Hulu Goes Browser-less, Now a Desktop Resource

We—and everyone else who enjoys the flexibility to watch their favorite shows on their own time—gush non-stop about the amazing, brilliant and oh-so-addictive online resource Hulu. You can watch new episodes of tons of different shows and catch movies without a trip to the video store or the mailbox. Until now, it was the best way to catch TV through your broswer. But now it's the best way to catch TV straight from your desktop with Hulu Desktop...

Hulu Desktop is a downloadable application that makes Hulu's unparalleled catalog of content optimized for viewing with Windows Media Center or Apple's media controls. So what does that mean? Well, you're closer to the all-in-one media center of your dreams now that you can access all of Hulu's content with just six buttons on your computer's remote controls (Of course, it works with keyboard and mouse, too).

When you team up Hulu Desktop with your Hulu.com account, your preferences, subscriptions and viewing history all come with you.

Check out more information about Hulu Desktop here, including a few videos that show you exactly how this whole thing works. You can snag the free download for PC or Mac here.

Via MakeUseOf.com

Comments (5)

Does this help with buffering at all or am I still SOL on my incredibly slow DSL?

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on June 15th 2009 at 12:03pm
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So there was a reason Hulu was making things difficult for all the media center software to access their content. Hopefully this is able to be integrated into xbmc and the like so it's all nice and seamless.

posted by peshue on June 15th 2009 at 1:35pm
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Meet the new boss same as the old boss.

Praise Hulu now while you can, because within a year or two you'll be bitching them like you do about your cable company today.

As soon as they think they can get away with it, Hulu will begin charging for their content. Yes, the same content you get for free over the airwaves with commercials today.

Hulu is owned by Fox, Disney, and NBC. All have had deteriorating financial performance at their networks and need to find a way to shore up their performance ASAP.

They are clearly looking to charge for Hulu, but I think they have learned enough about the Internet to know that they can't charge until it has reached critical mass and a deep level of Internet penetration. Charging for Hulu now would just piss off a handful of early adopters who would just go back to bittorrent and then Hulu would die a slow, painful death.

Once people start dropping or reducing their cable TV plans because they can watch all of their shows over the Internet via Hulu, watch. That is when Hulu will make its move.

Me? No, thanks Hulu. As much as my cable company sucks, they are governed by the FTC and my local city council.

Now imagine how cable companies would treat customers if the FTC and local governing councils or boards didn't put even a vague level of leash on them. That is what Hulu is going to become. A monopoly content provider that is completely unregulated and out for one thing only: money.

Hulu is going to charge you for content and still make you watch commercials. Anyone want to bet against it?

posted by haggie1 on June 15th 2009 at 2:39pm
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i think the hulu app still needs a little work. being able to use my apple remote is really only useful if i DON'T have to walk all the way back to within 3-feet of the screen to read the descriptions for videos.

excited to updates to UI and increased usability.

posted by aneelee on June 15th 2009 at 2:39pm
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I think haggie1 is exactly right. The only thing I'd add is that the app also makes it impossible to block their advertising. And yes, I know that's a controversial philosophy, as you should "pay" for watching their "free" content by watching the ads.

How much would you wager that Hulu will institute a pay model and still have you watch ads?

posted by Paladin on June 15th 2009 at 10:34pm
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