TiVo spoiled everyone, and officially killed television commercials. However, it's those ads that are solely responsible for bringing free TV shows (and current ones at that) to the world. If you haven't heard of Hulu yet, you will. Hulu launched last October and is the result of a joint venture between News Corp. and NBC.
Hulu isn't so much of an app as it's the next generation of entertainment media distribution hubs. Streaming free TV shows and movies has been around on the Internet for years now, however, it all has been an "off the books" sort of thing, and entirely illegal. To top off the shadyness, most shows you were able to find online might as well have been filmed with a cell phone camera from 1999.
A streaming TV show and movie savior has been delivered unto Internet, and it's name is Hulu. What ABC and NBC is doing with their shows on their respective sites, Hulu is doing with every show regardless of network. With no subscription required, Hulu brings you entire seasons of tons of current and popular shows for your viewing pleasure at a decent 320p, with the option to play at 480p.
The only downside is that about every 5-10 minutes a :15 second to :30 second ad will play, then normal programming resumes. But the site is exploding, check out the Compete stats:
So relax marketers, the :30 spot isn't dead yet, it's just changed locations. People don't mind sitting through a quick ad if it means they get to watch free TV. It really makes sense though, why would I pay $120 a month for TV shows that are full of ads? Someone is getting screwed in that deal. Hulu's business model puts the power back into the consumers' hands and provides a more balanced way of distributing premium content like TV shows.
While Hulu's movie selection is relatively sparse, it's growing wildly, so give it some time, and you'll have more than enough sweet films to keep you glued to your computer screen for an unhealthy amount of time. Oh, and for anyone who's seen the light, Hulu already has the entire series of Arrested Development.
So stop playing outside in the fresh air, and come watch some free TV on the interwebs.
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