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Once again, as long as cable companies also control your broadband Internet access, this is a non-starter. With Comcast now moving to a metered model and also making Internet access more expensive if you don't also take their cable package, Hulu's proposal would be more costly in the end.

Nah. Comcast is raising their data caps next month to 1TB. This will put pressure on other major ISPs (especially if they compete in the same market, like AT&T Uverse and Verizon FiOS) to do the same.

You could stream Hulu 24/7 at their current max bitrate and never hit 1TB in the course of a month.
 
I really do not get this or what Apple was planning. The only thing that makes sense it to mimic the music model. You can purchase, download and watch/listen whenever you want or you can stream whenever you want for a fee. Hulu/Netflix already has the stream part right, except the content providers won't give them content for years. The issue is how to transition from ad revenue to streaming revenue. Because other than news and sports what really needs to be live?
 
So in the end.

-Streaming stations will be bundled and cost the same as cable
-There will be the added cost for internet access
-And the users will at the mercy of which ever 'streaming' site you sign up with.

How is this better?
No contracts is always better. Forces the streaming sites to remain competitive. Also the wide range of options. Remember, a lot of people rent, so think of metropolitan areas... A lot of buildings have exclusive contracts with a singular provider. This provider may offer a great bundle when you first move in, but if you plan to stay there 3+ years your costs go up exponentially and you have no option unless you move.
 
I wonder if Apple will ever get their streaming TV service off the ground. If so, it will be in the wake of similar OTT streaming offerings from Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue, AT&T DirecTV (they're launching streaming packages this fall), Hulu, and (if they launch) Vidgo. Given all the established competitors, an Apple OTT TV service would probably be doing well to gain the same level of traction as the Apple Music service has, which is to say, a mid-level success. Other than superior integration with the Apple TV 4's UI and remote, I'm not sure what the distinguishing selling point for Apple's subscription TV service would be. Well, they are dipping their toes into original content production, so maybe that will be it. $40 gets you a skinny bundle of cable channels with cloud DVR/on-demand PLUS a slate of Apple original shows to compete with Netflix originals. Meh...
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Shame they're not including any news channels.
I think I read that this new Hulu package will include Trump News, I mean, Fox News.
 
Wasn't aware Apple abandoned those plans. Best of luck to Hulu in dealing with the content providers!
The lack of NBC/universal on streaming services is due to Comcast's ownership of NBC. Please complain to you congressRep to breakup the Comcast vertical monopoly.
 
I really do not get this or what Apple was planning. The only thing that makes sense it to mimic the music model. You can purchase, download and watch/listen whenever you want or you can stream whenever you want for a fee. Hulu/Netflix already has the stream part right, except the content providers won't give them content for years. The issue is how to transition from ad revenue to streaming revenue. Because other than news and sports what really needs to be live?

And how do you do it in a way that financially makes sense. A lot of consumers are chasing the unicorn where they think they should have all the shows THEY enjoy on-demand ad free at a fraction for what they pay now.

There is definitely room for a better delivery model. But odds are it would either cost something similar to what we pay now (or more if we push for ad free.) Or it'll pay less, but content providers will offer less going for the lowest common denominator of highly profitable/easy rating shows over quality.
 
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So in the end.

-Streaming stations will be bundled and cost the same as cable
-There will be the added cost for internet access
-And the users will at the mercy of which ever 'streaming' site you sign up with.

How is this better?
It's not and it's funny to see how many people think that all that money that's to be made in entertainment will be forgot about by content providers.
Especially with on-demand, people expect to see fewer ads, but they also want to cut the cable and pay so much less...

Eventually someone will see their income take a nose dive and react in some shape or form.
I have yet to see a compelling argument why streaming is ever going to be cheaper for everyone on average that cable service.

I mean, not that I can't see it happening some way or another, I just think that people tend to be a bit too optimistic.

Glassed Silver:mac
 
Is it more than two networks because for slightly more I can go with playstation vie and get more networks and advanced DVR features.
 
Nah. Comcast is raising their data caps next month to 1TB. This will put pressure on other major ISPs (especially if they compete in the same market, like AT&T Uverse and Verizon FiOS) to do the same.

You could stream Hulu 24/7 at their current max bitrate and never hit 1TB in the course of a month.

I stream everything, sometimes on 4 devices at a time, most I ever used is ~600GB, so 1TB is actually pretty reasonable.
 
Apple TV app + reliable Cloud DVR and i'm in.
This exists already, however it's a Playstation 4 or Amazon Fire Tv/Tv Stick app (It is available on PS3 but it's virtually unusable). It's called Playstation Vue, it has 55+ of the best live channels with unlimited cloud DVR and the ability to even watch on demand programming of most shows and "catch up" shows (without having them set to DVR) from the past week on several networks. And it's either $29.99 or $39.99 depending on your area.
 
