# Hulu Plus Stinks!



## popeye123 (Dec 17, 2010)

I am on 3 month trial with Hulu Plus and it is VERY aggravating watching the shows!
I watched in on Sony Blu Ray and Roku.
There is no flow watching these shows. What I mean by that is the commercials are streamed separately. So you when you find a show and start it you wait for the intro commercial saying it is sponsored by someone with shortened ads for 15 seconds. Then stops and you wait for the show to stream for 6 seconds it is on for 6 minutes. Then stops and you wait for sometimes 2 short commercials(each stops and wait for new one)-then you have to wait seconds for another 7 minutes of shows. a 30 Minute shows has 4 interruptions(commercials).
The stopping and waiting for each commercial and show to get re-streamed makes it so aggravating. There is nothing more painful than watching a blank screen waiting with a timer for something to start! If there are 2 short ads you are doing this 10 times for a 30 minute show. You end up waiting to guess when the shows will be stopped for commercials.
No way will I pay for this! Even if it was for free I wouldn't watch it.
It is free now and every time I see icon for Hulu plus I say not worth the stress! I have had it for 40 days and watched it 3 times. Done!
PS- I have N connection on blu-ray and Ethernet connection for Roku.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

Yep, Hulu Plus will not be on my list of things I want. I'm just not seeing this business model of paying for advertisements just for the privilege of having the content on TV succeeding.

Either:

Have a paid service without ads
or
Have a free service with ads.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

orangeboy said:


> Yep, Hulu Plus will not be on my list of things I want. I'm just not seeing this business model of paying for advertisements just for the privilege of having the content on TV succeeding.
> 
> Either:
> 
> ...


I agree, but I find it interesting how many people will say this but they still subscribe to cable or satellite TV (including me). Obviously, for millions of people, there can be an acceptable compromise between these two cases. From what the OP says, I don't think Hulu Plus is one of those acceptable compromises for me.

At least with cable and TiVo you can FF through the commercials.


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## Andyistic (Sep 25, 2009)

I was hoping the "plus" in Hulu meant no advertising.
Apparently, it means "with advertising" instead.
If this is the case, I don't want it.

I'll watch regular hulu without payment on the computer.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

The "Plus" means some shows are removed (all SyFy shows) and you get to pay for it. 

Thanks


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## gamerguy-n-TX (Dec 18, 2009)

Doesn't the "PLUS" mean that you get more devices that stream the shows -- that are *away* from your PC.


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## Andyistic (Sep 25, 2009)

gamerguy-n-TX said:


> Doesn't the "PLUS" mean that you get more devices that stream the shows -- that are *away* from your PC.


Who cares about that if there is nothing of interest to stream to said devices?


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

Andyistic said:


> Who cares about that if there is nothing of interest to stream to said devices?


Depends on your definition of "interesting". I can see the benefit if your TiVo missed a (non-repeating) recording due to a long running sporting event, or some other issue, but I don't think those cases would still warrant the cost.


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## txporter (Sep 18, 2006)

orangeboy said:


> Depends on your definition of "interesting". I can see the benefit if your TiVo missed a (non-repeating) recording due to a long running sporting event, or some other issue, but I don't think those cases would still warrant the cost.


You could use StreamTransport + pytivo. Much better then dealing with the streaming issue on Hulu.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

txporter said:


> You could use StreamTransport + pytivo. Much better then dealing with the streaming issue on Hulu.


Nice! I played with using Safari to get flash video from some sites, but it was a complicated mess, and seemed to take a lot of resources. StreamTransport looks like it took a lot of that pain away :up:


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## eaglestvo (Dec 27, 2008)

It is terrible on Sony Blu Ray. It is much better on PS3 because there is no long pause waiting for each commercial to load and for the show to reload. On PS3 it is more like watching a regular TV show. But it is still not worth keeping, and I will cancel after the current month.


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## Quake97 (Apr 24, 2006)

Hulu Plus really gets you access to move shows. There are lots of old shows on there where the regular TiVo may only give you the last five episodes of "The Office," Plus gives you all of them and maybe even older seasons.

Joe


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## PaJo (Dec 17, 2001)

We also started a free trial that came with our new Roku XDS but I don't think we will keep Hulu Plus. Far too many commercials and too little a selection, Netflix has far more and no commercials. We tried watching one episode on Hulu Plus last evening and the sound was several seconds out of sync, but the commercials come in loud and clear.


