What is Hulu and Hulu Plus Live TV (Hulu+)?
Just like any other on-demand video streaming services, Hulu offers movies and TV shows that span across the nations. That said, not only you can find the latest Disney movies but also popular TV shows to even Japanese anime. Though you’ll find plenty of movie genres, Hulu focuses primarily on newer TV shows, blockbuster, Hulu Originals, and exclusive documentaries. What makes Hulu distinctively different from its emerging rivals like Netflix is its ability to accommodate users with earlier access to popular series that normally takes a few months to be available. Besides, if you’re a Hulu subscriber, you don’t need to bear any hidden cost for the installation and equipment rentals. That said, you can download movies on Hulu or stream unlimitedly with the subscription you paid for. While many other streaming sites already rolled out the feature to watch content offline, Hulu wasn’t able to cope up with the demand until the recent launch for offline viewing. Though Hulu may need some more work to expand on its offline download features, Hulu is still thriving with is the ability to allow its user to download up to 25 titles across multiple devices. Just as if you thought Hulu has reached its peak, its recent expansion on Hulu+ gives a head bump for most of its competitors. In order to access Hulu Plus, expect to pay $55 per month. With this subscription, you’ll be able to enjoy a vast selection of TV channels, local news, and sports alongside the existing content on Hulu on-demand. What makes Hulu and Hulu Plus distinctively different is its feature to stream live programs without the need for a cable. However, some argues that the HD streaming on Hulu Plus is not as great HD streaming. But it is highly depending on the internet speed.
Hulu: Features and Its Benefits
As one of the largest on-demand services across the globe, Hulu is where it is for many reasons. Not only it houses famous TV shows in the U.S. and Japan, but Hulu’s initiative to include a list of other countries internationally as their expansion plan by 2021 is what makes it worth all the rave about. As a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Comcast, Hulu is geared towards streaming on-season TV series, as well as their original content over movies and documentaries from other creators. Akin to most streaming sites, Hulu also offers subscription tiers to enhance customers’ viewing experience. You can choose from four levels of service: If streaming with ads isn’t a bother to you, the Hulu Basic subscription is more than sufficient. Just with the basic itself, you’ll be able to watch shows and movies the way they go with the appearance of advertisements in the beginning. However, if you opt to watch your favorite shows without any disturbance (ads), the premium subscription is all you need. The upshot for this subscription is you’ll enjoy unlimited streaming with almost completely ad-free. Besides, you can also bundle your present subscription with other premium streaming services such as Spotify, Disney+, ESPN+, and Sprint.
What TV Shows and Movies are on Hulu?
Believe us when we say Hulu has all it takes to keep you entertained for hours. Like most streaming sites, this service offers a list of movies and shows based on their genres and ratings. So, whether you’re here in search of some laughter on Hulu’s comedies or fancy something thrilling, Hulu has it all. In case you’re looking for something more kid-friendly, there are plenty of animated movies including originals, exclusives, new releases to get you hooked. One thing for sure is Hulu hosts around 1700 shows across famous TV networks such as BBC, A&E, Big Ten Network, USA Network, and more. So, you can find almost all videos on-demand such as current season TV shows. As for movies, you can find just about 2,500 films. To give you an idea of what movies and shows are on Hulu, you can check out the list below:
Hulu Original TV Shows
Hulu Original Movies
Hulu Children Movies And TV Shows
Can you Download Shows and Movies on Hulu?
Wondering how to download shows and movies on Hulu? Good news! In October 2019, Hulu announced that its users can download their favorite films and TV shows on their devices. Viewers can download up to 25 titles across five different gadgets with an allotted 30-day mark to their downloaded content before it disappears from their downloaded content list. However, you can also renew it if you failed to meet the deadline. The only caveat of Hulu is that the ‘Download’ feature is only available for Hulu Premium (Ad-free) Plans.
How to Download Movies and TV Shows on Hulu?
When Hulu recently announced that they have added the download feature on the service, Hulu subscribers simply rejoiced. This means users can now download shows and movies for offline viewing. Here is your step-by-step guide on how to download movies and shows on Hulu: The process is pretty simple. All you have to do is to look for the content you want to download, locate the ‘Download’ icon next to the video. Click on it and the content will automatically be downloaded to the device you are currently using. If you’re finished downloading and wish to see the movies and shows you have downloaded, just tap on the ‘Search’ button and select ‘Downloadable.’ From there, you will be able to click any of the content you have downloaded and watched them even without an internet connection, any time and anywhere. To make things more interesting, the quality of the videos remains the same no matter how many times you rewatch it. NOTE: The download feature is only available exclusively for users on Hulu’s No Ads plan, including the No Ads + Live TV plan.
How Much Data Does Hulu Use?
Usually, if you’re thinking about how to download movies on Hulu, you are also wondering how much data would it take to obtain these contents. Below is an overview of Hulu’s data usage:
Data Usage Using Mobile Phone
Streaming Hulu movies on a mobile phone can consume a large portion of your monthly data allowance. If you do not monitor your data usage, Hulu may eat up your monthly cap after watching a number of shows and movies. But, don’t worry. You can actually manage your data depletion by selecting your mobile network before loading any show or movie. Watching movies on a 4G network eats more data compared to the 3G network. This is because 4G networks allow faster download of videos at a higher pixel count. However, streaming videos on Hulu using a Wi-Fi connection doesn’t affect any of your monthly data.
Standard Definition Data Usage
Generally, users who signed up for a free Hulu subscription account only watches movies on a standard definition quality. While 480p doesn’t offer clear and crisp videos compared to the high definition option, the quality of the videos isn’t likely affected to annoy your movie experience. As for the standard definition option, you’ll consume around 680 MB/hour.
High Definition Data Usage
Most people prefer streaming in high definition since it provides an amazing viewing experience. Users can see detailed and vibrant pictures that seem like you are watching from a cinema.
What if Hulu is Not Loading, What To Do?
Imagine going home after a long tiring day from work. You open your laptop and start watching your favorite Hulu series. Just when you are about to get on the best part, the screen suddenly freezes and no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to make it work. You are left there, speechless and irritated. Believe it or not, you are not alone when facing this kind of mishap. That’s why Hulu decided to put up a ‘Help Center’ to put an end to this annoying situation. If you, too, are on the same boat, try to perform the basic troubleshooting below.
#1: Exit the Hulu app. If you’re stuck on a welcome, blank/black, or loading screen, exit the application as well as other apps that are running on the background. When you’re on the home screen, try to refresh it many times and run Hulu again. #2: Restart Your Device. Turn off your device and wait for a few minutes. Then, turn it on again. #3: Check Your Connection. To check your connection, run a speed test result then compare it to the recommended speed of the service. If it falls short, you can improve your connection by performing basic internet troubleshooting such as restarting your modem or calling your internet service provider. #4: Clear Cache and Data. Sometimes, cache/data slows down the performance of a device. However, you can clear it out by going to your device’s settings. #5: Uninstall/Reinstall Hulu. In some instances, you can uninstall and reinstall the app and it automatically fixes the problem upon log-in.
The Bottom Line
A worthy note for Hulu is it values its user’s opinion. The features that made available both on Hulu and Hulu Plus include the like and dislike button, comment box and organizational folder that shows how Hulu’s willingness to improve for better user experience. Regardless of the circumstances, the decision is up to you.
