Amazon is still very much the new kid on the block when it comes to streaming. Even though a year of Amazon Prime is cheaper than a year of Netflix, and the volume of movies and TV shows is comparable, it’s tough to compete against the well defined leader in the market. So these new job postings on Amazon.com are pretty interesting. Specifically, the jobs are for Amazon’s “People Production Company.”

One of the listings is for a VP of Series Development, which lists responsibilities like asessing pilot proposals, working with writers and artists, staffing and casting new projects, and supervising series production. This idea of original content is also starting to break out in Netflix, as well as sponsored content on YouTube. Apparently, Amazon paid more than $2.5 million to develop potential pilots in 2011, but nothing made it to distribution. At least not yet.

[via GigaOM]

Honda’s “Matthew’s Day Off” commercial was the most-liked among full Super Bowl commercials for its ode to Ferris Bueller. Sitting right behind that was Volkswagen’s complete version of its “The Dog Strikes Back” ad. The Skechers commercial titled “GOrun Mr. Quiggly” and “Dannon Oikos: The Tease” rounded out the top five, respectively. Here is the complete list of the top 10 user-rated ads on Hulu:

1. Volkswagen: The Bark Side Teaser
2. Honda: Matthew’s Day Off – Extended
3. Volkswagen: The Dog Strikes Back
4. Skechers: GOrun Mr. Quiggly
5. Dannon Oikos: The Tease
6. Chevrolet: 2012
7. M&M’s: It’s That Kind of Party
8. Audi: Vampire Party
9. E*Trade: Fatherhood
10. Acura: Transactions – Extended

These are where the votes stood as of 2:00 AM this morning. Of course, if you happened to miss any of these, and you weren’t among the rest of the country who caught up on the ads during work or school today, they’re all still available to view on Hulu. Super Bowl ads are more important than ever, since they live on in YouTube, Hulu, and other viral sites. In addition, we analyze all of them after the fact in an expansively increasing number of ways. Just wait until next year.

YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar was at the D:Dive Into Media conference and was quoted as saying it is possible that the site might start allowing copyright holders to offer channels that require users to pay a monthly fee. “We’re a media platform want to be biz model than media partners demand,” he said.

Kamangar rolled off some statistics about the video industry as a whole, including online and offline content. He said 20% of revenue comes from the actual sale or rental of a specific title, while 40% comes from advertising and another 40% comes from subscription fees. Clearly YouTube is only engaging in one part of that pie right now, but even so it’s not exactly hurting for revenue. The thought of punching in a credit card to watch a video on YouTube seems almost un-American. It would be interesting to see if Google could pull it off.

[via GigaOM]

Hulu is reportedly seeking funding to allow it to produce and distribute its own shows. The first original show for Hulu will be one called Battleground, a fake documentary series about a political candidate. The program is scripted, and it will air on February 14. Hulu doesn’t foresee any issues raising the money needed for new shows. Hulu was entertaining offers to sell earlier this year, which never materialized.

The streaming video site has also put off talk of an IPO as well. Another original program for Hulu will be a documentary series called “A Day in the Life.” Hulu has ordered 10 episodes of the show, and it will return in March. Later, this year there will be other documentary programs coming. The new shows will be offered to the free viewers and Hulu Plus subscribers.

[via Bloomberg]

Hulu isn’t naming names, but it’s clear the company thinks it has the edge on streaming rivals. “Our model [of free and paid upselling] allows us to profitably pay content owners approximately 50% more in content licensing fees per subscriber when compared to other similarly priced online subscription services” it claims, announcing that it expects to spend around half a billion dollars on content deals this year.

However, 2011 will also go down as the year when Hulu failed to ink a deal, with its owners decided to drop attempts to sell the company after one by one big-name potential bidders dropped out. Instead, Hulu is said to be considering an IPO.

Meanwhile, comScore claims Netflix users are spending twice as much time watching that streaming service instead of Hulu Plus. In November 2011, Netflix users apparently viewed a billion minutes, while Hulu viewers together racked up 480 million minutes.

ComScore has announced that people are spending twice as much time on Netflix compared to Hulu. Even when the price hike happened for Netflix, it was still well above the time spent on Hulu. Netflix uses in November spent a billion minutes total viewing the site. Hulu viewers together racked up 480 million minutes.

Apparently, some of the issue that resulted in the vast difference in users between the sites has to do with the mix of free and paying subscribers that Hulu has whereas Netflix was always a pay service. I think it’s more basic than that. Netflix has spent big time on content that people actually want to watch whereas Hulu is still mostly only good for catching up on shows you miss and didn’t DVR. Which service do you like better?

[via TechCrunch]

Hulu Plus offers subscription-based access to a broad catalog of streamed TV shows from ABC, Comedy Central, Fox, NBC, MTV and other broadcasters. Currently hosting more than 16,000 episodes from 400 different series, according to the company’s own count, the $7.99 per month subscription also includes access to a selection of “hundreds” of movies.

