YouTube may finally have a real competitor.
Video-streaming newcomer Hulu, a joint effort between NBC Universal and Fox, opened to the public last week after a four-month trial period. It provides full-length TV episodes and movies to be viewed for free online.
Content providers have granted Hulu permission to post the shows, so videos aren’t flagged or taken down because of copyright infringement, which often happens on YouTube. However, the site does not allow users to upload their own videos.
When it comes to video quality, Hulu gives YouTube a run for its money. The high-resolution videos load instantly. Navigating the site is easy, with quick links to embed and email videos, turn off background lighting and or the video full screen. The only inconvenience is a short advertisement at the start of each clip.
With content providers such as Bravo, E! Entertainment, FX, MGM, Oxygen, and Universal Pictures, available programs include 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, and House. Full episodes of shows that have gone off the air are also on Hulu, including Arrested Development, Miami Vice and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
After its first week, Family Guy, The Simpsons, and The Office are the most viewed full-length television episodes on Hulu, while Saturday Night Live clips have also been popular.
The biggest draw to Hulu may be the full-length movies that can be streamed. More than 100 movies are currently available, and Hulu is adding more content periodically. Some of the most popular movies viewed so far have been Ice Age, The Girl Next Door, The Jerk, Dude, Where’s My Car?, and Sideways.
Hulu is run by CEO Jason Kilar, a former Amazon.com VP. Other execs include Jean-Paul Colaco, a former VP at the Walt Disney Company, and Chadwick Ho, former VP and deputy general counsel of MySpace.
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