Hulu to start charging for subscription based service in 2010

[freebird73717]

See story here
http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2009/10/hulu-to-charge-viewers-money-i.php

If hulu starts charging then I'll just watch the shows directly from the networks sites.

[stewiegriffin711]

Really won't bother most Canadians as we generally can't get Hulu in a "normal" fashion any way. Say goodbye and good riddance to them in 2 years or less!

[jagabo]

Just go back to bittorrent and newsgroups.

[stewiegriffin711]

I really like their business model - Charging for product that is freely available. :P Jagabo, you are right on the money!

[freebird73717]

Yeah I know this will only affect Americans as Hulu limits watching to America only.

Just go back to bittorrent and newsgroups.

Thats just it. If they start charging for this then people will do just that. Find alternative methods of watching their shows that might not be legal.

I'll just watch the shows directly from the networks sites. The only thing I use hulu for is the few cable shows that I don't get (I only get OTA) and those I could just as easily watch directly on the networks sites. Hulu is just a little more convenient. Worth paying for though. No.

Honestly if more revenue was needed they could just increase the commercial frequency to be like regular tv. Then they would be getting more advertising revenue. If they do start charging for this I don't see them lasting long.

[jman98]

More delusional Hollywood thinking. Newspapers in the USA are basically facing the same problem. People want to read their online content, but nobody wants to pay to do so. The only thing that is going to work is having advertising supported websites. Charging is never going to work. There are too many free alternatives. One of my co-workers was telling me yesterday about a website he found (I forgot the name of it) that has a rather large collection of US TV shows and it streams them. We think it is hosted in a country not very fond of US copyright. When Hulu starts charging, it will just drive people to sites like this.

[V Bot]

Yeah, let them charge and see their viewers leave for bigger and better. Just like internet providers wanting to charge by the download. GREED, PURE GREED.

[MOVIEGEEK]

This is a stupid idea, I'll just use my DVR more often.

[budz]

It'll be shut down in less than a year!

[freebird73717]

I'd bet sooner than that!

[jntaylor63]

Rupert Murdoch does NOT want you getting things for "free". That is NOT American. I guess someone forgot to tell him that he MAKES MONEY with PAID ADDS.

He is a newspaper man at heart and is seeing that part of his empire die. And like that industry, they can not, will not or have any idea how to change with the times.

Not to start a flame war, but I'm glad to see the spokesman of the Republican Party Media take a finical hit. Hopefully, someone who understand the modern way of media content delivery will take up where hulu dies off.

So long Hulu, we hardly knew ye.

[freebird73717]

I would be perfectly fine with more adds during hulu programming. I was honestly surprised when I first started watching and saw that commercial breaks only had one commercial. If they need revenue then they could just double the adds. Two or three commercials during each break instead of one. They will get more revenue that way and I don't think anyone will really mind the extra commercials that much for free content. No different than watching it on tv. Fine with me.

For paid content I'll stick with netflix watch now ( which I do subscribe at $8.95 a month ).