That broad array of TV content is apparently what has Apple’s exec team concerned, with the fear being that Apple TV owners will opt for a Hulu Plus subscription rather than paying per-show for rentals or purchases from iTunes. Although other streaming options are already available on the Apple TV, such as Netflix, it’s the recent content Hulu Plus specializes in that has caused the hold-up.

Ironically, part of the uncertainty appears to be around how convenient it is to access Hulu Plus. The service already offers apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, but those apps do not support AirPlay streaming to an Apple TV; you can hook up your iPad to a TV using the optional HDMI cable, but only with standard-definition, not HD, results. The acknowledgement seems to be that, while workarounds are possible, most users are too lazy to actually implement them.

As for the November system update, which we’ve known about for some time now, Nintendo has reiterated that it will include the ability to record video clips in 3D using the 3DS’ twin camera array. Until now, still 3D image capture has been supported but not videos. Each clip can be up to 10 minutes long, and the 3DS will also support 3D stop-motion animation.

Other aspects of the update will include new StreetPass Mii Plaza puzzles and a fresh dungeon to Find Mii, though Nintendo say other tweaks are in the works too. Finally, there are some fresh titles for the Nintendo eShop, the digital download store for the 3DS, and a selection of new 3D animations and music videos.

• Freakyforms™: Your Creations, Alive! lets players create creatures and bring them to life. This game is all about creation, customization and exploration. Available in November for $6.99.
• Developed with 3D game play in mind, Pushmo™ asks players to solve more than 250 puzzles by pulling and pushing blocks. Players can also create their own custom puzzles. Launches in December.
• Swapnote™ gives Nintendo 3DS owners the chance to send 3D messages to their friends via the SpotPass™ and StreetPass features. Users can hand-write messages in 3D and also include picture and sound. Available for free download in December.
• Dillon’s Rolling Western™ is a 3D tower defense game that blends action and strategy. It features an armadillo who defends an Old West town rendered in 3D by literally rolling over his enemies. Launches in Q1 2012.

An IPO would be odd for such a young company – for example, the earliest estimates for a Facebook IPO are hovering around 2013. That says nothing of Hulu’s unusual structure: the company is jointly owned by News Corp (Fox), Disney (ABC), and Providence Equity Partners, and run by its own directors and executives. That said, t might be just the ticket for a relatively small company competing in a hot market. An infusion of cash could help it stave off aggressive moves from Netflix and Amazon, while still keeping its options open for another sale opportunity further down the line.

Make no mistake: Hulu is a solid monetization strategy for its owners’ and partners’ content. Even though it offers free movies and TV shows (unlike Netflix and Amazon) it makes money off of them, and brings in bonus revenue from subscribers who want to access a deeper library and apps on iOS, Android and connected TVs. Whether the company can stand up in the face of its competitors – and in at least some cases, the dueling wills of its owners – remains to be seen.

Fox recently decided to delay all of its first-run shows by eight days unless Hulu users pay the subscription fee, unsurprisingly causing a boom in piracy of the effected shows. Hulu’s content, like Netflix’s, is in a constant state of flux, sometimes causing shows to come in and out of availability and frustrating users. There’s still a lot of growing pains for the legitimate video streaming market – not to mention a lot of opportunity for whoever gets it right.

It was July that Microsoft dropped out of the bidding war, no more Windows on the Glee! toter. July also had Amazon, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless thinking about bidding on Hulu, but as it turns out, carriers and keepers of the books and movies of the world not ending up able to reach any sort of agreement on the big H. DirecTV, Starz, and Netflix got in on the war, but they clashed opinions and wants to the max.

Then there’s the most recent news from September where we heard that there were too many low ball bids to continue the sale successfully. Turns out that was probably pretty true, as today Hulu and crew have released the following statement:

The following is a joint statement from Hulu owners News Corporation, Providence Equity Partners, The Walt Disney Company and the Hulu senior management team:

“Since Hulu holds a unique and compelling strategic value to each of its owners, we have terminated the sale process and look forward to working together to continue mapping out its path to even greater success. Our focus now rests solely on ensuring that our efforts as owners contribute in a meaningful way to the exciting future that lies ahead for Hulu.”

What will they do next?! We shall see!

The updated Hulu Plus for Android now supports an additional eight smartphones, including the HTC Incredible 2, HTC EVO 3D, HTC Sensation, Motorola Droid 3, Motorola Bionic, Motorola X2, LG Revolution, and LG G2x. It also now supports the HTC Flyer tablet.

The six smartphones it supported at launch include the Nexus One, Nexus S, HTC Inspire 4G, Motorola Droid X, and the Motorola Atrix. Hopefully, Hulu Plus will soon go the route of the Netflix app, which recently began supporting all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices.

