Hulu To Require Pay-TV Cable Subscriptions

[PatrickA]

How dare these companies want money for all the content they are giving me!

This is more like having to show the title for your car before they will let you board a flight.

[silverboy]

So does this mean if I already pay for cable I can watch Hulu and not have to pay extra?

I didn't use it before and probably still won't but just curious.

I'm with the crowd who just wants to pay for the few channels I want. The rest of them can take a flying leap.

They didn't say anything about Hulu+. At the minimum, nothing will change for you. You'll still be able watch the "free" Hulu content. Don't know about Plus.

[silverboy]

I don't even know how this system would work. In order to log into Hulu, you have to dig out your cable bill?

What if you live somewhere where cable is included in your rent, like a dorm room?

It seems either unenforcable, or like it will kill 99% of their business.

[dantheman]

I don't even know how this system would work. In order to log into Hulu, you have to dig out your cable bill?

What if you live somewhere where cable is included in your rent, like a dorm room?

It seems either unenforcable, or like it will kill 99% of their business.

2 things:
1) HBO Go operates with the same restriction. You have to subscribe to HBO to use it. They enforce things by making you use your user name & password from your cable account as the login for HBO Go.

2) As I said in my earlier post, the people who run HULU have no plan, otherwise they would have mentioned it. There is no good reason to make this kind of announcement without saying what the plan is unless you have no plan. They have no plan, other than "please pay us more money".

[dougmac]

2 things:
1) HBO Go operates with the same restriction. You have to subscribe to HBO to use it. They enforce things by making you use your user name & password from your cable account as the login for HBO Go.

2) As I said in my earlier post, the people who run HULU have no plan, otherwise they would have mentioned it. There is no good reason to make this kind of announcement without saying what the plan is unless you have no plan. They have no plan, other than "please pay us more money".

They're not asking for more money though. It is just like the HBO GO example you gave.
Hulu was made by the networks for the networks/studios to protect their shows from being illegally downloaded and to get some revenue for it. They never pretended any differently. I get thinking its a bad move, but I don't get why people are acting like they were betrayed.

[Ryudo]

They didn't say anything about Hulu+. At the minimum, nothing will change for you. You'll still be able watch the "free" Hulu content. Don't know about Plus.

And this is why the move doesn't make sense - if you have to pay to use Hulu, then why would you need to pay more to use Hulu+?

Especially when several providers are putting up their own VOD content the day after air in most situations (at least with DirecTV).

[batmanbooyah]

And this is why the move doesn't make sense - if you have to pay to use Hulu, then why would you need to pay more to use Hulu+?

Especially when several providers are putting up their own VOD content the day after air in most situations (at least with DirecTV).

*future FAQ*
Q: why do I have to pay for Hulu plus if I already have a cable subscription?
A: providing content to you costs money, our licensing agreements aren't cheap, and we want to be able to provide that episode of new girl the day after it goes live!

Q: I have a cable subscription and I also pay for Hulu plus, why are there so many commercials?
A: because fuck you, that's why!

[dougmac]

And this is why the move doesn't make sense - if you have to pay to use Hulu, then why would you need to pay more to use Hulu+?

Especially when several providers are putting up their own VOD content the day after air in most situations (at least with DirecTV).

You're not paying to use it, its being treated as an ancillary feature of a product you already purchase like it was always intended to be.