In it's continuing quest to become the be-all end-all of the living room, Microsoft is hoping to add TV and movie streaming service Hulu to the Xbox 360. A functional app for the purpose exists, but rights issues concerning Hulu's content are currently holding the feature back.
Still, Microsoft hopes to be able to announce Hulu functionality for the Xbox 360 at E3. A separate subscription fee to enable the service will be required. Hulu is currently free when accessed from a PC.
The amount of content available from Hulu is both impressive and compelling. According to their website, Hulu features "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." It's easy to understand why Microsoft would like to feature Hulu on the Xbox 360.
Hulu made news in the videogame world just about a year ago, when they abruptly stopped allowing their content to be streamed to Sony's PlayStation 3.
Though a full explanation was never given, a Hulu customer service rep did note that, "Everything we do is with an eye toward achieving our long-term goal of maximizing the content you can access as conveniently as possible in a way that 'works' for the content owner." The statement suggests that an issue with one or more of the content providers may have been responsible for denying service to PS3s. Those same issues appear to be impacting Hulu's potential appearance on Xbox 360.
Ranters, is Hulu a service you would want on Xbox 360? Are you willing to pay for a service on your console that is free on your PC?