[via Android Community]

Another round of bids are expected next week with current bids reportedly ranging from as low as $500 million to as much as $2 billion. Google has been said to be willing to spend big in return for extended rights to content, although it’s not been confirmed whether they have already submitted a bid. Yahoo was one of the top runners, but its recent implosion with the firing of CEO Carol Bartz has it busy dealing with its own issues.

It’s believed that there’s a wide gap between the bids offered and what Hulu owners are willing to accept. Perhaps with Google’s significant figure on the table, Hulu owners are becoming more adamant about their asking price. But bidders are also questioning what they would get for their money, hence the sale process has overall slowed down.

Additionally, the issues of digital rights to the content is complicated. Hulu’s demands on content rights has been undermined by NBC’s recent offering of programs for free via an iPhone and iPad app without requiring cable subscription. The move may have also conflicted with Fox’s strategy of offering the latest TV shows to only paid subscribers.

[via Reuters]

Connectivity includes HDMI, a wired ethernet port, 300Mbps WiFi (with a 2×2 antenna) and an S/PDIF digital optical audio, and while Netgear will bundle a simple remote with the NeoTV NTV200, the company will also offer smartphone remotes. iPhone or Android handset owners will be able to download a free remote control app from their respective software stores, with gesture control for channel navigation as well as an on-screen QWERTY keyboard for easier text entry and search.

Netgear promises to add more channels all the time, but with Vudu HD there’s already support for Blu-ray quality streaming movies accessible at the same time as their physical release. For free content, there’s YouTube Leanback, while a clever “Fling” feature allows you to instantly send videos you’re watching on your laptop straight to the NeoTV, and pick up watching them on your big-screen TV instead.

Earlier this year, Yahoo reportedly approached Hulu to inquire about a possible acquisition. Soon after, Hulu decided to enlist the help of investment banks and try to find as many potential suitors as possible to drum up a higher acquisition price. Now, the company has reportedly received some bids from Amazon, Yahoo, and Dish Network. Google is also involved in the bidding.

Is it just me or does all of this sound like a bad dream?

Let’s think about Hulu for a minute. This is a service that most would agree, is overrun with commercials. It’s also a service that’s led by ABC, Fox, and NBC, three companies that don’t have the highest regard for the changing ways in which people enjoy entertainment content nowadays. In fact, Fox recently implemented a deal to offer its content to Hulu eight days after shows air. Previously, the company brought its shows to the service the next day.

But that’s not all. Hulu CEO Jason Kilar has been especially outspoken over the years about the issues his company has in getting content providers to warm to the idea of bringing their programming or movies to the service. They seemingly don’t see value in what Hulu is offering, and they’re often unwilling to change their ways.

And yet, Amazon, Yahoo, Dish Network, and Google want to get involved with all that. What a bad idea.

The way I see it, Hulu’s investors are trying to squeeze every last dime out of the company’s would-be buyers. And when they think they have all that they can get, they’ll sell the company without thinking twice.

And only then will the fun begin. Whichever company acquires Hulu will undoubtedly require the investors — at the very least — to agree to some sort of content partnership. After that term is up, however, who knows how long those providers will stick with Hulu? After all, they’ve gotten their cash, and everyone knows they can’t stand online streaming. What would make them want to stay beyond the required term?

I can’t help but wonder if the companies trying to acquire Hulu are chasing after something that they will never be able to fully capitalize on. For a while, things might be status quo at Hulu. But over time, I see nothing but bad times ahead for whichever firm buys the streaming service.

Hulu is no Netflix. And it never will be. It’s about time Yahoo and the others that are reportedly willing to drop billions into Hulu remember that.

We first heard reports of Hulu’s decision to sell when it began shopping itself around to the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, and Yahoo among others back in July. However, Microsoft has dropped out of the bidding early on, leaving Yahoo, Amazon, and the Dish Network still seriously vying for the purchase. All three are expected to offer between $1.5 billion and $2 billion for Hulu in exchange for the site, its subscription service, and the rights to its exclusive content for at least two years.

However, Google’s offer, the details of which have not been confirmed, is said to ask for more than what Hulu has put on the table, possibly involving greater access to more content and for longer periods of time. The acquisition of premium content would help Google’s YouTube as well as the struggling Google TV. And for this, the company is willing to spend big, which isn’t too shocking now considering its recent $12.5 billion sweep for Motorola Mobility.

But we should note that Hulu is a joint venture between NBC Universal, Fox, and Disney, in an effort that was largely to prevent rival YouTube from completely taking over the web video space. So, it will be interesting to see if Google’s offer is large enough to sway Hulu’s owners.

[via AllThingsD]

That leaves Amazon, Yahoo, and Dish Network still in the running. Amazon is the company favored to win the bidding war. The bids are thought to be in the $1.5 billion to $2 billion range right now. While Hulu is looking to sell, Netflix made headlines last week with Starz walking away and bringing an end to Starz content on the streaming service as of next February.

