- Pros
Superb video and audio quality over Wi-Fi and even 3G. Transparent user interface. Can pick up watching a show where you left off on a different device.
- Cons
No free iPhone or iPad version (unlike on the desktop). Expensive subscription pricing given the spotty show selection and mandatory commercials.
- Bottom Line
Hulu Plus is a solid iPhone app with excellent video performance over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks, but its episode catalog is still full of holes, and you still have to watch occasional commercials even with the subscription fee.
Hulu is already a smash hit on the desktop, but up until now the company has actively blocked its service from running on most mobile phones. Thanks to the new Hulu Plus app, iPhone and iPod touch owners can finally get in on the fun. The app hooks into the company's new $10 per month subscription service, which lets you watch many more episodes on your PC than you previously could for free. The iPhone app is an excellent start, although we'd like to see an even better catalog of TV shows and films.
Content, Setup, and User Interface
Hulu Plus gives you current season passes for many of today's top shows, including Grey's Anatomy, Family Guy, and 30 Rock, instead of just letting you watch the most recent five episodes. It also streams the entire back catalog for some (but not all) of those shows, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Law and Order: SVU, and Ally McBeal. In addition to the Hulu Plus iOS app, which is the subject of this review, you can also access Hulu Plus on the desktop and through Samsung Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players. Hulu promises Sony PS3, Sony TV, and Vizio TV support soon; an Xbox 360 version will follow in early 2011.
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For now, the service is only available via invite. You can get one by requesting it from the site directly, or simply chatting about the service on Twitter or Facebook; a representative may see your comment and decide to throw you an invite. The iOS version of Hulu Plus works on the iPhone, iPad, and 3rd generation iPod touch, and requires iOS 3.2 or later. For this review, I tested Hulu Plus 1.0 on a 16GB iPhone 3GS ($99, 
) running iOS 4.
Specifications
- Type
- Personal
The main UI couldn't be simpler. When launched, the app opens to a free gallery that includes selected episodes from some popular shows. Along the bottom of the screen are five icons: Free Gallery, Featured, Popular, Search, and More. The Episodes button on the top right lets you switch to clips, trailers, and full-length movies. Featured and Popular are self-explanatory, and mirror the desktop site. The Search box lacks a type-ahead feature, but it otherwise worked quickly in my tests for finding specific shows.
The More button displays additional options for browsing the entire catalog by TV shows, movies, or recently added episodes. You can manage your queue from here or pick up where you left off from one device to the other. The Movies pane is fairly sparse; there's about 100 flicks in there, and most of them are either old or produced by smaller independent studios. In testing, the UI felt smooth and responsive, and more polished than Netflix's iPad app (Free, 
)—though the good stuff was yet to come.
Video Performance, a Few Quirks, and Conclusions
Hulu Plus streams video over both 3G and Wi-Fi. The PC app can display up to 720p (1280-by-720) high definition resolution, though obviously you won't get that on an iPhone; even the new iPhone 4 has only a 960-by-640 screen. Video quality was spectacular, both over Wi-Fi and over 3G. The Wi-Fi picture was a little sharper and more vibrant. But the 3G picture certainly held its own, with no evidence of pixelation or stuttering; the frame rate remained smooth.
You can fast forward or back by dragging your finger along the slider at the bottom of the screen. The picture works in portrait or landscape mode, though landscape mode is obviously preferred; the UI itself only works in portrait mode. Stereo audio quality also held up, though as with any phone, you'll want to use quality earbuds or headphones for the best effect. Some movies contain dialog that's tough to hear through the iPhone's small speaker, even at maximum volume.
What you don't get with Hulu Plus is access to a lot of popular shows from many of its member channels. HBO and Showtime supply content to Hulu, for instance, but they're holding back on The Sopranos, The Tudors, and True Blood. Hulu also advertises channels that have few shows—or even one, in the case of BBC America, which only shows episodes of The Office and not, say, Doctor Who. Another glitch: don't accidentally bump the power button on the iPhone, like I did. When I did that, the app threw me out of a show completely. I had to navigate back to the video, cue it up again, and watch another 30 second commercial, before it resumed where it left off. I also noticed a few momentary freeze-ups when navigating the UI, though streaming was surprisingly stutter-free.
Hulu has put together an excellent app marred by a spotty content selection and a high price. I'd probably use Netflix's iPad app, or wait for their iPhone version before signing up for Hulu Plus, especially since a Netflix subscription comes with the added bonus of DVD rentals. However, if you were already thinking of paying the $10 per month for Hulu's desktop login, the iPhone version is a sweet, added bonus.
Heck, get both Hulu Plus and Netflix if you have the budget. Aside from live sports and breaking news, you'll probably never miss that expensive cable TV subscription.
