Digg

Donkeys and Elephants and Delegates,oh my!
Check out the most popular Elections 2008 content on Digg.

Hulu Launches Private Beta: First Impressions Very Good

techcrunch.com — Hulu is still a joint venture exclusively between NBC Universal and News Corporation. It exists as a website through which users can stream a collection of TV shows, movies, and short clips on-demand for free without any limits on how many times you can view each video.

Bury

jasonnazar 344 days ago, made popular 344 days ago

590 diggs
digg it

trvr, on 11/03/2007, -2/+15Let the invite war begin!
- fkr3, on 11/03/2007, -3/+8Noooooooooo. There will be no invite war. Invites will go unused.
  
  You see, old media "just doesn't get it" even though this sounds suspiciously like "it".
  
  This is doomed!! DOOMED!!!!
  - robdiggity, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1Now see, try reading this comment in your head using George Takei's voice. It takes on a whole new interpretation.
- robdiggity, on 11/03/2007, -0/+3They should get George Takei to be the spokesperson.
ZakNicola, on 11/03/2007, -10/+5It's about time they got it out the door.

Sign up for it at http://www.hulu.com all you need is an email.
- trvr, on 11/03/2007, -1/+7unless something changed in the last 4 minutes, you can't "sign up" yet. you can be put in the "invite pool"
redrock34, on 10/29/2007, -0/+10We'll see how it stacks up against Bittorrent. They might not admit it but we all know what audience they are competing for.
- nandasunu, on 11/03/2007, -0/+4This looks more immediate than bittorrent. I think I would stop downloading some of the shows I am in favour of this. Only real benefit from bittorrent seems to be high res downloads & portability.
  - dandonia, on 11/03/2007, -0/+5So you mean every thing thats good about media. You know - Hi res, getting to watch it over and over anwhere any time on any of your devices. Erm isnt that what this age of technology is all about. That been said there is nothing better than wanting to watch something and it been there in an instant, just take stage6 or joox for example, you click the link its on your screen - thats quality. If hulu is as good as that im in.
    
    EDIT: Oh wait im English, guess not
    - gregdigg, on 11/03/2007, -0/+2Is your apostrophe key broken?
    - dandonia, on 11/03/2007, -0/+2No, im just not in the middle of an English class you dick!
      
      lol - im probably wrong here but wouldn't apostraphe in your sentence need a capital letter, after all its the name of a key and names have capital letters, not that i care.
neoknight, on 11/12/2007, -4/+47U.S. Only....Lame!
- richashby, on 11/03/2007, -2/+17But sadly typical.
- sint4x, on 11/03/2007, -0/+4Proxies here we come!
- Weejay, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1I sure hope you'll get digged a million times...
- smek2, on 11/03/2007, -1/+8Well, then ***** 'em. Who needs hulu (btw, what kind of name is THAT anyway)? Everybody i know watches the latest episodes of their favorite shows courtesy of BitTorrent & co.
  - chad78, on 11/03/2007, -0/+2hulu is just about as Web 2.0 as you can get for a name. Consider:
    
    Google, Yahoo, Zoho, Zimbie, GigaPan, KiWork, pixoo, jiglu, FitTron... Veetro, Jango, Joost, Zannel, Meebo,.
    