I was not happy at first, but now the LA Times reports that Netflix offered Starz big money to stay. The word is the offer was $300 million but that wasn’t good enough for Starz. Starz reportedly wanted Netflix to start a tiered pricing model. That would have meant that subscribers would have to pay more to get the Starz content along with other premium content from providers. With that fact now known, I am glad to see Starz take a hike and happy that Netflix said no to charging users more. I can only imagine the backlash had that premium tiered mode gone into effect after the outrage at the last price increase.

Rovi is claiming that it obtained the patents in 2008 when it purchased Gemstar-TV Guide International company. This is the company behind streaming services like Blockbuster On Demand and CinemaNow. Rovi is already licensing the tech to Apple, Microsoft, Comcast and other companies. Rovi is claiming that Hulu’s use of the patents is damaging its business.

Rovi is seeking compensation for the lost licensing fees Hulu hasn’t paid and triple that amount in damages. Hulu has offered no official comment at this time. The suit was filed in Delaware. I wonder if this will affect the potential purchase of Hulu.

[via Reuters]

Most people out there that watch both streaming services are viewing directly on their computer. 42% of all Netflix users watch via the computer and a massive 89% of all Hulu watchers use their computer. When it comes to Netflix, 25% of all viewers are watching on the Nintendo Wii. Considering the Wii is not where Netflix landed first that is a surprise to me. It makes sense though considering how many Wiis Nintendo sold.

Nielsen also looked at the people that watch on TV via their computer and found that 14% of Netflix uses connect this way and 20% of Hulu users. When it comes to the PS3, 15% of Netflix viewers use this method and 3% of Hulu users. Xbox Live streaming has 12% of Netflix and 2% of Hulu. You can see the image here to get an idea of what other platforms are being used. Apple TV has the lowest amount of users with only 1% for each service using it.

We learned yesterday that Microsoft had fallen out of the running. The sources claim that Apple is now making a bid to purchase Hulu. Neither Apple nor Hulu are making any comments about the rumored bid. Honestly, I think that Apple going for Hulu makes a lot of sense. Apple is dominating with iTunes and we all know that video streaming is a big thing for Apple moving forward. Bloomberg reports that Hulu might sell for as much as $2 billion.

That is nothing for Apple; I think Jobs could shake that much loot out of the cushions of the couch in his office. However, $2 billion would be by far the largest spend Apple has ever made. The largest purchase Apple has made in company history is the $400 million buy of NeXT Software in 1996. Apple has pledged to spend $2.6 billion as part of a group that is buying up patents form Nortel Networks Group reminds Bloomberg so it’s not adverse to spending loads of money. That NeXT purchase also happens to be the purchase that brought Jobs back to Apple. What do you think, should Apple buy Hulu?

[via Bloomberg]

Android is seeing rapid growth with more than 550,000 devices activated daily and 20th Century Fox is looking to tap into that huge market and are aiming to bring digital downloads to all your Android devices. They are jumping aboard the Android train and will be offering Blu-ray titles with a digital-download for Android. We are hearing one of the first titles with the new option should be X-Men: First Class.

The digital copy will be downloaded right to your computer like the system already in place for Windows and users will be able to side-load the movie to any and all of their Android devices. Hopefully Android tablets are included but I can’t imagine them not offering it on those beautiful 1280×800 resolution displays. Users in the U.S., U.K. Germany and France will be among the first to access this new service.

This should be a huge boost for Android as far as movie options, with Netflix only supporting a small number of devices this could potentially be a large market and very successful for 20th Century. We should be hearing more regarding this soon so stay tuned.

[via TechCrunch]

Bloomberg is reporting today that sources are telling it that Microsoft has dropped out of the bidding process to buy Hulu. Microsoft supposedly told Hulu that it would not continue into the second round of bidding. However, the chance of Microsoft coming back to the bidding later hasn’t been ruled out. There has been no official comment from Microsoft or Hulu.

Other sources have said that Yahoo would pay up to $2 billion for Hulu. Sources are rampant on the Hulu sale and others are claiming that Hulu will offer its buyer five years of access to shows from the media companies that currently own the streaming firm. Two of those years would be exclusive access for Hulu only.

[via Bloomberg]

Hulu differs from other video sites thanks to its joint owners being Fox, NBC Universal, and Disney’s ABC. This allowed the site to stream top-flight TV shows without having to wait and pay for higher licensing fees as does Netflix for its TV show content. However, Hulu is viewed as an “inevitable competitor” to cable TV and could upset content partners that are still rely on traditional TV ad revenue.

If Amazon were to acquire Hulu, it could certainly boost their subscription offerings to compete against Netflix and iTunes. For AT&T and Verizon, the Hulu acquisition will probably go towards a video portal for their IPTV services. However, none of the additional companies added to the roster have confirmed involvement in these early talks.

[via Electronista]

The talks are still in the very early stages and it’s a normal part of the process when looking for potential buyers to setup meetings with a variety of technology and media companies. Hence, there could still be a long road ahead with new suitors to come.

