(10 votes, average: 4.70 out of 5)
Loading ...Note worthy News on Hulu, YouTube and Netflix
By now you may have already heard some of the exciting news for the HTPC space over the last few weeks. However, in case you had not, let’s spend a little time talking about it here.
Last week Hulu announced a desktop application that allows you to use a standard Media Center type remote to navigate and view content on Hulu’s website. Now, instead of the traditional mouse and keyboard interface in a two-foot environment to navigate the Hulu website (think watching Hulu at your desk on a computer monitor), you can now launch this desktop application while using your Windows® Media Center Edition remote in a 10-foot environment (think watching Hulu from your couch on your big HD screen). Adding this so called “Lean Back” interface technology is a big step for Hulu in making it easier for consumers to access and watch content in a much more user friendly environment. This experience can even be integrated into Windows Media Center Edition by using something like the MCE Menu Mender application so you can launch the Hulu application from inside Media Center Edition instead of the desktop.
Earlier this week, YouTube announced YouTubeXL. This is another 10 foot UI for YouTube content. While Hulu chose to release an application enabling the 10 foot experience, YouTube chose to launch a website that provides the 10 foot navigation. In either case, this is great news for consumers that want to enjoy content from their couch instead of sitting and staring at a desktop or laptop computer screen.
But it does not end with Hulu and YouTube. A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft announced that they have teamed up with Netflix to support integration of Netflix functionality into the Windows Vista® Media Center application. While you could always do this via a 3rd Plug In application, what makes this interesting is that Microsoft recognizes the need for easy access to more content and is taking steps to make that happen. Now, Microsoft has not yet (at the time of this posting) integrated Netflix functionality into the upcoming Windows® 7 platform. I can’t speak for Microsoft here, but I would expect them to offer this in Windows 7 as well given that they just launched it in Windows Vista.
These are exciting times. The role of PC technology in the home is constantly changing for the better. As content owners and distributors integrate more 10-foot user interface (aka Lean Back) technology into their distribution model and as Microsoft further integrates those things into their Media Center application, the usage model and viability of the HTPC type platform increases. The industry is rapidly changing, bringing more content to the consumer in ever easier ways to navigate and enjoy that content.
So, tell us what you think about these industry changes. Are you taking advantage of all the content out there? Are you finding it easier to access this content? What do these changes mean to you? Du Yu Hulu?
Till next time, Happy Trails!
Jay Taylor is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
#1 by Cliff Forster - June 4th, 2009 at 13:20
Its exciting to see content demand that is so rich, and so unrestricted. Hulu especially, its a real game changer.
Why schedule, why record, when you can watch and listen to what you want when you want? With companies like Hulu, Microsoft and AMD all recognizing the value of content on demand, its fun to see where this is going. Its only going to get easier to get the content you want, wherever and whenever you are, that’s something everyone can get behind.
#2 by wpeltola - June 4th, 2009 at 13:54
I’ve been using Hulu.com on my modest HTPC now for a little while and love all of the content that you can find there.
First thing I’m going to do when I get home is check out Hulu Desktop and see how it all works. I’m looking forward to seeing how MS integrates Netflix into Media Center..that will easily be worth the fee they charge in the end.
I’m sooooo close now to finally cutting the cord! I just need to teach my wife to use the HTPC more!
- Bill
#3 by Jay Taylor - June 4th, 2009 at 14:05
@wpeltola, Hey Bill, I think the Hulu DT app works pretty well.
I have tried it on my Win 7 box at home and so far so good. I have not yet integrated it into MCE, may play with that over the weekend.
I think Cliff has hit it pretty well, I think things will only get better as we go forward. 2 of the biggest streaming content providers in the world are driving a 10′ interface for their content…that sends a message to other content aggregators and content owners. I am hoping we see many more sites follow suit and bring 10′ UIs to the world.
#4 by Mark - June 5th, 2009 at 01:52
Uhm, the third party plugin for VMC works better than MS’s implementation, and integrates better with VMC visually.
To boot, MS is not supporting extenders, while VMCPlayIt and vmcNetflix do. Without extender support, the MS offering is basically useless for many.
So, with all due respect, MS is recognizing nothing much, but lagging sorely behind.
#5 by Jay Taylor - June 5th, 2009 at 09:41
@Mark, While I resepect your opinion, I would caution against comparing a product implementation with a product strategy.
Microsoft’s efforts to integrate more content like Netflix directly into their application is a step in the right direction. Regardless of whether their implementation is the best or not, it does show they understand that people want access to more content directly from Media Center.