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

To those complaining about commercials:
Try watching the SAME show on regular TV. You'll see QUITE a few more commercials than you do on Hulu. The breaks are all in the very same place, Hulu just give you less.

Yes, Hulu DOES need those commercials in there. Don't blame Hulu, though, blame the greedy networks that want more and more for every view. You're not paying for "commercial free" viewing, you're paying for an expanded library and the ability to view these on other devices. This is a very reasonable fee.

Hulu plus is far from perfect, HOWEVER, it's much better than netflix, and their library is much more up to date.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

twhiting9275 said:


> To those complaining about commercials:
> Try watching the SAME show on regular TV. You'll see QUITE a few more commercials than you do on Hulu. The breaks are all in the very same place, Hulu just give you less.
> 
> Yes, Hulu DOES need those commercials in there. Don't blame Hulu, though, blame the greedy networks that want more and more for every view. You're not paying for "commercial free" viewing, you're paying for an expanded library and the ability to view these on other devices. This is a very reasonable fee.
> ...


Netflix doesn't have commercials. Tivo lets me skip over commercials. I'm not watching or paying for any service that interrupts the program and forces a commercial on me. I can find plenty of other content to watch commercial free.


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

shwru980r said:


> Netflix doesn't have commercials.


Netflix isn't even in the same 'model' as Hulu. Netflix is primarily a shipping facility, NOT an online streaming facility, and they don't have the same agreement with the studios. Try getting last week's episode of any show on Netflix, you CAN'T.


shwru980r said:


> Tivo lets me skip over commercials.


Again, nowhere near the same model. With Tivo, you have to save it to the drive and wait until the show is OVER to do this, and you certainly CAN'T store even 1% of what Hulu has. Tivo, as well doesn't have the same (or any) agreement with the studios.


shwru980r said:


> I'm not watching or paying for any service that interrupts the program and forces a commercial on me.


Must be nice to not watch TV, or pay for TV at all. ALL live TV (including cable) has commercials, deal with it.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

*NET*flix.


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## Andyistic (Sep 25, 2009)

shwru980r said:


> Netflix doesn't have commercials. Tivo lets me skip over commercials. I'm not watching or paying for any service that interrupts the program and forces a commercial on me. I can find plenty of other content to watch commercial free.


Sorry, but I have to agree wtih this.
As long as Netflix and a healthy supply of commercial-free programming is
available, paying to see advertising is not the logical way to go.
HuluPlus HAS to remove all advertising, or it's a lost proposition.


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## Andyistic (Sep 25, 2009)

twhiting9275 said:


> Must be nice to not watch TV, or pay for TV at all. ALL live TV (including cable) has commercials, deal with it.


You sound like you work for Hulu.
Live TV (ATSC) is free! NO PAYMENT NEEDED, so the advertising is acceptable.
HuluPlus is not free. If it were, then I would tolerate their commercials too.


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

orangeboy said:


> *NET*flix.


was their name WELL before they offered streaming. They are PRIMARILY an internet dvd rental business. nice try.



Andyistic said:


> As long as Netflix and a healthy supply of commercial-free programming is
> available, paying to see advertising is not the logical way to go.


Again, completely different market. NETFLIX doesn't have the same reach that Hulu does.


Andyistic said:


> HuluPlus HAS to remove all advertising, or it's a lost proposition.


No it doesn't. How exactly do you expect royalties to get paid without this? Hulu MUST pay royalties to the network *every time* a show is viewed. Their royalties are going to be MUCH higher than that of netflix because they are NOT in the same business.

Again:
Try downloading the latest episodes of, say chuck, or any other *major network show* on netflix. You CAN'T! Why? Because their focus is NOT on streaming, but on dvds. YES, they added streaming as a BONUS to their members, but their streaming library pales in comparison to what Hulu has to offer.



Andyistic said:


> HuluPlus is not free. If it were, then I would tolerate their commercials too.


Hulu is free
Hulu PLUS isn't free and never advertised 'commercial free' viewing.
Hulu PLUS is membership for MORE access to their library. THEY still have to pay the networks massive royalties every time a show is viewed. This is done in the form of commercials. The 'membership fee' that is payed (which is quite nominal) is used to cover the network and further development of their site, nothing more.


