Ever since streaming services have hit the entertainment world, cord-cutting is on a rise. The number of cord-cutters is escalating and is expected to escalate even more. Netflix and Amazon Video were the pioneers in the streaming industry. Hulu was first launched in 2007. And today it has more than 25 million subscribers across the world. And the number is on a constant rise!
The original programming of Hulu like The Handmaid’s Tale and others has made this service quite popular. People want to watch more of its on-demand section and original content. The company has recently ventured into the live TV option, giving a complete and comprehensive alternative to satellite and cable services. With the ever-escalating prices of cable TV services, streaming services with live TV are great alternatives. When I compared Spectrum TV Choice with Hulu + Live TV, it was evident that the latter was a more comprehensive and economical option.
What Exactly is Hulu + Live TV?
To begin with, we totally feel that they could be a little more creative with the name. Not only it is not a catchy name, but it is also a little confusing too. So, let us simply it for you. Hulu stands for the regular Hulu content and the Live TV streaming option is added. Adding live TV to its already rich on-demand library makes it stand out from the crowd of streaming services.
PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, and other such services offer more of a cable-like experience while being online services. But modern users have begun to expect the qualities of both, live TV and streaming services. This is why Hulu + Live TV is becoming an appealing choice. It is aiming to strike the right balance between traditional cable and on-demand streaming.
The Range of Features
Check out the features of Hulu + Live TV:
- Like many other TV streaming services, it comes with a cloud DVR.
- The DVR has around 50 hours of storage and unlimited capacity for recordings, unlike many other services.
- One downside is that you will have to pay for added features.
- Another issue is that you can’t fast-forward the commercials in the recordings. If you want to do so, you will have to pay an additional $15 a month. But that adds your cloud DVR storage to a total of 200 hours.
- With the basic offering, you can only have two screens to view.
- You can have unlimited screens for an additional $15 a month. If you are a big family of entertainment lovers, pooling in for $15 is not a big deal.
- Opting for both, unlimited screens and enhanced cloud DVR, you will get a nice discount of $10.
Supported Devices
Hulu + Live TV is supported on the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV.
- Google Chromecast.
- Select Roku models.
- Apple TV (Fourth-generation and above).
- Xbox 360.
- Xbox One.
- Android TV.
- Nintendo Switch.
- Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, and others.
On the Web
On the web, it is supported on:
- Firefox.
- Chrome.
- Safari.
- iOS and Android devices.
- Microsoft Edge.
Pricing and Channels Options
Want to keep things simple? This is the service for you! Currently, it only has one base package. The extra option that you can avail by paying a few additional bucks is for commercial-free viewing of the on-demand content. Other than that, there are a few add-on channels, which are optional, an enhanced cloud DVR, and the option of unlimited screens.
You will get the local channels based on your location and they can vary. The base package is $45 a month and you can pay $51 for the no-commercial viewing of on-demand content.
Channel Add-Ons
You can add the following premium channels for live viewing for a nominal price. Check out:
- Cinemax for $10 a month.
- HBO for $15 a month.
- Starz for $9 a month.
- ShowTime for $11 a month.
Viewing Experience
The initial interface that Hulu + Live TV introduced turned out to be a little frustrating for some of the users. Therefore, they updated to an improved format of navigation for the convenience of the users.
The Live Guide is a dedicated view for the subscribers of Hulu + Live TV. It resembles the on-screen guides of traditional cable TV services. This has turned out to be a useful upgrade and users have reported enjoying a much better interface.
Requirements
Apart from the monthly subscription charges and a supported gadget, the only other requirement is having an internet connection with a stable speed to support live streaming. Taking an Internet speed test would be a good idea. You can then figure out whether your current internet package and speed are suitable for smooth Hulu sessions. Or if you need an upgrade.
Happy viewing!
Ever since streaming services have hit the entertainment world, cord-cutting is on a rise. The number of cord-cutters are escalating and are expected to escalate even more. Netflix and Amazon Video were the pioneers in the streaming industry. Hulu was first launched in 2007. And today it has more than 25 million subscribers across the world. And the number is on a constant rise!
The original programming of Hulu like The Handmaid’s Tale and others has made this service quite popular. People want to watch more of its on-demand section and original content. The company has recently ventured into the live TV option, giving a complete and comprehensive alternative to satellite and cable services. With the ever-escalating prices of cable TV services, streaming services with the live TV are great alternatives. When I compared Spectrum TV packages with Hulu + Live TV, it was evident that the latter was a more comprehensive and economical option.
What Exactly is Hulu + Live TV?
To begin with, we totally feel that they could be a little more creative with the name. Not only it is not a catchy name, but it is also a little confusing too. So, let us simply it for you. Hulu stands for the regular Hulu content and the Live TV streaming option is added. Adding live TV to its already rich on-demand library makes it stand out from the crowd of streaming services.
PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, and other such services offer more of a cable-like experience while being online services. But modern users have begun to expect the qualities of both, live TV and streaming services. This is why Hulu + Live TV is becoming an appealing choice. It is aiming to strike the right balance between traditional cable and on-demand streaming.
The Range of Features
Check out the features of Hulu + Live TV:
- Like many other TV streaming services, it comes with a cloud DVR.
- The DVR has around 50 hours of storage and unlimited capacity for recordings, unlike many other services.
- One downside is that you will have to pay for added features.
- Another issue is that you can’t fast-forward the commercials in the recordings. If you want to do so, you will have to pay an additional $15 a month. But that adds your cloud DVR storage to a total of 200 hours.
- With the basic offering, you can only have two screens to view.
- You can have unlimited screens for an additional $15 a month. If you are a big family of entertainment lovers, pooling in for $15 is not a big deal.
- Opting for both, unlimited screens and enhanced cloud DVR, you will get a nice discount of $10.
Supported Devices
Hulu + Live TV is supported on the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV.
- Google Chromecast.
- Select Roku models.
- Apple TV (Fourth-generation and above).
- Xbox 360.
- Xbox One.
- Android TV.
- Nintendo Switch.
- Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, and others.
On the Web
On the web, it is supported on:
- Firefox.
- Chrome.
- Safari.
- iOS and Android devices.
- Microsoft Edge.
Pricing and Channels Options
Want to keep things simple? This is the service for you! Currently, it only has one base package. The extra option that you can avail by paying a few additional bucks is for commercial-free viewing of the on-demand content. Other than that, there are a few add-on channels, which are optional, an enhanced cloud DVR, and the option of unlimited screens.
You will get the local channels based on your location and they can vary. The base package is $45 a month and you can pay $51 for the no-commercial viewing of on-demand content.
Channel Add-Ons
You can add the following premium channels for live viewing for a nominal price. Check out:
- Cinemax for $10 a month.
- HBO for $15 a month.
- Starz for $9 a month.
- ShowTime for $11 a month.
Viewing Experience
The initial interface that Hulu + Live TV introduced turned out to be a little frustrating for some of the users. Therefore, they updated to an improved format of navigation for the convenience of the users.
The Live Guide is a dedicated view for the subscribers of Hulu + Live TV. It resembles the on-screen guides of traditional cable TV services. This has turned out to be a useful upgrade and users have reported enjoying a much better interface.
Requirements
Apart from the monthly subscription charges and a supported gadget, the only other requirement is having an internet connection with a stable speed to support live streaming. Taking an Internet speed test would be a good idea. You can then figure out whether your current internet package and speed are suitable for smooth Hulu sessions. Or if you need an upgrade.
Happy viewing!
