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Hulu to start charging you money. (And that’s a good thing?)

Molly Wood Jul 1, 2010
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Hulu to start charging you money. (And that’s a good thing?)

Molly Wood Jul 1, 2010
HTML EMBED:
COPY

 This week online TV service Hulu started rolling out Hulu Plus, a paid option that offers more content but also changes the game because, you know, it’s not all free any more.

You might think this would be nothing but annoying, especially since you still have to watch the same ads as on the free Hulu service. But Hulu Plus (which is currently available by invitation only; that will change soon) comes with some bonuses: Big extra back-catalog access to popular shows, and new Hulu Plus apps for iPad, iPhone, Xbox and more. Gizmodo’s Matt Buchanan has been checking out the new offerings, and joins us on this episode with the highlights.

Is Hulu Plus — this model of asking people to pay a subscription for on-demand access to shows — the beginning of the end of TV as we know it? Dan Frommer of Business Insider thinks Hulu Plus is great and all, but it’s no cable-killer. He drops by with some thoughts on the bigger picture.

What do you think: Is Hulu Plus going to change your TV habits? Or are you annoyed that the great heyday of free (good) TV on the web could be all too short?

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