Hulu will begin charging users for content as soon as 2010, said News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey at an industry summit in NYC yesterday. “I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value,” he said. Here’s an idea: Lose the NuvaRing ads! They are killing me once-a-month at a time. Anyway, Hulu would likely effect a subscription system for premium content and then some (wild guess: Benjamin Christie’s Travels) will still be free.
With so many ways to watch TV for free already, will Hulu lose some or most of its audience? Personally, I’d consider paying a fee for online TV as long as I didn’t have to watch ads and could view everything in HD. Any ads, forget it. There’s a fast-forward button on my DVR that works really well. What about you?
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If they continue to post reruns of shows previous shown FOR FREE, then I’ll never go back once it’s a pay site. If they begin providing shows from premium channels like HBO and Showtime…I’ll consider it.
I agree. Good answer.
If they kill having commercials, and offer more content like you said, I’d be all for it. Depends on the price too though. Better not be over $15.
Sorry but the ads are there whether you want to pay or not.
The ads are part of the deal for the television networks, they have demand them. The icing is when they go to a paid model they’ll get a considerable commission from each sale. So you’ll end up with ads + the membership fee.
Right now they’re busy building it up – they want to build lots of activity and lots of good buzz. Then they lower the boom – probably in 2 stages – first adding a premium level membership while keeping a limited free viewing that probably limits when you get to see the shows and what shows you have access to.
Second stage is to move to a full on paid membership. This was already suggested and hinted at. Step one is just my assumption, step 2 is already confirmed.
I’ve been looking around and I found some decent alternatives there’s surfthechannel.com and freetubetv.net – those are just excellent and for now they’re free!
The small ads are fine. The site is slow though. On Sunday nights the stream is jumpy and slow. I use Hulu as an alternative to using a DVR to record the shows but if they are going to charge me to watch the few shows that I could DVR, forget it. Also, their movie selection is absolutely horrible. They would have to provide On Demand shows to make it anywhere worth it.
WTF…just what value add are the adding to the programs that the networks own sites aren’t
RIP HULU
Come on! Is youtube going to start charging soon?!? Because this is crazy! The whole purpose of Hulu is to offer free/legal videos to everyone. Might as well use the DVR.
If their free content interests me then I’ll watch it. But I’m not paying. If I have to see a show that badly and my only option is to pay for it online then I’ll just use itunes.
they are always going to run ads. I remember the first time I saw an ad in front of a movie (8 men out), and thought it was ridiculous…..now I baaaaaa with the sheep and accept it.
I don’t understand what people don’t get about ads. Without ads THERE IS NO TV. NONE. Hate ‘em or love ‘em, it’s a fact. My Econ teacher once said TV is just commercials with shows put in to get us to watch.
I agree but if you are charging a fee then remove the ads. I don’t mind an ad but don’t charge me to watch.
Did your Econ teacher mention how successful charging to watch ads with some shows sprinkle is?
Yeah I pay for cable and stations on it has ads but if I could pick and choose I would drop 90% of the channels I current have.
I never minded the Hulu adds; I’d gladly keep that as the price of admission to the shows. But Hulu isn’t that awesome a service – I’ve suffered glitches, pauses, outright gotta-reboot-my-computer-to-stop-this crap. So, definitely not worth paying for.
I agree Melanie. The streaming is not always instant. But since it is free, and I have to watch a 30 second ad here and there I don’t mind. But if I have to pay for it, then I would pay for cable tv, and get more channels. I use sites like Hulu as a backup for when I miss an episode. So if they start charging, then I’m out.
I’d be prepared to pay for good quality ad-free TV online, provided the price was reasonable. I know that the networks need to sustain themselves, but they need to realise that once people start paying for their programmes directly, their going to get very demanding when it comes to quality and variety.
I think I’d be willing to pay a reasonable monthly (or yearly) fee, so long as I didn’t have to put up with that awful Latrisse commercial anymore. I am perfectly satisfied with my eyelashes just the way they are. (But preferably with no commercials at all.)
The Latisse commercial really creeps me out.
I love the warnings – warning, your eyes may actually change color from using this product and the effect is likely irreversible. That frightens me.
You mean you don’t want dark irreversible eyelids? Hey it’s the only new med out there that won’t give me diarrhea.
No way am I ever paying for TV online. I’d rather sit through ads. Even those awful Nuva-Ring ones. (MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday every daaaaaayyyy….) Hulu is most definitely dead to me. Ninjavideo, here I come…
Hulu doesn’t have anything for me if they start charging, unless they are going to start showing HBO and/or Showtime shows. Most of the content on Hulu is available on the various network websites. I am certainly not going to pay to watch ads on Hulu.
Why pay for doing stuff that’s really a waste of time anyway. Go outside or read a book once in a while.
Better yet, post inane comments on internet discussion threads.
I just laughed so hard I almost wet myself! LOL!
I won’t pay. Everything you can see on Hulu is available on Netflix.
I’m glad they are going to charge! Being Canadian and not being able to access it at all sucks…and I’m happy to finally share the pain.