I think the changes to the EPG that they have made in Win 7 also reflect this. The reported news on Dish Network support for Win 7 further demonstrate this.
As for the extender strategy, I am holding off judgement until more info is available. I am curious to see how something like Window’s Home Server might play with an HTPC. This could be a more effective strategy.
#6 by Jay Taylor - June 5th, 2009 at 20:20
Hello All,
I thought I would add a little more info to this post regarding another 10′ interface application called Zinc from ZeeVee.
Similar to Hulu desktop, this is another application you can download and install that provides a 10′ interface to online content from providers like ABC, Fox, Revision 3, etc.
Like Hulu Desktop, you can add this application to Windows Media Center using the MC Menu Mender application.
You can find Zinc at http://www.zeevee.com.
#7 by wpeltola - June 7th, 2009 at 21:38
@Jay Taylor, Very cool, Jay! They have a nice looking website and some documentation. I’ll download it and give it a try. I’m always up for trying out new things.
- Bill
#8 by Jay Taylor - June 7th, 2009 at 22:32
@wpeltola, Seems to work OK. Still doing some playing around with it. Some of the content links over to the content owners (Fox for example) where the interface is not really 10′ at that point. But still, at least they do give you more content sources.
It’s a start.
#9 by Alex - June 9th, 2009 at 18:20
Hulu is useless as long as it’s only available to users in the United States. And as a user outside the United States, I feel they should concentrate on getting their licensing in order to be a viable website on the WORLD WIDE Web rather ran making toys.
#10 by Jay Taylor - June 10th, 2009 at 10:52
@Alex, Hello Alex,
While I certainly understand your point, it is really up to the content owners to decide when/how they are going to make their content available in other regions. As I do not work for Hulu, I cannot suggest what their global plans might be. However, Hulu may want to be the distributor for the content, but if the owners have decided to limit Hulu to a specific region, then it would not matter what Hulu wanted to do, if they can’t get the content, they can’t get the content.
The point of this particular blog was to show how the industry is understanding that we want/need 10′ access to content. With MS, Netflix, Hulu, ZeeVee all offering 10′ access to content, we are headed in the right direction.
#11 by Alex - August 3rd, 2009 at 17:41
@Jay Taylor,
Fair enough. I guess my point is that Hulu has created a lot of bad blood with international users over the geo-blocking. The semantics over who owns content is irrelevant. We’re consumers. A service has been launched. We don’t care about the ins and outs of licensing. They’re making their problem our problem. The site should not have been launched without this issue resolved. For my part, the tech you described is cool and everything, but I’m so ticked off with Hulu that if they came out with a virtual Angelina Jolie attachment I probably wouldn’t give them the time of day if they ever resolve their licensing. Looking around the net, I’m clearly not alone. Hulu was intended to defeat torrents and services like YouTube at their own game, but it has to be declared a failure. And until it gets its international house in order, some of the new tech you describe is going to be of regional interest, at most.
#12 by Jay Taylor - August 4th, 2009 at 12:50
@Alex,
Hello Alex,
Again, I do understand your concerns. I just not sure that it is really Hulu you should be upset with given this is something that is outside their control. I don’t know their business model but I am not sure Hulu ever intended for this to be an international content delivery tool. Their popularity has grown and many people worldwide want access to their content even though they are a regional hub for local distribution.
The challenge here is that we live in globally connected world and it is hard to regionalize an online based service when the web goes everywhere.
This is even more difficult when it comes to entertainment content that is owned by the studios and the studios have right to say who gets what, where and when. That is why they lic. content the way they do.
Given time and the things the industry is working on, I am hopeful that we will see more and more solutions becoming available to all geographic regions.
It is my understanding that Europe has quite an extensive amount of online content available through Satellite services as well as terrestrial broadcasters.
Things are improving and will only get even better as time moves forward.
#13 by mark - June 18th, 2009 at 18:08
personally i don’t understand subscription services, they will all fail in europe (as the renting market for video’s did).
renting in europe has almost completely collapsed, since the advent of dvd’s (and piracy of dvd’s here is actually lower than america, which i attribute to dvd rental and high dvd prices)
i saw tv serie prices in the US and i was stunned, because the prices here are almost over 50% lower (probably due to higher sales?)
#14 by contract management - September 22nd, 2009 at 00:13
I want to check out the hulu after reading the post but one of the member posted that it is available only in U.S. Is it true?? I am not living in U.S. So can I use it?? How can I get it??