Hulu quietly launches live streaming TV service into beta, starts at $40 per month

[Shawn Knight]

Hulu on Wednesday quietly launched its Internet-based live television service. Hulu with Live TV, available for download from a variety of app stores across multiple platforms, will set you back $39.95 per month.

The beta-for-now service includes access to more than 50 top channels spanning several genres including A&E, History, HGTV, Syfy, TBS, truTV and USA. Sports fans will appreciate the ESPN and Fox Sports family of networks while channels like Disney, Disney Junior, Disney XD and the Cartoon Network will certainly appeal to the kiddos.

Hulu’s offering also dishes up local staples like ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox although availability is region-specific so you’ll need to check your ZIP code to see exactly what is offered in your area.

The traditional Hulu video subscription service is also bundled in as part of the new package.

Hulu additionally offers an optional cloud DVR service that can be purchased monthly as a $15 add-on. For the extra dough, you get 200 hours of storage with no limits on the number of shows you can record simultaneously and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.

As is sometimes the case with streaming TV services like this (and there are plenty available these days), there are some significant gaps in content. Without licensing deals from AMC, Discovery and Viacom, for example, you won’t be able to watch some current hit shows like The Walking Dead or Better Call Saul and will miss out on networks like Spike, Comedy Central, MTV and VH1.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/69176-hulu-quietly-launches-live-streaming-tv-service-beta.html

 

[Stingy McDuck]

For people who live outside of the US this is a gamble, because the chances of getting a "Sorry, this content isn't available in your region" are big.

 

[Bryan1223]

$40 for live TV streaming? Seriously? That's ridiculous! If I wanted to (and had the money and an account for it) I could wait till it goes on Netflix where there I would only need to pay less than $10/month

 

[Scshadow]

Yeah... Hulu is ready to go out of business now. They just don't want to be successful. They don't have CW content and thats over half of my shows. When they lost CW content, I was done. I was fine paying a small subscription fee but not without any good content to watch. Now an internet streaming service for $40? Delusional.

 

[Bryan1223]

Yeah... Hulu is ready to go out of business now. They just don't want to be successful. They don't have CW content and thats over half of my shows. When they lost CW content, I was done. I was fine paying a small subscription fee but not without any good content to watch. Now an internet streaming service for $40? Delusional.

@Scshadow What's "CW"?

 

[Scshadow]

Yeah... Hulu is ready to go out of business now. They just don't want to be successful. They don't have CW content and thats over half of my shows. When they lost CW content, I was done. I was fine paying a small subscription fee but not without any good content to watch. Now an internet streaming service for $40? Delusional.

@Scshadow What's "CW"?

You're kidding right? Flash... Arrow... Supernatural... these are CW shows. They're quite popular. You saying you never heard of the CW network?

 

[Bryan1223]

You're kidding right? Flash... Arrow... Supernatural... these are CW shows. They're quite popular. You saying you never heard of the CW network?

Oh nevermind I know what the CW network, I just don't watch it. (I had to look it up to remind myself and once I saw the logo that I'm familiar with I immediately realized what you meant sorry) @Scshadow

 

[EClyde]

Ya know....it doesn't matter who or what delivers "it" "It" is the same old ****

 

[wiyosaya]

Ya know....it doesn't matter who or what delivers "it" "It" is the same old ****

Not quite a paraphrase of Pink Floyd, but I understand where you are coming from. There are many ways to spend your time, and watching TV is not at the top of the list for everyone.

However, it would seem networks have once again realized that scripted series are what viewers want instead of fakeality series, and the series mentioned by Scshadow are, IMHO, among the best on TV at the moment.

I view those series OTA and time-shift them. I do subscribe to Hulu getting their commercial laden service free by using points I acquire by searching on Bing - and no, I don't work for M$.

$40 for live TV streaming? Seriously? That's ridiculous! If I wanted to (and had the money and an account for it) I could wait till it goes on Netflix where there I would only need to pay less than $10/month

That is exactly what I do.

These streaming services are CABLE by any other name, and, IMO, not worth it.

Yeah... Hulu is ready to go out of business now. They just don't want to be successful. They don't have CW content and thats over half of my shows. When they lost CW content, I was done. I was fine paying a small subscription fee but not without any good content to watch. Now an internet streaming service for $40? Delusional.

Try this - http://www.cwtv.com/

 

[Bryan1223]

Ya know....it doesn't matter who or what delivers "it" "It" is the same old ****

????????? @EClyde

 

[bobc4012]

$40 for live TV streaming? Seriously? That's ridiculous! If I wanted to (and had the money and an account for it) I could wait till it goes on Netflix where there I would only need to pay less than $10/month

Only problem, Netflix may not carry certain TV shows and some that I watch have been 2 years behind original broadcast. My daughter has a Netflix subscription and set up a logon for me, but I have only used it a half-dozen times and was disappointed to find what I liked was not there or their latest was a couple seasons earlier. I had a Hulu gift card and did catch a couple of network shows I missed a day later, but Hulu also has its shortcomings. I did not renew Hulu either. BTW, I watch CW more than any other channel and my wife loves to watch the Hallmark movies and "The Good Witch". I think Sling offers the Hallmark Channel for $5/Mo. extra, but it does not offer the channels I watch most. Streaming TV has a long way to go. What would interest me is to be able to select ala carte - maybe any 10, 15, 20 channels of your choice for a reasonable price, depending on how many in a package.