Hulu

Hulu app is the official app by the eponymous on-demand video service, controlled by Disney and offering you lots of videos to watch online. Download Hulu for Android or iOS and enjoy unlimited access to thousands of videos!

Design 5/5

The app follows the industry standards that have been established lately. It shows colorful previews on the dark background, making them look even more cinematic. White fonts are well contrasting and easily readable.

When it comes to playback, the video player takes the entire screen, with controls automatically hiding. It takes a tap to wake them up and show. The player controls are generic, with an instant response, easy to make out.

Usability 5/5

The app is identical on any mobile platform, with a catalog made of virtual infinite shelves, a built-in search system, and a player. The stream can be cast to any receiving device, be that Chromecast, Apple TV, or whatever. Thus you can enjoy Hulu videos on any screen. It also features a cloud DVR that contains up to 50 hours of video.

As for video quality, it’s the highest possible (usually Full HD), regardless of the plan you choose. But compression can be automatically adjusted according to your bandwidth. It’s easily watchable on Wi-Fi or LTE, and even on 3G, though quality may suffer, and buffering may cause noticeable freezes.

You can personalize your experience by watching and rating more shows. The more you do, the more precise the recommendations will become. It matters because the library will soon reach 100K episodes and movies, impossible to watch even in 24/7 mode.

Features 5/5

Along with one of the largest catalogs of movies and shows, Hulu offers 60+ live TV channels to watch. It also produces its own shows, including The Handmaid’s Tale, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Castle Rock, Catch-22, 11.22.63, and more. As for movies and shows it aggregates, they feature many A-class feature films and cartoons, though B-movie fans will also find a lot of content to their likings.

In-app purchases 5/5

The app is ubiquitous; not making its own devices, unlike Roku, Hulu has its apps on mobile devices, gaming consoles and TV boxes, and a web interface for desktop platforms. One subscription covers them all. The cheapest option for $5.99 unlocks on-demand videos, and $44.99 also activates TV streaming with wide channel variety. Both options come with ads, and It will take six bucks more to go ad-free on any plan.

The Bottom Line

Hulu is the main rival to Netflix, and with their catalogs mostly coinciding, there is hardly a reason to have both, unless you are in Hulu for live TV – an option Netflix cannot beat. But still, with content frequently updated and originals constantly produced, it makes sense for a family to have both.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 5
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 5

Pros

Lots of videos on demand;
Live TV;
Easy to figure out;
High video quality with any plan;
Ads can be turned off for extra payment.

Cons

Lacks some titles present on Netflix and other services.