…is real, but might not be all that good. While Hulu was technically ahead of Netflix in the streaming department, Netflix now offers HD streaming and is thinking decades ahead of now. Hulu’s streaming quality is certainly better than at its inception, but even if you pay $10 per month, you still have to sit through advertisements… the very thing I pay Netflix not to sit through.
So, what does Hulu offer now?
The Office. Great, Netflix already did.
Arrested Development. Ditto.
X-files. Ditto.
The only thing Netflix doesn’t seem to have on streaming yet (aside from the incredible store of so-awful-they’re-good films on Hulu my brother constantly watches) is the so-awful-it’s-actually-awful TV show Glee. And you can get those on DVD.
Really the only advantage Hulu offers over Netflix is immediacy, but not immediacy that can top torrents. You always have to wait until the day after airings to watch on Hulu, and you can torrent it just as fast. Yes, torrenting is evil, but Hulu doesn’t have much of an edge over Netflix. If Netflix is smart, they’ll start cutting the same kinds of deals with good shows, like, say, Breaking Bad and not, say, like the pathetic excuse for television (addiction disguised as art) known as Lost… it might destroy Hulu pretty quickly. I say Netflix should buy Hulu and appropriate all its deals while offering subscribers additional benefits. Who would complain if a Hulu subscription translated into a Netflix subscription too? It would be a graceful buyout. If it doesn’t happen, Netflix will probably put up their own version of Hulu, catering to the American lust for immediacy.
Sorry, Hulu, I’m sticking with Netflix.