Comments on: Hulu Plus is Putting The Brakes on Free TV

By: Big-D

Big-D — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:58:45 +0000

I have been looking at a while to kill my cable the way I have it now. I have never considered Hulu as a viable alternative as you need to get it to a TV. I am getting more to the point of just waiting until summer and purchasing the DVD sets. Sure you are behind, but I am not sitting at the TV for hour on end w/ commercials. DVR only get rid of the symptom – So why pay for the DVR, HDTV service, and cable. I can get the episodes I want on the seasons (SANS 1 show) on DVD. I can live without Mythbusters if I don’t have cable. I love the show – but since they don’t put it on DVD .. guess they don’t want to hit their core audience.

By: Ron Ablang

Ron Ablang — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:44:39 +0000

I like Hulu but it won’t affect me at all. I am able to access my favorite shows anyway using the underground to download the episodes I want to watch.

If I had wanted to watch classic TV episodes, I would probably just join Netflix and get them on DVD.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:48:21 +0000

That’s a good point I didn’t address, Slave. And it’s true. In addition, you need high speed internet access (at least if you want to watch it on something other than your phone), which in most cases is already costing you probably anywhere from $40-$60/month. Once you start taking on $10 a month here, $5 a month there, and whatever else for all these new ala carte services I’m not sure the savings will be all that great.

That still doesn’t mean cable is the better deal and they shouldn’t have competition, but getting TV from the web is still in its infancy, and it won’t be free as companies need to make money to support the infrastructure and provide the content. Maybe it’s just me, but I have a gut feeling that down the road it’s just going to end up being the same content still costing way too much, only delivered in a different way.

By: Coding Slave

Coding Slave — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:38:33 +0000

One important point that you are missing is that online services need an internet connection. With cable, I get the guarantee that I can watch my subscribed channels all the time without problems. With Hulu, I’m at the mercy of my ISP. If they decide to throttle my network, I can’t have TV. I frequently notice significant network slowdown if I’m watching online shows for more than an hour or two. Unless Hulu can form a tie-up with a network company to guarantee minimum quality, it will be the victim of its own success.

By: Credit Girl

Credit Girl — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:18:17 +0000

Well I’d like to think it’s worth it but honestly, who needs to watch that much TV anyway? Watching TV keeps me from being productive so maybe limited HULU is better for me personally.

But I totally agree with GC. If there’s gonna be anyone who can take down cable and satellite companies, it’s HULU.

By: graphic art

graphic art — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:24:17 +0000

The users will decide whether or not Hulu Plus is worth the cash, so we’re taking a poll. We want to know if you plan on subscribing to Hulu Plus when it opens to the public.

By: gc

gc — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:00:16 +0000

I just hope more companies like Hulu come along and take the cable and satellite companies down a peg. They have been setting the prices for too long. Competition is king.

By: jmb

jmb — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:53:18 +0000

They released a “free” iphone app that costs $9.99/mo
Jaded comments of people on the app store all say; why should i pay when i get it free on my pc
oooops! not for long
They seem to want to double dip though, charging for advertising and chqarging the consumer, that’s bad business.

By: Alan S

Alan S — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:20:20 +0000

This could provide savings in the end. If Internet TV provides ala carte access that is cheaper than what I am paying now, I’m all for that. It could force other cable and media outlets to offer ala carte or lose customers.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:43:33 +0000

I think you may be missing the point. Most people don’t have free television – they receive those “basic” stations in a package from their cable provider. This is the beginning of something far cheaper than cable or satellite. My feeling is that this will finally lead us to an ala carte cable model. $10 gets you the basic channels, $.99 more gets you Food network, $15 gets you all the ESPN channels.

Those numbers actually come from a focus group I was part of about six months ago.