Hulu Review: Analysing price, alternatives, features, screens, video quality, content

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Hulu review

These days, there is no dearth of online streaming services if one wants to engage in a TV show or movie. From Netflix to Amazon Prime Video, our lives are constantly being shaped by these online forums where one can easily access thousands of entertainment-related content with just a few clicks.

With an active internet connection and a streaming device, you can even watch sports shows, news, travel shows, documentaries, etc. Hulu is one such amazing streaming service that has made watching TV shows, movies, sports matches, news, travel shows, documentaries, etc., an easy-peasy task.

By just purchasing a subscription to either of its basic plans or Hulu+ Live TV plans, you get access to a multitude of these content. 

hulu streaming app logo

In this article, I have done a thorough review of Hulu to give you a detailed analysis of everything you need to know about Hulu before deciding to purchase its subscription. from its features and content to its pricing and plans, limitations, etc.

This is only to help you make an informed decision, lest you try to buy a subscription plan for the streaming platform.

So sit back, relax and read on to find out more about this service in our Hulu review!

Hulu Library: List of Available Shows

Hulu has an extensive library when it comes to TV shows and movies. The service offers more than hundreds of seasons and thousands of episodes from some major broadcasting channels.

This streaming service offers tons of cable TV shows. Animation fans can tune into shows like Archer, Bob’s Burgers, Adventure Time, Futurama, etc. Whereas drama fans get the option to enjoy multiple shows from that particular genre like Bones, Killing Eve, The Orville, The X-Files, etc. Other than these it also offers loads of other comedy, crime-thriller, etc. shows. Some of these include 30 Rock, Broad City, Brooklyn Nine-nine, Letterkenny, Malcolm in the Middle, Scrubs, Seinfield, A Teacher, Devs, Mrs. America, Atlanta, Better Things, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Handmaid’s Tale, Veronica Mars, etc. 

Hulu also offers a decent range of movies other than TV shows. Some Hulu movies include Black Swan, Parasite, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rocketman, Space Jam, Taken, Happiest Season, Palm Springs, Run, etc. 

It also offers various documentaries about famous musicians like The Beatles and B.B. King, fashion-related documentaries like McQueen, Dior and I, travel documentaries like Free Solo, and others like March of the Penguins, Three Identical Strangers, Fyre Fraud, etc. 

movies on Hulu

You also get the option to watch various anime on Hulu like My Hero Academia, One Punch Man, FLCL, Ghost in the Shell, Naruto Shippuden, Rurouni Kenshin, Trigun, etc. 

You also get to watch various live sports channels on Hulu+ Live TV like BTN, CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNEWS, Golf Channel, and Olympic Channel. You can also watch various other news and entertainment-related channels like ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, Discovery, Food Network, National Geographic, etc. 

Show Genres on HuluAnimation, drama, comedy, crime-thriller, etc.
Movie Genres on HuluHorror, psychological-thriller, comedy, drama, action, etc.

Hulu Review: Pricing & Plans

In this Hulu review, it is important for us to talk about all its pricing and plans. As readers, you need detailed information to make informed choices. So, sit back and read on to know more about all of Hulu’s revenues, pricing, plans, and what it has to offer!

Hulu offers you three plans. Two of these are basic plans and two of these are Hulu+ Live TV plans. It does not offer you a free-tier or a free trial version. However, college students get a little benefit when it comes to plans. They can get the ad-free version for just $1.99/month. 

Hulu pricing and plans:

  • Hulu Plan for $6.99/month or $69.99/year2 
  • Hulu (No Ads) Plan for $12.99/month3 
  • Hulu + Live TV Plan for $64.99/month 
  • Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV Plan for $70.99/month
Hulu pricing and packages

If your currently chosen Hulu plan is not working for you, you always have the option of canceling the subscription. You also get the benefit of accessing Cinemax ($9.99), HBO Max ($14.99), Showtime ($10.99), and Starz ($8.99) as add-ons. It also offers the Entertainment ($7.99/month) and Espanol ($4.99/month) add-ons.