Hulu is jointly owned by the major content providers—Fox, NBC Universal, and Disney’s ABC. Whoever purchases Hulu, could strike a special deal on licensing fees and have a major competitive advantage. This would be ideal for either Google or Microsoft since they are each attempting to break into the living room. Google has its Android-powered Google TV while Microsoft has its Xbox 360 console.

It may be a tougher case for Google to make the purchase given that it already owns YouTube and is currently facing anti-trust investigations for having too much control over the web. If Microsoft can get Hulu it could really boost its Xbox LIVE platform as its TV offering. However, Yahoo is also being considered and has its own strategy for offering premium content to its portal.

[via LA Times]

TechCrunch claims to have heard from a source close to Yahoo that the company “hasn’t had any meaningful conversations with Hulu about a buyout.” Interestingly, while the original offer was painted as an unsolicited one, this new source says that Hulu is “actively looking for a buyer” and has gone so far as to enlist Morgan Stanley in representing them.

Without knowledge of the exact sources – and their motivations in pushing the Hulu sale story – it’s hard to say what’s true and what isn’t. Hulu has been working hard to negotiate content access over the past few months, though faces a potential cull of free shows as networks consider alternative distribution methods. Back in February the company announced it was nearing 1m Hulu Plus subscribers, who pay to access the back catalog of the streaming service.

Now, I should note that I’ve used Hulu quite often. While I’m having lunch, I’ve been known to surf to Hulu’s Web site and watch some episodes of shows I might have missed recently. I guess you could say that I’ve been a Hulu veteran for quite some time now.

However, I had yet to take the plunge into Hulu Plus. I reasoned that as long as I had Netflix and a DVR, I didn’t need it. But after considering the sheer number of shows available to me via Hulu Plus for the cheap price of $8 per month, I decided recently to subscribe.

My first impressions were quite good. I was able to sign up for Hulu Plus in a matter of seconds, and after logging in to my account from my HDTV, I was welcomed to try out all the content the service offered.

And then the trouble started.

First, I realized that the browsing feature on Hulu Plus is atrocious when you use a television remote. I can’t tell you how much time I wasted holding down the right arrow key on my remote just to find the show I was looking for. And when I got there, I was even more upset to see that only three out of the six episodes that have aired so far this season were available to me.

Once I started playing one of the episodes, I was forced to sit through not one, but two commercials. Overall, the video quality was quite good, which made me happy, but then, after sitting through just seven to eight minutes of content, I was presented with another ad. During the rest of the hour-long show, I had to sit through ads with each commercial break.

Now, I should admit that I knew that would be the case. After all, I’ve been covering Hulu Plus for quite some time now. But to actually experience it first-hand and realize that my $8-per-month fee to watch programming wasn’t enough to save me from some of the most annoying ads I’ve ever witnessed was too much to handle.

So, after trying it out for just a few days, I can now officially crown Hulu Plus a loser. Admittedly, I didn’t have high expectations going in, but I did offer up an objective mindset. After just a few minutes of using the platform, things went awry — and they never recovered.

I’m sure there are some out there that use Hulu Plus and scoff at my opinion on it. They would tell me that I need to sit through ads because I’m watching recently aired content. They would also point out that the service does offer a wide array of worthwhile programming. And while I might agree with the second point, the idea that I should accept ads in a paid service simply because that’s the way it is just isn’t enough for me.

As far as I’m concerned, Hulu Plus is another example of all that’s wrong in the streaming-entertainment business nowadays, and not a glowing example of where the industry should be going.

Now more than ever, I believe Netflix has it right. And Hulu Plus, well, Hulu Plus is a downright disappointment.

It didn’t take long for Hulu to block access by the Playbook though and as of now users of the new tablet have no access to the Hulu streaming library just as iPad and Android users lack access too. On the iPad, the user can subscribe to Hulu Plus and download an app that will allow them to stream all of the Hulu content they want right to the iPad. The bad thing for Playbook users is that there is no app for Hulu Plus right now for them and they can’t stream the free content making Hulu fun out of reach.

RIM has announced that it is in talks with Hulu LLC about getting access to Hulu Plus paid content on the tablet for the buyers to view. The Hulu Plus service costs users about $8 monthly. A RIM spokesperson told the WSJ, “We are in conversations with Hulu to bring the Hulu Plus subscription service to BlackBerry PlayBook users.” So far, there is no word on when or if the Hulu Plus access will come to the Playbook.

[via WSJ]

This isn’t truly surprising news, as Hulu has been pushing its Hulu Plus subscription service that costs $8 per month for folks to stream content to their mobile devices, whereas normally accessing the content via your desktop or notebook web browser is free. Hence, it was more surprising that the PlayBook was actually able to access the site to begin with. It was only a matter of time, and in this case one day, before Hulu added the BlackBerry browser to its blocked list.

