When Apple takes over the TV industry, the internet service providers will jack up our rates.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Hulu Plus Now Available on Apple TV
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
When Apple takes over the TV industry, the internet service providers will jack up our rates.
While this is great news, there are a few limitations. Not all Hulu content is available for ATV. Content marked on their web site as not available for mobile devices also are not available on ATV. For example, the TV show "The Firm" is available online using PC based browsers, but not on iPhone, iPad, and now ATV.
Hulu Plus not really available
I was excited to see Hulu Plus available for the Apple TV, but a quick browse of the library led to quick disappointment. Many networks and shows do not appear. At least when I search for shows on the iPad app, Hulu lets me know I can (frustratingly) only watch the show on my computer. With the Hulu Plus Apple TV app, they don't even show up at all. A search for White Collar or Covert Affairs yields no results. Go to Hulu Plus on your computer, and there they are.
Maybe this will change, but I'm not holding my breath.
I was excited to see Hulu Plus available for the Apple TV, but a quick browse of the library led to quick disappointment. Many networks and shows do not appear. At least when I search for shows on the iPad app, Hulu lets me know I can (frustratingly) only watch the show on my computer. With the Hulu Plus Apple TV app, they don't even show up at all. A search for White Collar or Covert Affairs yields no results. Go to Hulu Plus on your computer, and there they are.
Maybe this will change, but I'm not holding my breath.
Meanwhile in Australia...... People who would for some reason be desperate enugh to want Hulu... Use VPN's
You paid for that service for months without using it? I cancelled Netflix once I realized I wasn't using it anymore.
Well here's a dirty little secret - you can get HuluPlus on your apple TV in Canada if you subscribe using a US itunes account. I'm currently using it in Toronto. No need for a VPN blocker.
You can do this anywhere in the world as long as you subscribe with a US itunes account.
If you cut the cable cord, then having HBOgo on the Apple TV won't matter. You have to have a HBO subscription through cable to use HBOgo.
They don't need Apple to do that - they already jack the rates up every year.
The only real hope for the internet is Google right now. GIGABIT in Kansas City!! How does 1000 down and up compare to what you get?? (and for only $70. a month) - that's not the paltry 100 down Verizon and some others offer for like $200. a month - it's 1000 !!!
ISPs need to get off their asses and start bringing real broadband to the masses. Google has shown it can be done and it won't cost the subscriber much more than they pay right now.
Your move TimeWarner, Comcast, Charter, etc....
Sweet! One less reason to keep my laptop plugged into my TV. Now, if only they'd add riff trax!
Hulu + has been on TiVo for quite some time and it still works this way so don't hold your breath.
Actually, my understanding is that the cable companies are absolutely rolling in money, and have a strangle hold on content providers.
As long as the government allows them to control both the pipe and the content, this will not change.
----------
While I agree that alternatives to the cable/telco monopolies needs to be built out,
1) it will take a decade, and
2) in the case of KC, are you really happy with the idea of Google knowing absolutely EVERY bit of data/information that passes over your wire?
Right now you can at least choose not to use their search, mail etc. What happens when they own your pipe?
You might want to look into Plex for the Apple TV. Note: Requires Jailbreak, but will let you stream HGTV and Syfy shows to your ATV.
http://wiki.plexapp.com/index.php/PlexNine_Client_ATV#AppleTV_Gen_3
It will let you stream website feeds from your Mac to the Apple TV.
I've been using it with Roku, and it's a great little work around.
I don't trust Google as far as I could throw them. They removed "Don't" from they're corporate tagline years ago.
The big problem with all this still remains the lack of sports programming and access to channels like HBO and Showtime. With a fair amount of effort you can find substitutes for some of the sports programming but not all. So if you're somebody that's really into sports you're out of luck. HBO and Showtime collectively by far have the highest number of quality original programming on TV so you'd be losing a lot right there. And if you watch more than a few shows on these channels it quickly ceases to become cost-efficient buying the season DVDs. AMC has also become a pretty big player in quality original programming but you can at least get some of their programming on Netflix but not all of it and what there is is like a year later.
With that all said a digital antenna + AppleTV + a subscription to Netflix (and perhaps Hulu Plus as well) will get you pretty far, and perhaps be sufficient for some. But you're kidding yourself if you think you're not missing out on anything if you take that route. Have somebody let you loose on HBO Go for a month and you'll know what I'm talking about.
