Monday, September 29, 2008

39 .Hulu

What is Hulu? According to the about page it is
an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites — all for free
Yes, you can watch popular TV shows and movies, shows from back in the day and some of my favorites right online
  • Hulu does not require a download of any software. Users only need a Flash 9.0 enabled computer and an Internet connection to enjoy.
  • Hulu offers the freedom to share full-length episodes or clips via e-mail or embed on other Web sites, blogs and social networking pages.
  • Hulu's clipping feature allows users to select a portion of the video they would like to share.
Why am I showing you an online tv watching service as part of Library Learning? It's a great example of traditional media adapting to the new Web. Something libraries and publishers are still struggling with. Sure we have downloadable audio books, but how easy is that site to use compared to Hulu?

Other sites to watch TV online

13 comments:

Eric said...

Ahh, yes, Hulu. This one I'm quite familiar with. My oldest tunes in all the time to watch House, and I've caught a few old episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Although the picture quality isn't great, the timing for this sort of on-demand television couldn't be better- there will be much more in the future.

Anonymous said...

I didn't sign up for it but I explored as much as was possible. I do like the way you can search categories for shows and such. I can see the possibilities for teachers who want to use a small clip of a show for their class but don't want to have to tape the whole thing. And with all the shows available online the day after, then if you don't have tivo, could still catch your favorite show. I like to find small clips I've heard about without staying up late or channel surfing endlessly. Good tool.

Anonymous said...

Does this mean I don't have to go out and buy a new tv just to catch shows I'm interested in after the Digital broadcast begins On February 17, 2009? I just need a computer and the internet!?!
I realize for some of you this is not new news, but for me it is and I think it's great. Plus I can spend time watching what I want when I want, no needless filler.
As far as how this could be used compared to the libararies audio books, I think it was really hands on and easier to use.

betterlate said...

This is great! Now I can go back and watch a show that I missed. I will have to play around with it later!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE IT!!!! Sweet! I can keep up with shows I love that I never have time to watch, or previews for next weeks episode etc. Very nice lesson this week :)

Anonymous said...

This was a great tool. This way I can catch the shows I've missed, or just parts that I miss. It is very easy to get around the site and find what you are looking for.

sexybeast said...

calico
I can spend my day at work watching those pesky shows I miss when I'm at home.

Anonymous said...

Nice! I can do some catching up on Greys if they decide at home to record something else.

I Don't Know How She Does It! said...

I am constantly amazed by what I am learning from Bobbi and Robin. Once again, I was completely clueless about Hulu's existence. What a treat! I still don't know how all these things can be provided for free! It seems to me that advertising dollars pay for a lot of our internet fun. I think this will obviously be used for entertainment by most, but I really like Leslie's classroom example. I can think of times on the Ref desk where this might be just the right thing to suggest to a teacher.

Anonymous said...

Oh - yeah - there's a huge difference in ease of use between Hulu & our Downloadable Audios. Maybe NetLibrary could learn something (though Hulu seems pretty unregulated). This site will allow me to view all those political clips my friends keep talking about, without actually having to have a TV! how cool is that.

Anonymous said...

I love Hulu. I was a little disappointed that it doesn't have all the episodes of Bones (the absolute best show) but it is amazing all that it does have.

Anonymous said...

Hulu has been great fun. I've been able to catch up on some shows I'd missed and see older tv shows as well as some great comedy clips from The Carol Burnett Show, Late Night etc. How could libraries use this idea --- It would be great if the downloadable audiobooks and ebooks were easier to use but I'm not sure what hardware or software the library would need to do that. People will be expecting it though - especially the more they use hulu and similar online sites. Definately, something to think about.

Anonymous said...

Very cool. Like a few others mentioned, this service is good for those of us who don't watch much TV but want to see all the infamous clips, political and otherwise.