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## Andyistic (Sep 25, 2009)

twhiting9275 said:


> How exactly do you expect royalties to get paid without this? Hulu MUST pay royalties to the network *every time* a show is viewed. Their royalties are going to be MUCH higher than that of netflix because they are NOT in the same business.
> 
> THEY still have to pay the networks massive royalties every time a show is viewed. This is done in the form of commercials. The 'membership fee' that is payed (which is quite nominal) is used to cover the network and further development of their site, nothing more.


Then they need to find a agreement with networks where these silly royalties aren't needed.
Also, NBC and other networks offer the shows on their own sites without payment.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

twhiting9275 said:


> Netflix isn't even in the same 'model' as Hulu. Netflix is primarily a shipping facility, NOT an online streaming facility, and they don't have the same agreement with the studios. Try getting last week's episode of any show on Netflix, you CAN'T.
> 
> Again, nowhere near the same model. With Tivo, you have to save it to the drive and wait until the show is OVER to do this, and you certainly CAN'T store even 1% of what Hulu has. Tivo, as well doesn't have the same (or any) agreement with the studios.
> 
> Must be nice to not watch TV, or pay for TV at all. ALL live TV (including cable) has commercials, deal with it.


I think Netflix streaming has overtaken physical DVD shipments recently. I can get last weeks episode from recording it on Tivo.

I can start watching a Tivo recording any time I want. I would usually wait until the show is at least half way complete so I can skip the commercials without reaching the end of the show before it is over. With Hulu, I can't watch the show until many days after it is over and then I'm forced to watch commercials.

I rarely watch live TV. I usually record to Tivo and skip the commercials.


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## latrobe7 (May 1, 2005)

No way would I subscribe to HuluPlus without the ability to skip the commercials. That is a deal-breaker for me. I was ready to subscribe until I realized that I wouldn't be able to skip the ads. I suspect I am not the only one.


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## Andyistic (Sep 25, 2009)

latrobe7 said:


> No way would I subscribe to HuluPlus without the ability to skip the commercials. That is a deal-breaker for me. I was ready to subscribe until I realized that I wouldn't be able to skip the ads. I suspect I am not the only one.


Most definitely not the only one.
No one wants to see some idiot tell you which products you should buy.
You will buy the products you know you want, and nothing else.


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

Andyistic said:


> Then they need to find a agreement with networks where these silly royalties aren't needed.


Not going to happen. The networks have to pay the stars for these shows being watched, every time.


Andyistic said:


> Also, NBC and other networks offer the shows on their own sites without payment.


Sure, with advertisements and NOT directly on your TV.



shwru980r said:


> I think Netflix streaming has overtaken physical DVD shipments recently.


hardly. Netflix is still *primarily* a shipping facility. Just because in certain communities it's more popular to stream, doesn't mean it's more popular to do so.



shwru980r said:


> With Hulu, I can't watch the show until many days after it is over and then I'm forced to watch commercials.


Not with +
With + , you get next day streaming. Yes, you have commercials, but with their model EVERYTHING has commercials. You can't compare Hulu with netflix, because they're not the same thing.. they're in the same category, but not the same line of products.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

twhiting9275 said:


> Netflix is still *primarily* a shipping facility.


Netflix themselves would completely disagree with you:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/21/netflix-now-primarily-a-streaming-company-could-offer-dvd-les/

Or, in their exact words in the _legal_ SEC filing:


> Driving these results is the strength of our consumer streaming offering. Three years ago we were a DVD-by-mail company that offered some streaming. *We are very proud to announce that by every measure we are now a streaming company, which also offers DVD-by-mail.* In Q4, we'll spend more on streaming content than DVD content, and we'll deliver many more hours of entertainment via streaming than on DVD. More impressively, a majority of our subs will watch more content streamed from Netflix than delivered by us on DVD. DVD-by-mail shipments are still growing, but streaming for us is much larger and growing much faster.


(emphasis added by me)
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065280/000119312510232617/dex992.htm


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

OK, so the Hulu Plus option allows you to view away from the computer and get access to more shows in the Library.
Is that it? Because that ain't enough.
I'd just assume to watch Hulu for free on the computer. At least the commercials are justified with that model.

Would anyone here be willing to pay more to get Hulu Plus without the commercials? How much more would you be willing to pay?


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

steve614 said:


> OK, so the Hulu Plus option allows you to view away from the computer and get access to more shows in the Library.
> Is that it? Because that ain't enough.
> I'd just assume to watch Hulu for free on the computer. At least the commercials are justified with that model.
> 
> Would anyone here be willing to pay more to get Hulu Plus without the commercials? How much more would you be willing to pay?


