Hulu is Out
 | Author: Jauretsi | Posted: April 7th, 2008 | Filed under: Digital, Film | | Comments Off |
Free Content!
Hark… there exists a new channel online! Tested for 18 weeks, Hulu is now LIVE as of last month. It’s got more than 250 TV Series and tons of movies — FOR FREE. It’s legal too. Owned by New Corp and NBC Universal, it seems that the big media boys are finally “joining the game” instead of fighting it. Of course, there is an ad-supported model, but it’s 25% less ads than you would find on cable or broadcast. Note that ABC and CBS have not signed on board yet? Hmmm…..
(Hulu options)
The heaviest content seems to be comedies with bite-size clips (2-3 minutes) for an A.D.D. culture. The format also provides the entire show (30-40 minutes). Technically, you can watch a whole season sitting at your desk. Clips like the gangster Natalie Portman rapping reside here, and how can we forget, Dick in a Box? There’s also fresher clips like SNL’s Black Eyed Peas ad, and old school SNL’s like Gilda Radner doing her Barbara Walters imitation as Baba Wawa. I haven’t even delved into all the classic episodes or clips from The Office and The Simpsons. The website can stand to accumulate more content but it’s a good start.
The video page also gives you the option (unlike You Tube) to play at FULL SCREEN. Here’s a sample of me being slack at work and watching Marge & Homer smooch.
(Full Screen option)
Unlike You Tube, it’s also Premium Content — so there’s no amateur pimply faced freak talking to his camera in a creepy bedroom (unless it’s an SNL spoof). So all the weirdo content is filtered out. Each video gives the option of snagging the URL or EMBED code to further distribute to friends & family. It’s a whole new way to grab better quality clips for all you bloggers!
(Hulu page. Ready to play October Sky)
If you have a nice big flatscreen computer, you can watch full-length movies for free like Jake Gyllenhaal’s first film October Sky or the full 2 1/2 hour Mulholland Drive by David Lynch which we shout-ed out last week because of lead Justin Theroux’s new film, Tropic Thunder.
Here’s an example of an embedded Hulu content, in honor of Scarlett Johansson (I’m hearing her new album at work now, produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek — to be released May 20th — Review to come another day!). But back to the SNL clip below, every time this dude says “Marble Column”, I slap my desk laughing. Scarlett does a mean Long Island accent here.
To play with this new toy, go to Hulu.com.
