Hulu: Your Internet based DVR

I mentioned Hulu before, so I felt I should revisit the website a year later. Hulu is your personal Internet based DVR that lets you watch popular shows or movies on demand. The best thing is that it is free!

I own a TV that is wired to cable but I do not really use it, other than to watch news all day. I love the idea of deciding when and where to watch my favorite shows. Although it may not have all the TV shows or Feature Films that you require, it has enough to suck you in.

You can sign up for Hulu and create a profile that lets you set up a queue of programming you would like to watch. For example check out my profile and you will see what I have watched on the website though my history. You may also see what kind of TV shows I have subscribed to. Currently, Hulu boasts such programs as The Office, 24, Prison Break, Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Family Guy, The Simpson’s, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to name a few.

Programming has increased over the past year and I speculate that it will only get stronger. The movies section is weak in my opinion but it has potential as more people opt to viewing featured films on their computer.

Hulu is a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corporation. This is not a YouTube alternative since it only streams programming from the studios. Users do not submit any content and the rightful legal owners provide all programming. The site is legal so as a user you are not liable for any illegal activity. You will not able to download any of the videos for offline viewing, thus you need an Internet connection to reap the benefits.

Content is provided free of charge to the end user but you must still sit through 30 second ads where a normal 3 minute commercial would take its place. This little nuisance is no big deal since it goes by pretty quickly.

You may watch certain programs in HD or email a video to friends. You can also embed the video onto your blog or MySpace Profile through the embed code they provide. As a member you can also subscribe to TV Shows and receive email updates when news episodes are available of your favorite programs. An awesome feature that they have introduced is that they bookmark your place where you left off on the video. If you need to cut short your session, it will begin to play from where you left off last time on your return.

What are you waiting for? Try it out and enjoy Hulu now!