Pros and Cons of Peacock TV

Let’s discuss some of the pros and cons of Peacock TV

ProsCons
✅Relatively affordable pricing 
✅Live Channels at no extra cost
✅Good list of movies and TV shows
❌Not available worldwide 
❌Limited 4K-HDR content 
❌Not enough well-known
❌Original shows and movies  

So, in terms of the overall list of Pros and Cons, Peacock TV does have its fair share of plus and minus points each. 

However, as a streaming service that is competing against the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video and many others, it still lacks a lot of things that those others offer to its audiences. 

For example, let’s take the first point in the cons list, the availability worldwide, that is an advantage that Netflix has because it has been in this game from the beginning. 

However, even newer streaming services, such as Disney Plus, have very quickly spread their services to various different countries than just the US, and that is something that Peacock has to look into. 

Along with this, there are no Original shows available in Peacock’s library that have completely wowed everyone, critics and audiences, that its competitors have, such as Netflix’s Stranger Things, HBO Max’s The Last Of Us, Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian, Prime’s The Boys, etc. 

These have all become valuable titles that has helped the overall brand image of their respective streaming services, and people do sign up to see these marquee titles, and Peacock is missing on this list because none of its Original shows or movies have been that good. 

So, there is still a long way to go for Peacock if it wants its audience to take it seriously.

Availability of Hulu

Let’s first discuss the overall countries in which and the answer to that question is fairly simple and a little disappointing, as well. Currently Hulu is available on in the US and no other countries because of various licensing issues. 

However, the good news about it is that since it is owned by Disney, Disney is merging Hulu with Disney Plus later this year, so that means that you are able to access all of Hulu’s content on Disney Plus’s application. 

Currently, Disney Plus is available in various different countries, so more people will be able to access the overall library of content on offer at Hulu.

However, if you are living in countries where Disney Plus Hotstar is available, such as India, then you already have access to all of Hulu’s shows, such as Only Murders In The Building, and many more. So, that way, Indians are quite lucky. 

In terms of Applications, Hulu has an application that is available to download on various different platforms and supports various devices, as well. More on that later. 

Which Devices are Compatible with Hulu?

In this Hulu review, I will also be talking about the devices that are compatible with Hulu. Other than streaming it on the web, it also has its own Android and iOS apps for mobile platforms, media streaming devices like Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku, smart TVs, and game consoles like PlayStation, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. 

PlatformsAndroidiOSApple TVChromecastFire TVRokuSmart TVsPlayStationXbox OneNintendo Switch
Website
App

It is important to note that, Hulu+ Live TV is available on PlayStation 4 but not PlayStation 3.

Top Features of Hulu

A Hulu review is incomplete without mentioning some of the extra features that this streaming site offers. Hulu now lets all its premium subscribers download selected TV shows and movies for offline viewing. This includes a lot of its original shows. All eligible users can download up to 25 videos across five devices.  However, keep in mind that downloads expire after 30 days and you only get two days to finish watching the video. 

You can also record up to 50 hours’ worth of content and keep them as long as you are subscribed to the streaming service. You get the option to pay $9.99/month to get the bonus benefit of extending the limit to 200 hours and also the ability to skip ads in between recordings. 

Although Hulu does not offer every show in HD, you cannot get many of its shows anywhere else in high-quality videos. You can stream its original shows in 4K on a selected few media streaming devices. Hulu also offers 1080p/60fps live streaming for select channels on selected platforms. 

Hulu’s UI is also quite organized, offering some personalization options that let you choose channels, genres, and shows, according to your tastes. It is also quite easy to browse through content on Hulu. 

Hulu also incorporates decent closed captioning options but few titles truly support audio descriptions. Hulu also offers good parental controls by letting you set up a Kids’ Profile for your children to watch shows on. 

✔Offline downloads are possible

✔50 hours’ worth of video recording (can be extended up to 200 hours)

✔4K quality videos on selected devices

✔Live-streaming in 1080p/60fps

✔User-friendly UI

✔Good parental-control tools

Specific functionalities of Peacock TV

Let’s discuss in detail some of Peacock TV’s special functionalities.

Ads on Peacock TV

Peacock says that its ad-supported tier will show a minimum of 5Mins of ads over any program or movie show that you watch on the service that would be cut in 20sec each ad. 

Once you have seen a program or movie with those 5-minute ads, you are mostly done for the day with the ads, and whatever next you watch on the overall service will be ad-free for the day.

