Subscribe
Previous Post
I expected Hulu to get bogged down by all sorts of crazy corporate content restrictions. Guess what? I was right. The mutant spawn of NBC and Fox is globally screwing itself even before launch.
I got a private beta invitation through my b5media email address. b5media is based in Canada, so it would be easy for some fresh-faced yuppie suit at Hulu to assume I’m in Canada.
Guess what? I’m now writing this post from the tropical paradise of the Philippines. Yup, you guessed it: I can’t watch Hulu videos here. NBC and Fox probably don’t want to piss off their international cable affiliates. Hulu just carries too much offline video baggage to succeed inside online video.
Not that I’d probably want to watch Hulu videos, anyway. Their limited selection of “premium” clips and episodes is pretty pathetic. Back to YouTube for me, you Hulu losers.
The top banner tells you to “Watch your favorite videos. Anytime. Anywhere.” Riiight. First, NBC and Fox videos are not automatically my favorite videos. Second, Hulu will take down old episodes after five weeks, so I cannot watch them anytime. Third, I clearly cannot watch them anywhere. This is typical TV executive corporatespeak: vague claims insulting your intelligence.
I’m using a vpn called ibVPN and i have access to any sites no matter where i travel. fast servers and low prices: http://www.ibvpn.com
Welp, it’s Tues. 21. Hulu.com is down. I wonder for how long?
1376 days ago
[...] Unlike most Hulu videos, this one’s available outside the US. Also unlike most Hulu videos, it’s not TV shovelware. Joss Whedon writes outside the constraints of the idiot box, taking advantage of the stylistic freedom offered by online video. Felicia Day, of course, is a truly organic online video star. Neil Patrick Harris, who previously did only longform offline stuff, knows how to pack a performance into a fourteen-minute embeddable episode. [...]
1407 days ago
[...] and Fox, meanwhile, still have a few more years to clumsily dick around inside online video with their Hulu before advertisers don’t want their TV audience. Tags: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, [...]
1425 days ago
[...] that NBC CEO Jeff Zucker admits Hulu, the sucky NBC/Fox video site, copied a lot of stuff from YouTube. Looks like Fox’s MySpaceTV just did the same with their [...]
1455 days ago
[...] owns TV.com and MP3.com. I usually frown upon big media mergers on the Web — too clunky to live — but this one might actually [...]
1468 days ago
[...] Did you leave your Dick in a Box? Did you finally realize that nobody wants to play with you in your pathetic little silo? [...]
1548 days ago
[...] networks embracing online video is the fear of offending their local affiliates. That’s what doomed [...]
I was blocked as well, and this is very unfortunate for consumers outside the USA. I do believe that in order to comply with licenses it’s important for companies to do what they can to keep costs low. There are more restrictions with licenses being written into many developed sites like this now everyday.
I’m a American that lives overseas and enjoys online gaming and also great music and TV sites like hulu and Pandora. When this happens I can say it’s quite devastating since I really don’t have access to entertainment that others do. It’s unfortunate you can’t simply give them a ID or something to prove your American :)
I was able to get back on the site by using a American VPN service like http://www.strongvpn.com or http://www.vpnaccounts.com . With VPN services these blockages are bypassed thankfully. But it sucks I have to pay more to see these sites now.
Also I suggest getting a VPN provider with unlimited bandwidth and 24×7 support, like http://www.strongvpn.com.
1568 days ago
[...] again, offline video attitudes prevent a Big Media outlet from succeeding inside online [...]
1641 days ago
[...] with yourself? Answer: competing with yourself badly. Right after NBC and Fox launch their crappy streaming site Hulu, NBC launches their equally crappy download site NBC [...]
1650 days ago
[...] to Jeff Zucker’s chagrin, I doubt anyone’s chucking their iPods for Scrubs. Hulu may not know how to do online video, but they sure know how to flamebait. Now go over to their blog post and join the barbecue. [...]
1653 days ago
[...] hardware sales. By that logic, he may as well ask for a cut of all PC hardware sales because of Hulu. This is just more proof that Zucker is an arrogant [...]
In Italy I can’t see anything!
“anywhere” + “anytime” for sure… but they forgot “NOTHING” !
Ah… well. True. They’d get pirated anyways and they’d end up everywhere and anywhere. Hehehe What’s the use of blocking it to other countries then? Duh…