I hope you know that the reason that Canadians can’t watch it is because of international rights… how is a network supposed to be able to sell the rights of a show to CBC for a cost that they want if it was available online internationally? It’s the same reason that books and movies are often released overseas on different dates than in the US. I’m still waiting to get the third Stieg Larsson book following the Girl Who Played With Fire, but it’s been out in Europe for a while now and it’s not available in the US. That’s just how it goes.
I dunno, I’d consider it, I guess. There’s an appeal to being instantly able to watch an episode of a tv show that I didn’t catch already or DVR, and without wanting to pony up for the DVD – of course, it all depends on the cost of the subscription. I mean, I realize that entertainment can’t all be free and we need to think of new ways to make money on the Internet, so I don’t resent Hulu for this. Like someone else said, I’d especially be intrigued if you could watch HBO or Showtime – I don’t want to pay for those channels and the DVDs are super-expensive, so if I could watch them online for cheap…there’s an appeal.
I agree with what Annie and most of the other posters said. No commercials, I’d consider paying a fee. Commercials? No way. Personally, I’m a bit put off by Carey’s comment “…deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value.” Um, thanks Chief, but I already DO appreciate it’s value. WTF does that even mean?
Agreed. The whole value of the site is it offers free internet TV. You remove that and you have no value. Clearly – not a smart person.
I agree too! I loved Hulu. I told everyone I knew about how amazing it was. I’m pretty sure I appreciated its value. I’m vaguely insulted.
Stupid, stupid move.
i have to pay AND sit through ads? uh i already have tv. guess my DVR will get more love in 2010
No, I am not willing to pay, that’s why I got DSL to get away from cable and stupid $$. Netflix will suffice.
Nope. Won’t pay. The appeal was that it was free. I can find streaming videos of TV shows online pretty much anywhere. May not be the same quality, but it’s still free. See ya Hulu!
Nope,
Bye Hulu. Hello DVR. Hello Netflix.
No way. I’m not paying to watch TV online. Movies, maybe if they had a better selection. Not TV. And I don’t even really mind the ads. One or two adds at time on a site like Hulu is infinitely better than watching live TV ads.
NOPE!
Guess we’ll just have to to the website for the actual networks the shows are on to stream them for free. Stupid move, HULU.
Well thanks a lot Ruppert Murdoch… that greedy bastard wants to charger for the internet and this is one way to do so. Well, I’m sticking with dvd rental or dvr
As with everything, it depends. If the commercials are gone and the price is under $10/year and:
I can pay with a gift card visa/MC (so that my actual and accurate personal information is not then sold to 4,000 marketing databases.
AND there are no commercials or they are all up front in the show (so i can go do something else for a few minutes)
AND the buffer time is extended beyond 2.5 minutes so a slow hotel internet connection can be used without having to pause for 5 minutes every 2.5 minutes.
AND the content for TV series does not go away after a few weeks/months
AND the shows are posted within an hour of their actual airing time
Basically, you give me something that can replace something else at a reasonable cost and I’ll do it but it has to be revenue neutral to my monthly budget. In this economy people are not as willing to fork over $$ for convenience.
Give me enough functionality to switch to watching TV on computer and we can talk. Just try to extract a few more $$ from my budget and you better come mow my lawn too.
And paint my house!
Well, good thing you’re not demanding too much.
“I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value” — basically this is business speak for I can make more by charging you than by not, so I’m going to charge you but try to convince you that although the service is the same you’re getting more out of it if I charge you for it. Only our wonderful American businesses could come up with such a lame statement.
I really don’t see the big deal with the hulu commercials (other than that they are super annoying for the most part). I mean, a minute and half or less of commercials for a sitcom or something like that. there are commercials all around us all the time. It doesn’t bug me to sit through so little. Sure, I’d prefer no commercials, but…for someone without a DVR it’s really not so bad. Get up and get a drink, a snack, a bathroom break, etc. but paying for hulu is a big no no. i’ll just find somewhere else to watch shows.
I don’t pay for cable, so I am willing to pay to watch it online, but they would need to get rid of the commercials, post shows as soon as they air, and keep them online for longer periods of time.
I love the rationale behind this move – they are essentially saying, we’re providing a great product but no one appreciates it – but they will once they have to pay to get it.
This is complete nonsense. I enjoy having hulu to rely on when I miss my shows, but I don’t see how making me pay for it makes me appreciate it more. This is especially true if they are going to make me pay for it AND include commercials.
Pay for Hulu or watch for free on the Network sites, hum, I’ll take free every time. As Hulu starts to charge for their services not doubt more free sites will pop up offering the same services for free. What value could they possibly add to their service to warrant paying for it? Again, the networks are offering it for free; Netflix is inexpensive for watching those old favorites many that can be viewed instantly, without commercials and excellent video quality.
I keep hearing Alex Baldwin, “Because we’re business men, and that’s how we roll.”
All this is going to do is keep me from being able to watch shows that I can’t Tivo on busy TV nights, like Thursday.
Stupid move, Hulu.
If there are still ads when we have to pay for it, then a LEAST let us fast forward past them. Then it would be on par with my DVR. If they keep ads while asking you to pay for the content and not letting you fast forward; not worth it to me. I wouldn’t be able to keep paying for the site knowing how money grubbing they are.