I don't have cable. I hate cable companies with a fiery passion. I have this thought that they are all out to get you, which may not always be the case, but I have had some unfortunate experiences with several large companies. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives to cable. From Netflix to Apple TV, cutting the cord with cable is easier now than ever. I save over $100 a month with my use of both Netflix instant watch and Hulu+. Hulu (plus) was introduced last month on the PlayStation 3, iPhone, iPad, select TV models, and select blu-ray players. I just recently decided to try out both PlayStation Plus and Hulu+. Allow me to give you the good, the bad, and the hideous.
Hulu+
Let me start out by saying that Hulu+ is a great deal at $9.99/month. Totally worth it, that is if you have no cable whatsoever. I get all of my television viewing needs for less than $30 a month between Netflix and Hulu. If you do have cable and you're happy with your service, there is really no point to Hulu+. The major issue that is hindering Hulu+ from being a truly outstanding service is that there are still ads. I'm sorry, I can see the logic in having ads for a free service, but there should be no ads when it comes to paying a monthly premium. I understand the service is still in its beta stages, but if Hulu plans on wooing people into their service I would address this issue immediately.
I'm using Hulu+ on the PS3 and the interface is sexy, easy to navigate, and is relatively fool proof. Most new television shows are in HD (720P) and everything else is streaming in SD (480P). I was watching Lie To Me in HD and it looked fantastic. There is a ton of available content from movies (all old,but decent stuff) to all recent TV shows. The only real problem I have goes back to the ads. I just think it's absurd to include ads for a service you are paying for, however, I can deal with the ads for the amount of savings I'm getting.
Bottom Line: Hulu+ is an awesome service if you're looking to get rid of cable. If you feel you're getting shafted by your cable company or only watch a select a few shows, Hulu+ is for you. Otherwise, just stick to streaming on your shitty netbook.
PlayStation Plus
<rant>I did it. I subscribed to PlayStation Plus for a year (Technically a year and three months. This makes me feel better about the purchase.) Go ahead and laugh. Are you done? It's okay, I actually mocked this feature a bit on the podcast and now I have it. There really isn't much to say about it other than I downloaded a few sub-par PSN games, some equally mediocre PlayStation One games, and some really cool wallpapers...for $50.
I really could care less about the very sparse PlayStation Plus. I'm really hoping they flesh it out with really off the wall stuff. How they plan on doing this, I have no clue, but the only incentive to purchase PlayStation Plus is Hulu+</rant>
Hulu+
Let me start out by saying that Hulu+ is a great deal at $9.99/month. Totally worth it, that is if you have no cable whatsoever. I get all of my television viewing needs for less than $30 a month between Netflix and Hulu. If you do have cable and you're happy with your service, there is really no point to Hulu+. The major issue that is hindering Hulu+ from being a truly outstanding service is that there are still ads. I'm sorry, I can see the logic in having ads for a free service, but there should be no ads when it comes to paying a monthly premium. I understand the service is still in its beta stages, but if Hulu plans on wooing people into their service I would address this issue immediately.
I'm using Hulu+ on the PS3 and the interface is sexy, easy to navigate, and is relatively fool proof. Most new television shows are in HD (720P) and everything else is streaming in SD (480P). I was watching Lie To Me in HD and it looked fantastic. There is a ton of available content from movies (all old,but decent stuff) to all recent TV shows. The only real problem I have goes back to the ads. I just think it's absurd to include ads for a service you are paying for, however, I can deal with the ads for the amount of savings I'm getting.
Bottom Line: Hulu+ is an awesome service if you're looking to get rid of cable. If you feel you're getting shafted by your cable company or only watch a select a few shows, Hulu+ is for you. Otherwise, just stick to streaming on your shitty netbook.
PlayStation Plus
<rant>I did it. I subscribed to PlayStation Plus for a year (Technically a year and three months. This makes me feel better about the purchase.) Go ahead and laugh. Are you done? It's okay, I actually mocked this feature a bit on the podcast and now I have it. There really isn't much to say about it other than I downloaded a few sub-par PSN games, some equally mediocre PlayStation One games, and some really cool wallpapers...for $50.
I really could care less about the very sparse PlayStation Plus. I'm really hoping they flesh it out with really off the wall stuff. How they plan on doing this, I have no clue, but the only incentive to purchase PlayStation Plus is Hulu+</rant>
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Now you can watch all the episodes of Grey's Anatomy you want.
Yea Chris, that's why I want Hulu Plus. It's really for Caprica, Stargate, and House. Among other things of course.