-PN
With that all said a digital antenna + AppleTV + a subscription to Netflix (and perhaps Hulu Plus as well) will get you pretty far, and perhaps be sufficient for some. But you're kidding yourself if you think you're not missing out on anything if you take that route. Have somebody let you loose on HBO Go for a month and you'll know what I'm talking about.
-PN
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Sorry, it's not the direct objective. It's a bonus when it's working like it should. When capitalism is working without monopolies & duopolies (like we have now), the (many) competitors actually compete. The benefits are things like some trying to win on service, some trying to win on price, etc. We consumers benefit from that form of capitalism by getting better service and/or better price, etc.
Unfortunately, now too few have hold of too much so that maintaining the status quo appears to be better than moving forward. For example, now it's less about better service (we'll just buy out the competitor or drown them in litigation) or price (we'll just buy out the competitor or squeeze them out of the market). Where "too big" (and "too big to fail") used to mean break them up into many smaller competitors (as late as the 1980's with AT&T), now we not only won't break them up, but we'll make them even bigger.
We all saw the list of broadband competitors the UK guy posted (post #124). How many of us have more than 2 broadband competitors from which to choose? 3? Anyone have 4? His list was what- about 30? If we had 30 local choices for broadband, I bet we would all be able to get faster broadband for much less than we pay now. Personally, I wish I had more than the 2 "choices" I have (and I live in one of the richest counties in the U.S.).
Last edited:
I'd love to pay for Hulu Plus if there wasn't any discrimination in content between streaming to a TV and watching on a computer.
When Hulu+ first launched on the Xbox, it surprised me to learn the limitations during the free trial, especially after using Play-On for free for so long. I was willing to pay if I had access to everything and ditch that software. With the 360 trial, the first show I tried to watch was not allowed, so I was forced back to Play-On for free. Some months ago I had access to Hulu+ once more, checked for a show, nope, not there, some licensing issue just came up, removing it.
Back in the early Hulu Plus days, I thought the concept of paying was to finally allow access on your TV, sadly it may always be more complicated than that. They try to justify the price and TV limitations by adding more benefits to plus accounts online, but that feels like an illusion, most the changes were taking away stuff you always had for free with basic accounts, then pay for Plus to get it back.
I'm all for them making money and continuing a great service, but their advertising and pushing of HuluPlus on TV devices seems deceptive when you really don't get access to all the content you do online for free, but they make it seem that way by not saying anything.
HuluPlus had failed me the few times I tired it. I'd rather save the $8 and buy episodes on iTunes that I have to watch instantly and wait a week for current episodes to show up on Hulu basic and watch on my TV via Play-On with a PS3 or 360.
I'll give Hulu Plus trial another chance to see if there's enough shows I care about, and convenience, to justify the price.
When Hulu+ first launched on the Xbox, it surprised me to learn the limitations during the free trial, especially after using Play-On for free for so long. I was willing to pay if I had access to everything and ditch that software. With the 360 trial, the first show I tried to watch was not allowed, so I was forced back to Play-On for free. Some months ago I had access to Hulu+ once more, checked for a show, nope, not there, some licensing issue just came up, removing it.
Back in the early Hulu Plus days, I thought the concept of paying was to finally allow access on your TV, sadly it may always be more complicated than that. They try to justify the price and TV limitations by adding more benefits to plus accounts online, but that feels like an illusion, most the changes were taking away stuff you always had for free with basic accounts, then pay for Plus to get it back.
I'm all for them making money and continuing a great service, but their advertising and pushing of HuluPlus on TV devices seems deceptive when you really don't get access to all the content you do online for free, but they make it seem that way by not saying anything.
HuluPlus had failed me the few times I tired it. I'd rather save the $8 and buy episodes on iTunes that I have to watch instantly and wait a week for current episodes to show up on Hulu basic and watch on my TV via Play-On with a PS3 or 360.
I'll give Hulu Plus trial another chance to see if there's enough shows I care about, and convenience, to justify the price.
Last edited:
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Or, like alltel and many before them, Centurylink will get acquired by one of the bigger dogs. That is how it goes now. Some upstart starts competing on price (like alltel) and soon you hear of one of the big dogs buying the upstart. Enjoy Centurylink while you can. If they take a meaningful bite out of the big dog in your area, it will only be a short time until you hear about the buyout.
Last edited: