While gaming is the most important thing your console can do, console manufacturers are eagerly trying to get their systems to become the centerpiece of your entertainment system. This is obvious from the inclusion of Last.fm and Netflix streaming on the Xbox 360, as well as Blu-Ray and Netflix streaming on the PS3. The next big thing console makers are trying to include is the popular internet video site Hulu.

Hulu is currently the second most popular video website on the internet, behind YouTube. The Xbox 360 has recently been working on a deal to bring Hulu to the dashboard, and now Bloomberg Buisnessweek is reporting that Hulu and Sony are very close to making a deal to bring Hulu to the PS3's XrossMediaBar.

Currently when viewing Hulu online there is no charge to watch "“a large selection of videos from over 200 leading content companies, including FOX, NBC Universal, ABC, ABC Family, Biography, Lionsgate, Endemol, MGM, MTV Networks, National Geographic, Digital Rights Group, Paramount, PBS, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more.” However you will have to sit through a small amount of commercials, which isn't a bad deal as long as the show you want to watch is available.

Hulu is currently in talks with CBS, Viacom and Time Warner to expand their lineup of shows. At the same time they are working with their current partners to bring added depth to the current show list. There are currently many shows that only show the five most recent episodes of a particular season.

There has been word that Hulu's free videos will be soon be upping the amount of commercials per show, while their new premium plan, expected to be around $9.95 per month, would either continue with the current small amount of commercials or eliminate them completely.

Prior to Sony's PlayStation Plus service being debuted at E3 there was thought that Hulu might be part of that package, but as we've saw that was not the case.

If you watch a lot of Hulu this could be an interesting deal. Though, at $10 a month, on top of you're cable bill and possibly Netflix, that extra $10 can seem a little excessive for something you can get for free on the web.

Personally, I would much rather see the PS3 gain an RSS Reader, like the one the currently have on the PSP. I find myself moving further away from standard TV shows toward online programs from such providers as Revision3, TWiT, and CNET among others.

From Bloomberg's report, an announcement could be coming from Hulu and Sony as soon as next week. Are you excited for this? Or does the $10 per month turn you off from the idea? Let use hear it in the comments.

Source: Bloomberg Buisnessweek