    A couple of times I typoed on the names above, and I almost left it thinking that it was probably a Web 2.0 Startup already (Zaanvel was one I came up with - google it, I'm sure it's something.)
- dandonia, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3Im sick to death of been limited just because companies like sky have bought the digital broadcasting rights. That surely is a monopoly, why should they be able to determind when and where i can watch something - then they have the indecency to charge me and put adverts in. They wonder why pirating is so freak'n popular. If the networks that pay for the content to be created are willing to put it online on their own official websites, why must we be restricted. Then you get sites like Tv-Links.co.uk which get busted. - Its almost entrapment
Brahma, on 10/30/2007, -5/+8Jeez..Could they have chosen a worse name!!!
bubba9999, on 11/03/2007, -0/+13Can I put huge obnoxious ads in the middle of the bottom of the screen in my programming, like NBC has started doing to their primetime shows?
- GreatSunJester, on 11/03/2007, -0/+5not just NBC -- have you seen the crap Spike puts across the bottom? Also adding so many commercials that they need to compress the end credits to the side to show more, then start the next program immediately after? They know people record shows in order to skip commercials later so they find more ways to insert ads. And Don't even get me started on "Product Placement" -- my god I almost choked during Silver Surfer (not just because the movie sucked) when the line "Is that a Hemi?" was uttered.
  - MaynardJK, on 11/03/2007, -0/+5I almost choked yesterday in Best Buy when I heard someone ask for Silver Surfer on BluRay. Can you believe people actually pay for that thing?
    - nakani, on 11/03/2007, -0/+5Silver Surfer, or BluRay?
AMSRay, on 10/29/2007, -2/+6If they get this up and running, I'm there. I've already stopped watching television as its broadcast. This year I watch the 4 or 5 shows I like at the show's website with MUCH less commercials than on TV. Last year I was using Bit torrent for everything, but this way you don't have to wait for shows to download, and you don't have to worry about robber-baron organizations trying to sue you. If a show is good enough that I want HD video (Heroes!), I'll buy the DVD at the end of the season after watching the episodes online.
mistafreeze, on 10/30/2007, -1/+3Wow, I figured this service would suck, great surprise!

http://video.aol.com/video-category/hulu/110500

go there to see the videos that are currently live (heros, office, simpsons), maybe if i get some more time I can check out journeyman.

Only bad thing is, apparently they will only keep shows around for 5 weeks, then "poof", they disappear.
- gotamd, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2I don't really mind the 5-week expiration. I don't watch live TV at all anymore, but I usually watch the shows I'm interested in within a week after their release. If the show is good enough, I'll buy the DVD's when they're released. If it's not good enough for me to spend money on the DVD's then I don't mind all that much that I can't go back and watch it online.
  - mistafreeze, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1them expiring prior to dvd's coming out is understandable, but i've been burnt by watching shows, only for them to get canceled half way through (the nine, firefly, etc) or not even that far (drive + way to many to mention here).
    
    I just do not watch shows, especially new ones, unless I'm sure they will take off. but there are shows I wouldn't mind catching up on, if only NBC wasn't so anti apple these days, I could just pick up shows midseason if I see they are going to make it. (like chuck, and journeyman, they both sound interesting, but I'm not sure they will last, if they do, I will have to wait until they come out on dvd before I check them out)
- pr0t0, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2It's a start, but it really needs a good full-screen resolution to compete with torrents.
amesolaire, on 10/29/2007, -11/+6I wouldn't touch anything Rupert Murdoch has his hands on. Just as a matter of principle.
- OriginalLucid1, on 10/29/2007, -6/+9And what principle would that be? Put down the Kool-Aid and slowly walk away...
  - amesolaire, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1What does Kool-Aid have to do with anything here? You have no idea what/who I'm talking about and why, do you?
- joe90210, on 10/29/2007, -3/+1this is NBC not FOX
  - ajamison, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3It's actually both.
greedoe, on 10/29/2007, -2/+2Just wondering if this service with be geo-cockblocked like the NBC.com catchup service.
jonesin, on 10/29/2007, -3/+2Wow, no drm, registration demands or cockblocking of Linux users? It almost seems like the media companies did something right!
orangysb, on 10/29/2007, -0/+4As long as they provide a convenient way for me to watch premium content online, i'm there, and this looks like it.
I certainly won't mind a few ads here and there, what more do you expect for watching videos for free.
- orangysb, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1***** this, i'm in Australia and i can't watch.
PabloIV, on 10/29/2007, -0/+17US only content
The US government should send out a memo to all large corporations "Puerto Rico is a colony and as such part of the US"
They leave me no choice but to put on an eye patch.
(Pirate of the Caribbean indeed)
- lava, on 10/29/2007, -1/+3How 'bout Puerto Rico becomes a state? No? Don't like paying federal taxes?
  - nakani, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2Can you blame them? It's like 1/3 of your paycheck, and all of the money just goes toward paying the huge national debt (wars), not civil services. Us state citizens are getting robbed while the Puerto Ricans are laughing all the way to the bank.
bootstrap, on 10/29/2007, -2/+3bah US only so no interest at all.
Crazysah, on 10/29/2007, -4/+1I actually like the name Hulu. If you read the first comment... one guy asks whether or not it is US only and Mark replies by saying no one brought that topic up!
supermanred, on 10/29/2007, -1/+6U.S. only, and they plan on eventually charging you to watch their shows. Very Very lame.

