Hulu

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For the fruit also known as hulu, see calabash.
Hulu, LLC
Type Joint Venture
Founded August 29, 2007
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Key people Jason Kilar, CEO
Owner NBC Universal and News Corp
Slogan Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.
Website hulu.com
Type of site video on demand
Registration Optional
Launched March 12, 2008
Current status active

Hulu is a website that offers free, high-quality streaming video of TV shows and movies, primarily from NBC and FOX and their cable networks. Hulu has online social networking features, allowing users to clip videos, or parts of videos, from the site for posting in outside online communities. (Hulu has called this aspect video sharing, though users cannot upload content.)[1][2] Hulu videos are currently offered only to users in the United States.[3]

Hulu provides video in Flash Video format in a higher resolution and bit-rate than YouTube and other streaming video on the web, but lower than standard-definition television[4], though some films are available in 480P. For users, the service is free and ad-supported, with optional registration. Video downloading for offline viewing is not supported. Hulu also provides web syndication services for companies.

Contents

[edit] Content

[edit] Providers

Hulu distributes video both on its own web site and syndicated to other sites.[5] In addition to NBC and FOX programs, Hulu carries shows from Comedy Central, the USA Network, Bravo, Sci Fi, Fuel TV, FX, Style, Sundance, G4, and Oxygen channels.

[edit] Television shows

Hulu offers full episodes and segments from over 400 different TV shows, some no longer on the air, some in syndication, and many currently shown only in the United States. Hulu allows users to share or edit these clips. Shows that get the most traffic on the site include Battlestar Galactica, The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Family Guy, The Office, Saturday Night Live, and American Dad!.

In June 2008, Hulu added two Comedy Central shows: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

[edit] Movies

Hulu offers over 100 motion pictures that range from classic to modern films. Viewers have criticized Hulu for censoring some content from films.[6][7] Hulu also offers trailers for new and upcoming movies.

[edit] Technology

Hulu requires Adobe Flash 9 and is built on Ruby on Rails.[8]

[edit] History

The Hulu venture was announced in March 2007, with AOL, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo! planned as "initial distribution partners".[9][10] NBC Universal's Chief Digital Officer George Kliavkoff was named the interim CEO of the joint venture. In June 2007, Jason Kilar, formerly of Amazon.com, was named CEO.[11] The name Hulu was chosen in late August, when the website went live, with an announcement only and no content. It invited users to leave their email addresses for the upcoming beta test.[12] In October Hulu began the private beta testing by invitation, and allowed users to invite friends.[13] Hulu launched for public access in the United States on March 12, 2008.[1]

Hulu is a joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp, with funding by Providence Equity Partners, which made a USD$100 million equity investment and holds a 10% stake.[14]

The name Hulu comes from a Mandarin Chinese proverb, in which it means holder of precious things.[4] Literally, it refers (in Chinese) to the calabash gourd.[15]

[edit] See also


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hulu (2007-03-12). "Hulu.com Opens to Public". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  2. ^ Video Sharing. Product Tour. Hulu. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  3. ^ Hulu.com Account signup page. Hulu. Retrieved on 2008-04-03.
  4. ^ a b Tim Stack. "Hulu: Five Burning Questions", Entertainment Weekly, 2008-03-28. Retrieved on 2008-03-27. 
  5. ^ Rebecca Dana and Emily Steel. "Can Hulu Find Its Mojo With Viewers?", The Wall Street Journal, 2008-03-11. Retrieved on 2008-03-19. 
  6. ^ Hulu Censoring Videos
  7. ^ 'Hulu' May Be the Last Sound Joost Ever Hears
  8. ^ Hulu Discusses Private Beta, Suggests Public Launch Time Frame
  9. ^ Hulu (2007-03-22). "NBC Universal and News Corp. Accounce New Online Video Venture". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  10. ^ Nat Worden. "Google's Still on Top", TheStreet.com, 2007-03-22. Retrieved on 2007-08-29. 
  11. ^ Hulu (2007-06-28). "Jason Kilar Named Chief Executive Officer". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  12. ^ Nat Worden. "Google's New Foe: Hulu", TheStreet.com, 2007-08-29. Retrieved on 2007-08-29. 
  13. ^ Hulu (2007-10-29). "Hulu Debuts Via Private Beta". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  14. ^ Shirley Brady. "NBC and Fox Jump Through Hulu Hoop", Cable360.net, 2007-08-29. Retrieved on 2007-08-29. 
  15. ^ M.M.P.N.D. - Sorting Lagenaria names.

[edit] External links