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This exists already, however it's a Playstation 4 or Amazon Fire Tv/Tv Stick app (It is available on PS3 but it's virtually unusable). It's called Playstation Vue, it has 55+ of the best live channels with unlimited cloud DVR and the ability to even watch on demand programming of most shows and "catch up" shows (without having them set to DVR) from the past week on several networks. And it's either $29.99 or $39.99 depending on your area.
But NO Apple TV App. Which for 50% of the post you replied too. I would definitely try Vue if/when they decide to create an Apple TV App.
 
I'm actually okay with Hulu's current platform. Then again, I do not need to watch live TV (unless it's sports). Basically all of the shows I watch, I pretty much catch up on the next day via Hulu, HBO NOW, FXNOW, etc.
 
I stream everything, sometimes on 4 devices at a time, most I ever used is ~600GB, so 1TB is actually pretty reasonable.

For me Comcast ha never had data caps. They tried but stopped within a month. So must be area thing.

As same as above I steam all the time on multiple devices. My average is about 600 GB. That's also with digital gaming purchases.
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On principle alone, I think that's just unacceptable. To have a paid "commercial free" tier that still has commercials.

Been using commercial free since launch. Never seen a commercial yet. They said it was only on a couple shows and they were bookend commercial. So one at start and one at end. But again I have yet to see one on any of the shows I watch.
 
MLB app has local blackouts though, no?
Yes. I have it as an experiment for this season. I here from family members all the time about the blackout problem. It is like these people are shooting themselves in the foot. But to be fair to me, I did say if they DO IT RIGHT it can work well without any need for a DVR. My point is not a technical problem.
 
This exists already, however it's a Playstation 4 or Amazon Fire Tv/Tv Stick app (It is available on PS3 but it's virtually unusable). It's called Playstation Vue, it has 55+ of the best live channels with unlimited cloud DVR and the ability to even watch on demand programming of most shows and "catch up" shows (without having them set to DVR) from the past week on several networks. And it's either $29.99 or $39.99 depending on your area.

No Apple TV app, can't even sign up on iOS (unless that's changed recently) and Vue doesn't have local networks.
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Yes. I have it as an experiment for this season. I here from family members all the time about the blackout problem. It is like these people are shooting themselves in the foot. But to be fair to me, I did say if they DO IT RIGHT it can work well without any need for a DVR. My point is not a technical problem.

Right. I'd pay a fair chunk of change for an NFL app without local blackouts.
 



Hulu-icon.jpg
Streaming service Hulu is said to be working on a new subscription model that would provide customers with cable-style access to popular broadcast television networks.

In a report by The Wall Street Journal, sources close to the plan said the company's move would directly introduce Hulu as "a competitor to traditional pay-TV providers," in addition to streaming-only services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Hulu's current launch estimate for the cable-like service is sometime early in 2017, and a few partners are already mentioning interest in the program. Disney and Fox are said to be close to signing agreements to provide "many of their channels" to Hulu and its subscribers on the live platform. Some of their networks include ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel, Fox's basic broadcast channels, Fox News, and FX.

The company's ultimate goal with the new service may disappoint cord-cutters looking for a complete replacement for their cable box, as those close to Hulu's plans mentioned it "isn't looking to offer all the hundreds of channels found in the traditional cable bundle." Still, Hulu is seeking other partners in addition to Disney and Fox, who are both co-owners of Hulu.
In addition to live TV, the unnamed service is rumored to provide users with a cloud-based DVR, letting them record shows and set scheduled tapings similar to current offerings by cable providers. Due to all of these prime features, the current estimated cost of Hulu's live TV plan would be $40 per month, according to Sanford C. Bernstein media analyst Todd Juenger. That price was said to be "in the ballpark" by a Hulu executive.

Netflix can be relatively quick in getting up full seasons of recently-aired shows after their finales launch, but it largely depends on the cable network and even then it can be a few weeks to months until they're available on the streaming platform. Hulu has always been ahead of its rivals in providing users access to recently aired TV episodes, launching them one at a time a day after they air, but its new plan would go one step further and let subscribers watch specific TV channels live.

As more customers leave behind cable companies, streaming services are becoming increasingly interested in standalone TV packages such as the one Hulu is looking into launching. Premium channels like Showtime and HBO already have their own specific services, and Apple was even attempting to get a similar $30-$40 web-based TV package launched last year, but failed deals with networks caused the company to put its plans on hold.

Article Link: Hulu Planning Live Cable TV Service With Partners Including Disney and Fox
This service exists already, it is available from Sony and called Playstation Vue. You DO NOT need to own a Playstation to have this service. You can sign up online and buy an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to use this service. There are three tiers available but I'm going to focus on the cheapest one which is what cord cutters seem to want. This is a list of features.

$29.99 for 55+ channels of live tv - AMC, Comedy Central, MTV, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, E!, Discovery, Animal Planet, Tru, TBS, WE and much more.