So, if you had heard previously that the PlayBook could access Hulu, we now confirm for you that it cannot. But if you are in the market for purchasing a tablet and are considering the PlayBook, then make sure to read our review. You might also want to see what we think about its firmware.

[via CrackBerry]

Among the topics in the survey was a question asking users how they might feel about being able to “stream live TV, DVR recordings and TV shows from a cable company’s On Demand library to one’s iPad.” While there’s no guarantee that a positive response from subscribers will actually see iPad streaming enabled, TiVo does already have an iPad app which supports previews on the Apple slate.

TiVo first talked about Hulu Plus functionality back in September 2010, though since then there’s been no movement on the service.

Hulu and Viacom have announced that they have signed a new content agreement that will see some of the most popular shows around return to Hulu. Shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report are part of the content deal. Other shows form Viacom networks like Comedy Central, MTV, BET, VH1, Spike TV, and TV Land are coming to Hulu Plus.

The agreement provides current full episodes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report on the free side of Hulu. Hulu Plus subscribers will get access to Jersey Shore, Tosh.0, Teen Mom 2, Manswers, Let’s Stay Together, and Hot in Cleveland 21 days after the shows air for the first time. The best stuff to me are the old shows coming to Hulu plus like The Chappelle Show, Reno 911, Beavis & Butthead, Real World, Punk’d, Baldwin Hill. Beavis & Butthead takes me right back to the 90′s.

Meanwhile, ABC has reportedly been covertly building a Hulu-style content delivery service for which it could control any subscription element. While it’s unconfirmed whether the system will commercially launch, it’s expected to mirror the shows Hulu offers, potentially undermining Hulu’s position in the market.

Should Hulu go ahead with the virtual cable proposal, some element of free-to-view service is expected to remain, but it’s not clear whether it would be to the same extent as is currently offered. Hulu Plus, the subscription-based side of Hulu – which offers broader access to back-catalogs of shows – might be folded into the new proposal as well.

The exact launch date isn’t currently known, and neither is the list of compatible handsets; Hulu is promising both later in 2011. Still, it will join Netflix, also expected to arrive on Android phones sometime in 2011.

[via Android Community]

According to the WSJ, one of Genachowski’s key goals is to ensure that online video content would be broadly available, even after the proposed deal goes ahead:

“Comcast would be required to offer NBC Universal programming to any online video provider that has reached a similar deal for content with some of NBC’s competitors, such as Walt Disney Co. or Fox Television, a division of News Corp.” WSJ

However, it’s not entirely clear what Genachowski hopes to achieve by that. As AllThingsD suggest, it could mean that NBC would not be allowed to prevent Hulu from syndicating its content to other sites, as is currently the case. Alternatively, it might be a sign that NBC has to directly offer its content to other sites, in effect cancelling out Hulu’s exclusivity agreement and potentially bypassing the site altogether.

The proposed deal will be voted on in 2011.

The new 2.9 firmware will automatically install on your Roku box at some point over the next few days, but you can also manually trigger the update from the Settings page.

- Enabled 1080P support for XR units.

- Hulu application optimizations for quicker trick play navigation and start of playback.

- Hulu application optimization for improved playback performance on networks with higher latencies.

- Fixed a bug that could result in a crash if an app tried to load an image that was too large (greater than 1280×720).

- Fixed playback of poorly interleaved video streams which resulted in rebuffers around the 25 minute mark in Roku Newscaster programs.

- Fixed a remaining case of playback at the incorrect aspect ratio.

- Changed option menu action name from “change order” to “change position” for re-arranging channels.

- Fixed a bug in channel re-ordering related to presence of screen savers.

- Modified channel store “go to channel” behavior to launch the selected channel instead of only focusing the icon on the Home screen.

- Added screensaver preview and set options to the channel store springboard.

- Fixed a subtle audio playback issue in UFC streaming.

[via Zatz Not Funny]

AirPrint and AirPlay will be nice new additions for the iPhone and iPod Touch however the iPad is where they shine.  Printing had been one of the main early requests after the iPad came out signaling that consumers wanted to do more with their iPads than just surf the web and play games. Apple has provided that feature and gone one better with AirPlay.

AirPrint is integrated most seamlessly right now with the core apps Apple makes where printing makes sense like Safari, the Photos app and the entire iWork suite of apps.  Consumers will be able to print to printers that have updated their drivers to support AirPrint. Given that I do a lot of photo editing and management with my iPad instead of my Macbook Pro this feature is very useful.  I have a Kodak wireless printer and Kodak has not released drivers supporting AirPrint so I wasn’t able to test AirPrint. Given the popularity of the iPad I fully assume many printer companies will release updates soon.

AirPlay is one the features I have been most excited about.  I’ve been able to use a final release of iOS 4.2 for iPad and when connected to my Apple TV the experience is impressive.

