Hulu Sucks. Really.

By  |  Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 8:52 pm

4-01-09huluOkay. I know its not professional to say it, but I’m going to. Why must this company try so damn hard to make life difficult for the people who want to use their content? Oh that’s right. There’s this. Once again, the company is trying to dictate how and where you may watch the content on your site.

Let’s call it DRM — web style — because that’s pretty much what it is. Hulu is now taking steps to encrypt the HTML that they send to the browser, which in turn is decrypted at the client using JavaScript and DHTML. In plain English: if you’re not using a browser, you’re out of luck.

This is a bold-faced attempt at preventing any non-browser client (ahem, Boxee) from using its content in a way the company doesn’t approve of. Doesn’t matter what you the viewer may prefer, it’s Hulu’s way or the highway.

Bad news for Hulu, though — people have already found a way around this newest functionality — and Boxee is for all intents and purposes using a browser within its applicaiton to serve Hulu videos to you.

Given this content provider’s past history, its all but certain they’ll continue to try to thwart Boxee and others. After all, it directly threatens ZillionTV which in a shocker is supported by NBC Universal and News Corp, the two chief content providers to Hulu.

See, these two network’s sudden snub of Boxee was all planned. I just wish Boxee and others would stop being so nice to these people — its become abundantly clear they have no intention of being nice back.

Until Hulu stops this behavior, I’m no longer interested in using their service.

 
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23 Comments For This Post

  1. Aktariel Says:

    I was interested in Hulu at the beginning, because it sounded like a great idea. Free streaming content? Sign me up.

    But they pull more and more shenanigans, and you can’t use content the way you want… Heck, for the hoops I have to jump through for “free,” I’m just going back to… ways that are not so sanctioned by Big Content.

  2. Ed Oswald Says:

    Exactly. Call me suspicious.. but this has accelerated with the launch of Zillion. It’s clearly an attempt to give their parent companies’ project an advantage over others.

  3. PF Says:

    I ditched my TV. I use Hulu and other web services for my limited television interests. (My wife has even joined me for March Madness on Demand). Complain all you want, but Hulu serves my needs quite well.

  4. Jochen Says:

    well, and now disney is about to sign a deal with hulu – what do we actually get out of this deal?

  5. Stu Says:

    Grow up. Hulu, NBC, FOX, whoever don’t owe you free content in the manner of your choosing. They’re not charities; they need ways of making money back so that they can pay for actors, writers, production, etc. And everybody in the business knows that the revenue from online outlets has been piss poor.

  6. whodean Says:

    Stu-how is revenue different for Hulu via Boxee vs. in a computer web browser?

    Answer: It isn’t.

  7. Bree Says:

    Stu, that could at least provide the service that they advertise. If you’re going to make something, make it good. Don’t do it half-@$$ed and then expect people to buy it.

  8. Death Says:

    When the first commercial popped up, I knew their site was destine to piss me off. We’re paying for the content every time we’re forced to sit through one of these bullshit adverts. So gee, we’re paying for cable so there’s 1 payment for their show. We’re also paying for internet so there’s 2 times we’ve paid for the show. We’re sitting through commercials for products we likely already buy due to necessity so there’s 3 times we’ve paid for the show.

    As far as I know, there is not a single product or service that exists other than entertainment media where they can legally get away with charging you more than once!

    Hulu sucks and I use it maybe a few times every couple months. I’d rather just pay a site like megavideo for a year as I’m certain Hollywood is getting their cut from them anyway. Bottom line is now or later, any movie or TV show I watch, they’re getting paid for and often through more than one channel of payment.

    And they say downloading is a crime!?!

  9. That Nice Guy. Says:

    Hulu Incredibly pisses me off they pulled some shit with me and literally let me watch 3/4ths of the Episode of the Show I was trying to watch before telling me I had to pay for the Episode.

    I wouldnt be bugged if they told I had to pay too use the Services in the first place but trying to drag you in by letting you watch most of a Episode of a long forgotten TV Series you loved as a kid and then telling you that YOU have to pay to watch the rest of it. Really goes to show that they suck at business advertising if they have to use such direct tactics with people already using their service.

  10. JAY FINKE Says:

    NOW….. THE NEW HULU WITH EVEN MORE COMMERCIALS INTERRUPTIONS
    AND THE SAME COMMERCIALS OOVER AND OVER AND OVER… ALL THERE MISSING IS THE Quietus COMMERCIAL

  11. Preturbed Says:

    it seems now for me that i can't seem to even load anything on any one of my 4 pc's since i started using my RUKU box which (mind you) only plays the "H+" video. anyone else having an issue like this?

  12. Nowherewoman Says:

    Hulu really sucks now because every tv show you try to watch it wants your credit card number for 1 week trial I bet they won't stop payments and act like aol and try to keep you connected after just trying the trial finding its not for you.

  13. Gerald Parks Says:

    Don't try signing up for a free week of Hulu Plus. I tried to follow their instructions for cancelling before I got charged for the next month, after the trial period. They omit the billing button from your profile, so that you can't cancel. Sent them a coupla emails, getting the message that a response will come within 15 minutes. Sure, a canned email saying I can get info on their website. Jerkoffs.

  14. Kyle Says:

    Obviously we are all meant to live simplier ways and forget about technology.

  15. wizarddrummer Says:

    HULU sucks big time!

    I happen to be an American that currently does not reside within any US Territory. This means that when I try to watch anything on HULU or F*&KU as I like to call it I get the same lame message about copyright that I get from NBC and others. Hmmm for some reason COMMERCIALS don’t have copyright restrictions but the content does.

    There are plenty of sites that I can use to “get around” the problem, I just don’t know why they don’t figure out that we (those of us not in the USA) can “see” most of the content they try to block anyway, so while make it difficult?

  16. hpfan Says:

    Personally I like using my browser. The way I have mine set up I’m well garded against privacy issues, site viruses and so on. I wish everything could be done in my browser. What I dont like it she glitchyness provided from a free company that is still sponsored by commercials. Theres allot of free tv show sites with no commercials that get way better playback and up to date airing. with in one day. hulu is the best idea there is but the next to worst service. If my connection gets so much as a sniffle then my watching experience is totally over. They fun factor is gone. So good try hulu but needs way more refining.

  17. NOHULU Says:

    Agreed, Hulu sucks and they might as well not have a "support team" as they really do not solve issues. No Hulu and no purchasing from their advertisers. I won't support Hulu or their sponsors.

  18. Karmen Price Says:

    Actually, I am just about to use Hulu but because of your post I am thinking twice now. I do not want to spend my time on something that will just give me problems in the future.

  19. Guest Says:

    For some reason my DVR didn't record the season finale of one of my shows. So, I tried to catch it last night on Hulu. Last time I'll do that!
    The amount of commercials they make you suffer through to watch an hour show is mind numbing.
    Stick it Hulu!

  20. sal Says:

    where are the good free tv and movie sites?

  21. MaeBeth Says:

    Apparently their server needs to be upgraded. If you are watching at night. The streaming gets stuck.

  22. ciderapple Says:

    Hulu is basically tv migrating to the internet. It is not better than tv. it is just an invasion of the online space by big business attempting to put their hands into your pocketbook yet again.

    I watched one show on it and was so disgusted by the comercials that I will NEVER use it again. I stopped watching TV 16 years ago for the same reason. And I refuse to be sucked in by this new brainwashing technique. I watch content I am interested in without comercials, or I don't watch it. Period!

  23. will Says:

    My family loves Netflix and signed on to Hulu for variety. What a horrible experience; commercials, freeze- ups, and worthless user interface. This site had to be designed by Microsoft max cost= min service

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