***** NBC.
gracie28, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1They still may have to change the Hulu name. Lulu. com is not done with their lawsuit.
They'll have to show specific damage, but could very well happen. Stay tuned video fans.
packetstorm, on 10/29/2007, -2/+2The name is pretty bad. It seems like companies should be getting a refund from and firing their ad agencies or internal marketing depts when they are looking for help in naming their products. This is about as bad as "Zune". WTF is a Zune or Hulu for that matter? Oh, it's supposed to be cool. Yeah right and it means nothing and don't get me started on names for applications in the Linux world. Let's just take the letters of the alphabet, throw them up in the air and see what falls where and Voila! That's the name of our new product. It might as well be "q,vcnvoafl;djfj" for all it matters. Still means nothing to the consumer.
- gage006, on 10/29/2007, -0/+6What the hell is an iPod or a Wii? You'll get over it.
smek2, on 10/29/2007, -1/+4And everyone thought Wii was a bad name.
- nakani, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1Wii = we = group = multiplayer
  Hulu = ... = ... = wtf?
JenadaeXX, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3News Corp = FOX
dandonia, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1What are the screen resolutions like on these, can you full screen and be happy or is it turd and you have to have it center screen.
MacParrot, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1While I'm happy that they aren't doing the typical Mac user lock-out (Only for IE), AND that it looks like it will be free with ad-generated revenue, it still sucks that we can't download it for portable players. I give it a tepid thumbs-up for allowing me to watch certain shows (like Heros and BSG) that I can't watch when aired on my computer, I would still like an option to pay a reasonable price and transfer it to an iPod or digital player of your choice. Maybe in the future.
- spootmonkey, on 10/29/2007, -0/+4um.itunes?
  - MacParrot, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2If it's available on iTunes then yeah I'll buy it. Unfortunately new episodes of Heros (and probably BSG) isn't available
Quix, on 10/30/2007, -5/+2Watching shows on a website (??!) and not on my home theater system for which I paid good money = LAME.

Stop fighting the future with these pathetic obstructions, Hollywood. I only hope consumers aren't gullible enough to lap this dreck up. Unfortunately, based on much of which is successful on TV, my hopes are certain to be crushed.
- MWeather, on 10/29/2007, -1/+3Hook your computer to your home theater system. Problem solved.
cambrown99, on 10/29/2007, -0/+4Since NBC/Universal has been saying 'screw you' to its viewers and fans so much lately, I don't think I can support this.
EdwardsNH, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2I'll be very happy when this content is viewable on the iPhone/Touch.
- Gabberwok, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1That option is scheduled to be available shortly after the Winter Olympics are conducted in Hell.
ibeetle, on 10/30/2007, -1/+4How about a little discloser?!?
TechCrunch is owned and operated and/or managed by 5 people that used to work in the television entertainment industry. 2 Worked for News Corp. A Hulu partner. 1 worked for NBC and 2 worked for Viacom.
- techcrunch, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1we do?
quickfix98, on 10/30/2007, -1/+0This guy is already offering Hulu invites!

http://www.laudontech.com/hulu/hulu.html
Gabberwok, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Digg should offer something like WikiScanner for Wikipedia. I would not be surprised at all if >1/3 of the pro-Hulu comments are coming from NBC IP addresses. NBC is already turning its shows into car commercials, how much of this crap do they think they can pull before we stop watching their shows altogether? The only channel putting out anything decent these days is Showtime.
gleongelpi, on 01/27/2008, -0/+1This does not compare with reeltime.com. When it comes to quality, this is second rate. If you are looking for other sources to watch movies, etc. try reeltime.com. Talk about quality streaming! Pretty good! Far out! They have a program they call ReelCash that gives you a fifteen dollars credit before you have to pay for anything. They don't have a lot of stuff, but nothing can compare with their technology.
Login or register to add a comment

Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.

Hulu Launches Private Beta: First Impressions Very Good

Login or register to add a comment