What surprised me about AirPlay was how easy it was to set up and start streaming photos, music and movies to the TV. On the screen is a new icon that when selected will ask you which screen you want to play your content on simply select the device, in this case Apple TV, and instantly it streams to the TV. You use the touch interface on the iPad to control the content playing on the TV.  Since iOS 4.2 supports multitasking you can start a movie or slideshow on the iPad move it to Apple TV using AirPlay then still use your iPad to browse the web, check email and more. I plan on using AirPlay extensively over the the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday to show off our latest family portraits and summer vacation videos to all our family and friends.

AirPlay works currently only with Apple’s applications but let’s hope they extend the service to other apps like Netflix, Hulu, ABC Player  and maybe even games in the future.  Audio does however work with any application through AirPlay making it possible to use and control Pandora and stream the audio to another AirPlay supported iDevice.

iOS 4.2 definitely makes the iPad feel like a new iPad.  Those buying the iPad for loved ones for the holiday will enjoy the robust new features.   Even though the iPad is not quite a replacement for your notebook or desktop PC the added ability to print and stream content has taken it a few steps closer.

R3 Media Network

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To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

Hulu is promising to update its Samsung, PlayStation 3, and Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch Hulu Plus apps over the next week, with “a variety of bug fixes and feature and performance enhancements.” It’s worth noting that Hulu Plus doesn’t save you entirely from adverts, however; the company only says that its content will have “minimal ad-load.”

If you already subscribed through the Hulu Plus Preview, the company will be slipping you the difference in subscription fees in your next billing cycle. Meanwhile, all new Hulu Plus users will get a one-week free trial.

Press Release:

HULU PLUS™ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE LAUNCHES FOR $7.99 PER MONTH

Offers Deepest Library of Current Hit Network TV Shows Like Glee, Modern Family, and The Office; Extends Access to Even More Devices and Platforms

(LOS ANGELES) November 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Hulu™ today officially launched Hulu Plus™, the first and only internet video subscription service to stream full current seasons and a deep library of back seasons of hit TV shows from ABC, FOX, NBC, and more, in HD, to computers, internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and tablets, all for $7.99 per month.

“We’re proud to offer consumers the best of current TV on their terms,” said Jason Kilar, chief executive officer of Hulu. “With Hulu Plus, it’s now possible to watch any episode from the current season of watercooler shows like Glee, Modern Family, 30 Rock and dozens more; whenever and wherever they want.”

Any users who subscribed during the preview period will also receive a credit for the difference from the $9.99 preview price to be applied automatically to their next billing cycle. Starting today, all new subscribers to Hulu Plus receive a 1-week free trial.

Access Anywhere on Multiple Devices
Today, Hulu Plus will be available through a wide variety of devices that have an installed base of over 50 million in the U.S. No matter when and where a TV lover wants to catch the latest episode of House, Saturday Night Live, or Family Guy – whether it’s in the office, in the living room, or on the go – Hulu Plus is there:

Connected TV and Blu-Ray players: Samsung, Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs and connected Blu-ray Disc™ Players, and coming soon: LG Electronics, Panasonic, VIZIO
Connected Set-top Boxes: Roku, Sony Network Media Player, and coming soon: TiVo Premiere DVRs, Western Digital’s WD TV Live Hub Media Center and WD TV Live Plus Network Media Player
Gaming Consoles: PlayStation® 3, and coming soon: Xbox 360
Mobile Devices: Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Other network appliances: Sony Dash
HD-available programs will stream to users in 720p high definition on HD-capable devices. Hulu will continue to announce additional supported devices and platforms in the coming months.

More of Today’s Top TV Shows
Hulu Plus offers full current and back seasons of both current and classic hit TV shows to subscribers in the U.S. TV fans can instantly stream any episode of current broadcast network shows such as Glee, Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, 30 Rock, House, and The Office all season long. In addition, TV lovers will be able to enjoy full series runs and numerous back seasons of classic shows like The X-Files, Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, Battlestar Galactica, Monk, Psych, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ugly Betty, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and dozens more.

The Hulu Plus library has grown by thousands of videos during its preview and will add more titles in the months to come.

Advertising Partners for Hulu Plus
Hulu has built one of the most effective brand advertising services in the world, with a platform that delivers 55% more effective ad campaigns than traditional channels. Hulu Plus extends this proprietary and innovative targeted ad platform across PCs, TVs, mobile phones, and tablets, creating multiple touch points to reach connected consumers wherever they live, work, and play.

For the launch of Hulu Plus, the company has partnered with leading brand marketers including Bud Light, McDonald’s, Nissan, and Microsoft to expand their reach to Hulu’s engaged and connected audience. Hulu is also working with comScore and Nielsen to help create accurate and leading edge measurement tools for the Hulu Plus service.

Until now, Sony has been primarily pushing its catalog of around 1,000 free apps for the Dash, which offer things like YouTube access, weather reports, news RSS headlines and Twitter updates. Hulu Plus isn’t such an odd addition, however; you can already access Amazon Video On Demand and Netflix from the compact device.

