What Sets Hulu Apart?
In addition to Hulu, I also subscribe to Netflix and Amazon Prime. Aside from my VPN subscription, these are the only non-essential media-related subscription services I pay for.
And I truly believe that Hulu offers a lot that neither Netflix nor Amazon Prime offers. It fills in the gaps, so to speak.
Hulu is jointly-owned by The Walt Disney Company (via 21st Century Fox) and Comcast (via NBCUniversal), with Comcast agreeing to sell its stake around 2024. AT&T (via WarnerMedia) used to be in the mix, but sold its stake to Disney in 2019.
These are media publishing giants, which grants Hulu access to all kinds of licensed TV shows and movies that other streaming platforms can’t afford or don’t want to pay for (even Netflix can’t afford to pay licensing fees in the long-term).
Only Hulu offers up-to-date full backlogs of geeky TV shows like:
Related:The best geeky TV shows to watch on Hulu
Hulu also has an extensive library of geeky movies you can’t stream elsewhere, including titles like:
Plus numerous other geeky movies youcanstream elsewhere, but why bother if you’re already playing for Hulu?
Hulu also has a bunch of original TV shows, but I’m not going to bother with them. I’ve tried watching a bunch of them and they all kind of suck—even the “good” ones.
The only ones that kept my interest wereThe Handmaid’s TaleandThe Looming Tower, but even they had significant flaws.
But if you personally find Hulu’s shows enjoyable—notable ones includeThe Man in the High Castleand theBlack Mirror-lookalikeElectric Dreams—you’d be getting even more bang for your buck.
Hulu also has a Live TV plan, but it’s a little expensive. While I’ve been eyeing this for several months, I haven’t been able to pull the trigger because I just don’t have the time to lounge around watching live TV anymore.
However, the fact that Hulu has a live TV option is definitely a unique point that sets it apart from most other streaming platforms. Over 60 channels are in the package, such as:
And it comes with a built-in recording feature (akin to DVR) that stores up to 50 hours of footage, so you can record a live sports game and watch it later at your convenience.
Again, I haven’t tried Hulu Live TV myself so I’m not recommendingthispart of the platform. But if you want to cut out cable and can’t give up sports or live news, it’s an enticing option.
The Basic Hulu Plan Kind of Sucks
The first major complaint users have against Hulu—and I agree with those people wholeheartedly—is that Hulu got rid of its free streaming plan back in 2016.
The second major complaint is thatHulu’s Basic plan ($6/month)shows ads when you’re watching TV shows. These ads show at the start, and then again during the show’s natural ad breaks. (Ads donotshow in the middle of movies or kids' shows.)
I used to watch Hulu with ads. And to be honest? I don’t think the ads themselves are that bad—but they’re sorepetitiveand sofrequentthat they eventually made me want to gouge my eyes out.
If each ad only showed once per episode, it’d be bearable. But no. It’s the same set of ads that play break after break after break after break after break. “Grating” just doesn’t describe it.
So I DON’T recommend the basic Hulu plan.It might be half the price of the “real” ad-free Hulu plan, but the small savings is not worth the trade-off in sanity.
If you’re truly strapped for cash and can’t afford the “real” plan, there are other ad-supported streaming services out there that don’t make you pay for access. Never get the basic Hulu plan!
Which leaves you with the “real"Hulu (No Ads) plan ($12/month). I feel this price is justified.
Netflix charges $14/month for its Standard plan, which is really only worth it if you’re watching a lot of Netflix Originals or niche shows that aren’t available elsewhere.
Amazon Prime is $10/month, but the Amazon Prime video streaming library is hit-or-miss. It’s getting better… but it’s still pretty underwhelming.
As long as you don’t settle for the insulting Basic plan, Hulu offers a darn good value compared to the competition.
What Do You Think of Hulu?
If you got this far, it probably sounds like I’m a Hulu shill.
I promise you I’m not! It’s just refreshing to have so many interesting shows and movies to watch after being disappointed by Netflix’s and Amazon Prime’s libraries for the hundredth time.
I’m still subscribed to all three, just so you know. All I’m saying is, Hulu has proven itself useful as a streaming service for me.
Hulu’s TV Library
Only Hulu offers up-to-date full backlogs of geeky TV shows like:
Related:The best geeky TV shows to watch on Hulu
Hulu’s Movie Library
Hulu also has an extensive library of geeky movies you can’t stream elsewhere, including titles like:
Plus numerous other geeky movies youcanstream elsewhere, but why bother if you’re already playing for Hulu?
Hulu Originals
Hulu also has a bunch of original TV shows, but I’m not going to bother with them. I’ve tried watching a bunch of them and they all kind of suck—even the “good” ones.
The only ones that kept my interest wereThe Handmaid’s TaleandThe Looming Tower, but even they had significant flaws.
But if you personally find Hulu’s shows enjoyable—notable ones includeThe Man in the High Castleand theBlack Mirror-lookalikeElectric Dreams—you’d be getting even more bang for your buck.
Hulu also has a Live TV plan, but it’s a little expensive. While I’ve been eyeing this for several months, I haven’t been able to pull the trigger because I just don’t have the time to lounge around watching live TV anymore.
However, the fact that Hulu has a live TV option is definitely a unique point that sets it apart from most other streaming platforms. Over 60 channels are in the package, such as:
And it comes with a built-in recording feature (akin to DVR) that stores up to 50 hours of footage, so you can record a live sports game and watch it later at your convenience.
Again, I haven’t tried Hulu Live TV myself so I’m not recommendingthispart of the platform. But if you want to cut out cable and can’t give up sports or live news, it’s an enticing option.
The first major complaint users have against Hulu—and I agree with those people wholeheartedly—is that Hulu got rid of its free streaming plan back in 2016.
The second major complaint is thatHulu’s Basic plan ($6/month)shows ads when you’re watching TV shows. These ads show at the start, and then again during the show’s natural ad breaks. (Ads donotshow in the middle of movies or kids' shows.)
I used to watch Hulu with ads. And to be honest? I don’t think the ads themselves are that bad—but they’re sorepetitiveand sofrequentthat they eventually made me want to gouge my eyes out.
If each ad only showed once per episode, it’d be bearable. But no. It’s the same set of ads that play break after break after break after break after break. “Grating” just doesn’t describe it.
So I DON’T recommend the basic Hulu plan.It might be half the price of the “real” ad-free Hulu plan, but the small savings is not worth the trade-off in sanity.
If you’re truly strapped for cash and can’t afford the “real” plan, there are other ad-supported streaming services out there that don’t make you pay for access. Never get the basic Hulu plan!
Which leaves you with the “real"Hulu (No Ads) plan ($12/month). I feel this price is justified.
Netflix charges $14/month for its Standard plan, which is really only worth it if you’re watching a lot of Netflix Originals or niche shows that aren’t available elsewhere.
Amazon Prime is $10/month, but the Amazon Prime video streaming library is hit-or-miss. It’s getting better… but it’s still pretty underwhelming.
As long as you don’t settle for the insulting Basic plan, Hulu offers a darn good value compared to the competition.
If you got this far, it probably sounds like I’m a Hulu shill.
I promise you I’m not! It’s just refreshing to have so many interesting shows and movies to watch after being disappointed by Netflix’s and Amazon Prime’s libraries for the hundredth time.
I’m still subscribed to all three, just so you know. All I’m saying is, Hulu has proven itself useful as a streaming service for me.