While ads are something that can be pretty annoying, it is still relatively good to see that in a day or so, you might encounter about only 5 mins of it on Peacock TV. 

However, the ads are placed in different numbers and frequencies over at this content. So, if you are watching 23 min show, such as Modern Family on Peacock TV, then the overall frequency of the ads would be similar to watching these shows on live tv. 

The same is the case with watching a movie, such as Hitman: Agent 47, or anything of that matter, so you have to fill that quota of 5 mins ads, and Peacock does marks the places where the ads will be, so that you are more or less ready to know about them.

However, since Peacock also offers to show some of NBC channels, such as NBC Sports, NBC News, WWE, and more, they all also have ads running on the program, so even if you are a Premium Plus subscriber, you will still watch the ads on those specific programs, as well. 

So, be aware of that before hopping onto its service and paying for the Premium Plus plan. 

UI

When it comes to the overall UI of Peacock TV, it is relatively the same as some of the other streamers. You have a black UI that has a yellow, white and grey colour. 

The overall UI is fairly easy to navigate. Once you open the streaming service on any application or web browser, you will be welcomed in the home screen that shows some of its latest shows and highlight programs, and underneath are all other programs divided into several categories. 

On top of the banner, you see various different shortcuts, that come under the name of Channels, Browse, Featured, TV Shows, Movies, Kids, Latino, etc. 

When you are watching a particular content on Peacock, you will immediately see the iMDB and Rotten Tomatoes score of that particular content and it will also show a number of different details, such as runtime, genre, cast, and a description of the content. 

The overall playback of Peacock is relatively very simple, and it offers only basic settings, such as 10 sec fast forward or rewind option, and nothing else in particular. 

Overall, the UI of Peacock TV is pretty simple and basic and nothing too radical.   

Catalogue of Content 

Let’s discuss the overall catalogue of Content that is available on Peacock TV. If you are a fan of the overall NBC sitcom shows, such as Brooklyn 99, Parks and Recreation, then you are in for a treat because Peacock TV has all the existing IPs that have been produced by NBC. 

In total, Peacock TV does offer around 80,000 hours worth of viewing content on its platform and that includes all the original movies, tv shows, and the existing IPs that have been produced by NBC Universal. 

However, there are some notable marquee titles missing from the library of Peacock TV, such as Friends, Seinfeld, and some more, as well, and this is because of some legal issues that Peacock TV isn’t currently able to stream them on its platform. 

As I mentioned above, there aren’t any notable Original TV Shows and movies released by it, that have gained a lot of popularity among the mass audience. However, it does promise some great things to come, such as the John Wick spinoffs series ‘The Continental’ that is set to debut on Peacock. 

Peacock TV also has a limited library of content for Kids, as well. 

Channels

The main strength of Peacock TV and something that is able to distinguish itself from the rest of the streaming services is the face that Peacock TV does include live television programs and sports without any extra cost. 

You can expect to watch NBC Sports, NBC News Now, and some other live-tv channels and programs, including a 24-hr version of the Today Show, which is mostly reused news from the entire day clubbed with various lifestyle programs. 

Having NBC Sports is a big deal, without any extra costs, because NBC Sports broadcasts many different popular sporting events, and users who are interested in live sports can get Peacock TV to watch NBC Sports. 

Accessibility and Parental Control 

Peacock TV does include some Parental Control for a particular user, i.e, kids. In the settings section, you are able to set up a 4-digit PIN that you or your child can put in whenever they are trying to watch something that is set above the overall restriction of the certificate. 

There are also some accessibility settings available, such as the input to change the overall style of the subtitles and to include some audio-description projects. However, there are very limited titles available in Peacock tv that do have audio-description.

Mobile Downloads 

Mobile downloads is the function where users are able to download a particular series or a movie on their phone’s application and watch it even in offline mode. However, this feature is currently restricted to only the Premium Plus tier. 

Other streaming services, such as Netflix, do offer offline downloading even in its base tier, so that is a bit of a disadvantage when you compare the two. 

Hulu Vs Hulu Plus: Comparison

In this Hulu review, I shall also give you a little comparison between Hulu and Hulu+. While you get most of the features with Hulu itself, Hulu+ offers you the Live TV tier that you can use to access various news, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, sports channels. This is not possible with just a Hulu subscription.

