Is Hulu Plus Worth $8?

Every now and again a product comes along that promises to deliver something that is already free -- only in a much prettier package. Each time I get frustrated with myself that I didn’t beat them to the punch. I could be rich had I thought of the banana slicer. At times it seems that tricking Americans into paying a third party for something they can already get for free is all too easy. But is Hulu guilty?

TV SHOWS

On the surface, Hulu appears to be offering a much needed service -- they deliver an affordable alternative to DVR by offering you unlimited access to streaming TV shows the day after they air. This is their primary sell. “No other streaming content service” does what they do. Sometimes, they even have full current seasons available. Sounds awesome huh? It is. But most (or all) of the TV shows they offer are available on their network websites too… the day after they air. While no other streaming content service provider does what they do, the networks do – a convenient word trick to make you think Hulu has the exclusive offering of said entertainment. Ultimately, Hulu Plus does nothing more than consolidate tons of TV shows for you into a nice interface so you don’t have to go to the network websites to watch them. I go to the network sites and save $8 a month.

MOVIES

Hulu Plus also claims to give you access to thousands of critically acclaimed movies. They do. The problem is that most normal people don’t like critically acclaimed movies because the critics acclaim the strangest ones. After searching through their top 250 movies, I can say with complete honesty that there is not a single one I’d have the slightest interest in watching. And even if I was interested in the movies, I could watch most of them for free with a basic Hulu membership (which costs nothing). It is difficult to say where the “plus” movies begin and the standard membership movies end, but unless you like watching movies with weird plotlines that you’ve never heard of, it doesn’t really matter.

Like bottled water, Hulu Plus has its redeeming features. You can watch Hulu plus on just about every device known to man. This is a swell feature. The website also functions well and is very easy to navigate. The color green is the most restful color to the human eye and makes you feel safe emotionally – so you should feel nice and at home while searching for something to watch. And who knows, perhaps you appreciate the cleverness of smart entrepreneurs who seduced you into paying them money to sell you something you already had for free?