Fox, NBC, and ABC - on demand only and their shows are available the day after they air live unless you live in one of 8 major areas which get full live versions of those channels but pay $10.00 more per month over base, or $39.99 total.

Unlimited cloud based DVR - All you do is add a channel to your "Favorites" list and every airing of that show is automatically available as soon as it is finished airing on your DVR. The DVR files stay for 28 days then disappear. This list also includes any titles from that series that may be on demand from that particular channel's website even if they haven't aired in the past 28 days.

App - the app is available on PlayStation 3&4, and also Amazon Fire TV/TV stick. The PlayStation 4 and Fire TV perform perfectly. Fire TV stick works surprisingly well with only a little bit of input lag. The Playstation 3 app is virtually unusable due to lag, this machine really shows its age here.

Only one PlayStation 4 can be used to watch tv at one time but you are allowed 5 streams at once from the same location. The rest have to be Fire TV/TV Stick and PS3 streams. (I have used 3 at once so far on a 100mbps connection and everything worked well)

I have been using PlayStation Vue for the last few weeks and I couldn't be happier. Anyone who would be interested in this Hulu service should definitely try the free one week trial of PS Vue.
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No Apple TV app, can't even sign up on iOS (unless that's changed recently) and Vue doesn't have local networks.
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Right. I'd pay a fair chunk of change for an NFL app without local blackouts.
I wished that it had an iOS app at first. I paid $99 for. Fire TV and $40 for a Fire TV stick plus I had a Playstation 4 already. I cancelled my Netflix and I'm thinking about cancelling my Hulu which would save $22.00 a month so the way I'm looking at it I'll be paying an extra $8.00 for full live tv plus everything that I had before. I'm fine with the $140 upfront investment. I already have Amazon prime video included and with PlayStation Vue I have anything I would ever watch covered. I have two Apple TV's that just collect dust now.
 
This service exists already, it is available from Sony and called Playstation Vue. You DO NOT need to own a Playstation to have this service. You can sign up online and buy an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick to use this service. There are three tiers available but I'm going to focus on the cheapest one which is what cord cutters seem to want. This is a list of features.
But without support for the Apple TV it is useless for most people following MacRumors Forum. The Hulu Service would certainly support the same hardware as now.

But with an Apple TV App I and many others I know would give it a trial run. Seems to me that Sling TV, Sony Vue and Amazon Prime for that matter are leaving money on the table.

On a side note I love all of the competition these services will bring. We need more options and competitive pricing that you can only get from OTT subscriptions. Most only have 2 options now with CABLE and TELCO providers.
 
1st off aside from briefly inserting mention of Apple's defunct plans how is this Apple, Mac or Cupertino related? I know MR Has been branching out but I didn't notice the site start a topic thread labeled

Forums> Off Topic> Unrelated > MR Trying To Be An Online Newspaper or News Station> Slow News Days


At first I thought, why would anyone pay almost 3x or 4x more than the current Hulu offering just for access to live shows, when almost all those same shows are available a day after they initially air on Hulu?

Then I got worried that this might mean the less expensive plan is going away, or will be significantly changed. I really hope it isn't. The $13/month for commercial-free Hulu is great!

Agreed, Same here, I admit I pay the base tier. Worth dealing with ads to be cheap. That plus sometimes I've so much Mobile data left in my monthly bucket
( including RO +!Bonuses ) I just binge my data away lol

I still don't understand why people want live tv (other than sports?). Just give me everything, on demand, streaming, at all times. Let me add shows I like to a watchlist accessible on all devices with badges when a new show is available. Seems simple to me? What Hulu is doing now is almost there.

Agreed


I love Hulu, and I think they are already doing a good job with content. They have a lot of good networks with good content on Hulu. I hope this works out. I am afraid they are going to keep bundling things and increasing prices though. As long as they make it optional tiers I will be happy.

Agreed and yea I worry about increases
( Hulu has already increased in recent years ) especially I fear then taking a page out of the cable companies playbooks and screwing lower tier plan users

oh so cable :p

I actually like the "on-demand" style of netflix, hbo now, etc. Isn't live TV a step backwards? It is cable, just not from the cable company.

Yep. Granted I'm guilty of being of being 1 of those people that let 1 of the worst monopolistic cable providers ( I use Comcast ) rape my wallet on Cable and Internet bundles ( tho not entirely by choice )
 
Wasn't aware Apple abandoned those plans. Best of luck to Hulu in dealing with the content providers!

They already have a better chance considering the the owners are
NBCUniversal Television Group (32%)
Fox Broadcasting Company (36%)
Disney–ABC Television Group (32%)
 
While this is nice to see other companies jumping into the cordcutting I don't think this will top Playstation Vue. I've been using it since it was released to the mainstream 2 months ago and it has all of my favorite channels with the exception of one and that is the Cooking channel but for $30 a month I am not going to complain.
 
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