I would pay a reasonable price for commercial free content. Reasonable to me would be a price competitive with Netflix streaming. If they went with a price per episode, forget it. :down:


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

twhiting9275 said:


> With + , you get next day streaming. Yes, you have commercials, but with their model EVERYTHING has commercials. You can't compare Hulu with netflix, because they're not the same thing.. they're in the same category, but not the same line of products.


I'm comparing Hulu+ with Tivo and Netflix combined. I can record last nights show on Tivo and start watching anytime I want. I only have to wait until the show is roughly halfway over on Tivo to be able to skip the commercials and not run out of programming before the show is over. With Hulu+ I have to wait until the next day and then I'm forced to watch commercials.


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## dylanemcgregor (Jan 31, 2003)

twhiting9275 said:


> Again:
> Try downloading the latest episodes of, say chuck, or any other *major network show* on netflix. You CAN'T! Why? Because their focus is NOT on streaming, but on dvds. YES, they added streaming as a BONUS to their members, but their streaming library pales in comparison to what Hulu has to offer.


You can't view Chuck on Hulu Plus either. I just checked and there is not a single program that I currently watch through Hulu that is available through Hulu Plus.

I'm rooting for Hulu. I think there is room for both Netflix and a paid Hulu subscription, with Netflix streaming focusing on older content and Hulu on first run stuff. I don't even mind the advertisements that much...but look at what is currently available on Hulu Plus. It is almost entirely older shows, and incomplete...and many of these (at least the ones I have any interest in watching are available on Netflix streaming as well, and commercial free. For example, 1 season of Friday Night Lights is available on Hulu Plus (and not the current season), but Netflix has 4 seasons available for streaming. With Netflix streaming option being just a couple of bucks more a month then Hulu, and including a bunch of movies as well, it is just hard to see Hulu competing unless they can get a lot more content.


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## latrobe7 (May 1, 2005)

Well, if they supported Droid phones and I could skip the commercials I'd be willing to try it a $9 a month (a dollar more than they're currently asking). 

If they had an Android ap and I just had the option of watching all commercials before the start of a program, I would probably subscribe.


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

LoadStar said:


> Netflix themselves would completely disagree with you:


That's called marketing, and it's not even required to be true. Just because they want things to be a certain way doesn't make it so.
Netflix is NOT a streaming company first, they are a dvd company first



dylanemcgregor said:


> You can't view Chuck on Hulu Plus either.


Yes you can


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

twhiting9275 said:


> That's called marketing, and it's not even required to be true. Just because they want things to be a certain way doesn't make it so.
> Netflix is NOT a streaming company first, they are a dvd company first


That was contained within a legal quarterly filing with the SEC, not marketing materials.

Where is your first-party evidence that they are, as you state, not a streaming company first?


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

LoadStar said:


> That was a legal filing with the SEC, not marketing materials.


No, it was opinion based marketing, nothing more.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

twhiting9275 said:


> ...The 'membership fee' that is payed (which is quite nominal) is used to cover the network and further development of their site, nothing more.


It's funny that Netflix can do that _without_ commercials, plus still pay the cost of shipping DVDs.

So do you work for Hulu or what?


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## twhiting9275 (Nov 17, 2006)

orangeboy said:


> It's funny that Netflix can do that _without_ commercials, plus still pay the cost of shipping DVDs.


Once again, a completely different model.
Netflix does not have the same agreements that Hulu does with the networks, which is why netflix is still stuck on yesterday's releases.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

twhiting9275 said:


> No, it was opinion based marketing, nothing more.


No, it WAS a legal filing with the SEC. I even provided a link to the SEC filing, on the SEC website.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

twhiting9275 said:


> Once again, a completely different model.
> Netflix does not have the same agreements that Hulu does with the networks, which is why netflix is still stuck on yesterday's releases.


Tivo isn't stuck on yesterday's releases. What's your point?


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## dylanemcgregor (Jan 31, 2003)

twhiting9275 said:


> That's called marketing, and it's not even required to be true. Just because they want things to be a certain way doesn't make it so.
> Netflix is NOT a streaming company first, they are a dvd company first
> 
> Yes you can


Not listed on their Hulu Plus page. You can watch it on regular Hulu, but not Hulu Plus AFAICT.


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