Also, the Hulu+ tiers are a bit more expensive than the basic Hulu subscription plans grossing at $64.99/month for Hulu + Live TV Plan and $70.99/month for Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV Plan. Hulu+ Live TV’s DVR functions also compare well to many other services.

Hulu Review: What are the Limitations?

So far in our Hulu review, we have mostly talked about its positive features. But just like any other streaming service, there are a few drawbacks to this service as well.

This brings us to Hulu’s lack of HD quality videos. This could prove to be a major setback for the streaming service as most other Hulu competitors and international streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, etc. offer a diverse range of high-definition videos. 

Hulu’s anime content is also not very good. It needs to include more shows in its library to attract a new fanbase who are ready to give the platform some major traffic. The service is also limited to the US continent; therefore, it is a major pickle for people living in other countries to access Hulu. This challenge can be overcome with a VPN of course, but mind you, Hulu often tries to block VPN servers.

FAQs

On how Many Devices Can You Stream One Hulu Account?

Hulu’s basic plan supports two simultaneous streams, which means Hulu’s screen limit is up to only 2 devices at a time. However, you can pay extra for its Unlimited Screens add-on to overcome that limit for devices on your home Wi-Fi network, however, this is only available for those who have subscribed to Hulu+ Live TV. You can create up to six profiles per account on Hulu.

Is it worth to get Hulu?

With everything said and done, everyone has this one question that whether or not it is worth it or not, and I would say, after the merger, not so much, which is actually something that you can already see in other countries like India. 

When the merger happens later this month, Hulu would still be provided for users who like the service for its overall range of live TV coverage and also the list of shows and films that it has available to stream. 

Still, if you are looking for the bang for your buck, I would say wait for a couple of months, and then you will be able to watch everything on Disney Plus. 

Is Hulu as good as Netflix? 

Hulu and Netflix, both started at the same time but one definitely got a lot more successful than the other. While Hulu is still valued at a ridiculous $23 Billion Dollars, Netflix, on the other hand, is valued at $183.34 Billion Dollars!! 

So, that is something to tell that which is better, in terms of the overall business. Netflix is a streaming giant now and while its originals are really even more hit and miss than something like Hulu, it is still the better option than the two.

Netflix offers lot more features, it is priced fairly similar to Hulu, you get to watch so many different types of content on it, and Netflix is available worldwide, which is something that you can’t really say about Hulu. 

So, no, Hulu is not as good as Netflix.

What is the downside of Hulu?

While there are definitely some great things about Hulu, the overall service is mostly focused on Tv shows that it has got the rights from different studios. 

The main downside of Hulu is the fact that it is only available in the US, and in other countries it is coming now as a bundled pack to Disney Plus, which sort of dilutes the overall IP of Hulu, because Hulu is a streaming service of its own. 

Plus, it doesn’t help with the fact it has way too complicated pricing models, compared to other streaming services that offer maximum of 4 tiers, Hulu has 3 different tiers just for its live tv. 

So, yeah, there are some downsides to Hulu, as well.

Also read

The best football streaming sites

Best Free Sports Streaming Websites

Legal and safe movie streaming apps & sites

Best free tennis streaming sites

Best anime streaming sites to watch anime

Best free movie apps and websites to download

Final Words: Is Hulu the best streaming app to buy?

Hulu is a pretty decent streaming service and a reasonably priced one at that if you are currently a resident of the United States. Even college students can benefit a lot from this particular streaming service. Hulu has been reviewed positively in Hulu reviews 2021 and other Hulu Google reviews. And our verdict is also a positive. However, it would be great if Hulu would consider a launch in India. I’m sure a lot of people would jump right ahead to avail of its services.

Do you think Hulu could be a better and cheaper alternative to Netflix or Amazon Prime video? Let us know in the comments!

Joel Picardo

Joel Picardo

Joel Picardo has been in the startup space for the last 5 years and has worked with startups in the cryptocurrency and digital marketing industry. He founded GeekyMint along with his co-founder SafdarAli with a mission to provide well-reseached articles in the cryptocurrency, finance, technology, blockchain, software, and startup sector

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