The Dash has an RRP of around $199 (street price is generally around thirty bucks less).

Press Release:

Sony Dash Launches Hulu Plus

Instantly Stream Popular TV shows, movies and more
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Sony today announced the availability of the Hulu Plus subscription service on the Dash™ Personal Internet Viewer. Hulu Plus subscribers will now be able to access the service’s robust current TV offerings directly on Dash, including thousands of the latest TV episodes, movies and more.
Hulu Plus offers one of the deepest libraries of current and classic TV shows to subscribers in the U.S. Every episode from dozens of current ABC, FOX and NBC hit programs will be available all season long, from Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy and Glee, to Family Guy, The Office and 30 Rock. Beyond full episodes, Hulu Plus also offers clips and featurettes for many shows.
Hulu Plus, available for $9.99 per month, joins the existing Dash platform of more than 1,000 free apps including social networking, news, weather, sports, online radio and video and more, provided by chumby industries, inc. and Sony’s BRAVIA® Internet Video service.
“The addition of Hulu Plus serves as an ideal example of how Dash continues to evolve and improve over time” said Brennan Mullin, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ personal imaging and audio business. “With Hulu on board, the Dash platform has the ability to deliver a huge variety of online entertainment instantly to consumers’ homes on top of glanceable, real-time tidbits of information.”
Dash is a Wi-Fi connected device that features a vivid 7-inch color touch screen and built-in stereo speakers. Fully customizable, Dash allows users to create their own personal app playlist to enjoy in the bedroom, kitchen, office or any other room in the home. Its content library continues to expand in both size and variety, most recently with the addition of SHOUTcast™ Internet Radio and several useful calendar and organizational apps.
Sony Dash is currently available for about $199 at www.sonystyle.com, Sony Style® retail stores and throughout the Sony Retailer Network nationwide.

Netflix support is expected before the year is out, while there’s no public timeline for the addition of Hulu Plus. Unfortunately it sounds like this is for Boxee Box users only, rather than through Boxee’s free software.

Otherwise it’s the same mixture of Webkit-based browser, extensive codec support (MKV, SSA, PGS, AC3, VC1, TS, H264, FLV, ASS, AVI, OGG, ISO, M2TS, VOB, SRT, AAC, FLAC) and Full HD 1080p video that we’ve been waiting for, and while it may not fit neatly under our TV we still want one. You can order the Boxee Box here.

It’s just been announced, with a full press release below for you to read, that you will be able to stream Hulu Plus to any BRAVIA HDTV right now, thanks to BRAVIA Internet Video. It’s coming soon to all Sony Blu-ray players, and the PlayStation 3 will see the Hulu Plus streaming treatment hit consoles next week. If you’re interested in the deal, you’ll have to pay $9.99 to get the subscription. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Press Release

Hulu Plus Subscription Service Available Now On 2010 BRAVIA® HDTVs with BRAVIA Internet Video; Coming Soon to All PlayStation®3 Owners, Blu-ray products in the U.S.

November 4, 2010 – Hulu Plus, the subscription service on the market to bring current TV programming from top broadcast networks in high-definition (HD), is now available on 2010 BRAVIA® HDTVs and BRAVIA Internet Video Link via the BRAVIA Internet Video platform and will soon be available on Blu-ray™ Disc players, Blu-ray™ Home Theater Systems, Network Media Player and DASH. Next week, Hulu Plus will also be available for all PlayStation®Network members who own a PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system.

Hulu Plus subscription service has been available since July 2010 to select PlayStation®Plus subscribers via PS3, but starting next week, PS3 system owners with a free PlayStation Network account can download and subscribe to the Hulu Plus service, accessing it under the “Video” icon on the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) menu. Hulu Plus is still in preview, and subscriptions are available from Hulu for $9.99 per month.

Steve Jobs insisted on pushing the idea that online video meant having to be “HTML5 compatible. Video search engine MeFeedia took a look at some figures and says now, October 2010, that 54% of web video is available for playback in HTML5, that number being double what it was 5 months previous. That’s a jump if ever have I seen one. MeFeedia also notes the following HTML5 holdouts, each of them still mainly flash-based:

Full episodes from the major TV Networks (including Hulu)
Most cable network content, particularly long-form video
Metacafe, MySpace Video, 5min
Live video sites such as Ustream and Justin.tv
International sites such as Tu.tv, Youku, and Sevenload

But take note: as evidenced by Hulu’s “Hulu Plus” subscription (a pay service) that allows you to play their content using HTML on your iPad, the switchover to HTML5 completely is, as it often is, due to the fact that groups can continue to make money from your blistering need for functionality. As long as there is capitalism in the world, there’ll still be people selling you VCR tapes and 8-track music at their garage sales. That’s just the reality of the situation.

[Via The Wall Street Journal]