interface is terrible (at least on the blu-ray players).

GatorDeb

Parker, I don't know about movies, but for TV shows, you get about 5 1-minute commercials per show with Hulu Plus. Still, $8 well worth it for, among others, keeping up with Grey's Anatomy, The Biggest Loser, Lie to Me, and watching the occasional House episode.

And I agree about the interface. Netflix, on the other hand, just plain rocks.

Brian T

Criterion has had many of their movies available on Mubi.com (formerly The Auteurs) for ages now, usually available for about $3 a view. I'm sure the Hulu pricing works out better, but I suspect Mubi has a lot more films available that would interest fans of international cinema. Their only weakness at the moment is that certain movies are only available to stream to certain countries. I have to wonder if the Hulu Criterions will similarly be unavailable to viewers outside the U.S., as much of their content is now.

Dr Mabuse

I was stoked back when they put the full Zatoichi series on Hulu, watched a bunch of them.

This news about Criterion is way cool.

Anubis2005X

I gave up on Hulu Plus when most shows I was interested in would show as available on the computer, but not on Hulu Plus. Maybe I'll sign back up at some point if they can get their crap together.

Brent L

I wish we had a better Netflix/Hulu streaming thread around here.

They are also going to put the Criterion special features on Hulu as well, and eventually their entire collection.

Is there a list somewhere or a way to check what you can watch on, say, the PS3 and iPhone? I'm interested in subscribing, but once I realized that you can only watch some stuff on a computer for some reason, it really made me put the brakes on.

If any of you want to try it out, you can install the Hulu app for iPhone and Hulu program for PS3 for free, and they have a few free full length episodes for you to watch to see how the experience is. I've tried out that stuff for both my iPhone and PS3 and it seems to work well enough to me.

parker63

I'd subscribe to that!

Supermallet

A lot of currently airing TV shows were only available on the computer. I think the only two I could watch on my iPad were Modern Family and 30 Rock (and Modern Family I can watch for free on the ABC app).

Tracer Bullet

I have a Netflix account, I'm not paying for Hulu Plus.

GatorDeb

Comparing Netflix and Hulu Plus is like comparing Cars and Bath Towels. Netflix is for movies and previous seasons of TV shows. Hulu Plus is for current seasons of TV shows.

PopcornTreeCt

Or now including Criterion movies.

Matthew Chmiel

What blows my mind is how "butt hurt" people are getting over Netflix losing the (streaming version of) The Criterion Collection and they don't want to pay for two streaming services.

Now, I don't subscribe to cable, but isn't this the same concept? If you want streaming movies, you'll pay the $7.99 for Netflix a month. If you want streaming television with access to the Criterion Collection, you'll pay the $7.99 a month for Hulu Plus.

Simple as that, right? For unlimited access to The Criterion Collection, with most of it going to be available (in 720p) HD, I don't see an issue with $7.99 a month.

orangecrush

If they are going to insert commercials like they do with other movies, I can see why some would be upset. I also find the picture quality of Netlix to be better than Hulu on my computer for some reason.

Matthew Chmiel

Criterion has already confirmed the only advertising would be at the start of the film and nothing else if you're paying a membership to Hulu Plus.

devilshalo

I would think the sole reason to be subscribing was to get rid of the advertising. Kinda like being a premium member here at DVDTalk.

GatorDeb

I would of course prefer no ads, but there is no better alternative right now (other than cable/Tivo, that is, and even then you have to manually fast-forward through the ads and be in front of a TV or transfer the recordings). I watch TV outside of the house all the time. It's the best of its kind, because it's pretty much the only of its kind, and I don't have to go hunt each provider's website for episodes.

Mabuse

Can I watch Hulu on my 84" projector? If not...no sale.

GatorDeb

If you can hook up a PS3 or PC or laptop or Roku (I own 3 Roku devices), then yes you can.