Hulu has no plans to support iPad browser with HTML5
Video streaming service Hulu posted and quickly retracted an item on its official blog Thursday, in which the company stated that it doesn't see HTML5 in its immediate future.
Eugene Wei, vice president of product with Hulu, said that his company's contractual requirements make the transition to HTML5 too difficult. The current player on the website, built with Adobe Flash, does a great deal more than stream video.
"We continue to monitor developments on HTML5, but as of now it doesn?t yet meet all of our customers' needs," Wei wrote. "Our player doesn?t just simply stream video, it must also secure the content, handle reporting for our advertisers, render the video using a high performance codec to ensure premium visual quality, communicate back with the server to determine how long to buffer and what bitrate to stream, and dozens of other things that aren't necessarily visible to the end user."
Though Wei's comments were posted on Hulu's blog on Thursday, they were quickly taken down with no explanation given. But the text managed to circulate online before its removal.
The statement would seem to finally put to rest lingering rumors that Hulu might convert to HTML5 for an iPad-friendly site. But it does not mean that iPad users will not be able to access Hulu.
The company is still expected to bring its service to the iPad eventually, through software in the App Store much like the ABC and Netflix streaming players. It is believed Hulu on the iPad will be a pay-only service that would require a monthly subscription.
But the existing, popular ABC application shows programs like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" for free, with ad support. And that free product has apparently caused concern for Hulu, which is rumored to introduce a $9.95-per-month subscription plan later this month, on May 24.
It is believed that Hulu will incentivize its subscription plan with Apple's iPad, and also offer a "window" where content is available to subscribers, both on computers and the iPad, before it can be seen for free by the general public. Rumors have suggested Hulu's business partners -- the site is owned by the parent companies of Fox, NBC and ABC -- have pressured the service into subscription plans to "train" viewers that they should pay for online access to content.
Eugene Wei, vice president of product with Hulu, said that his company's contractual requirements make the transition to HTML5 too difficult. The current player on the website, built with Adobe Flash, does a great deal more than stream video.
"We continue to monitor developments on HTML5, but as of now it doesn?t yet meet all of our customers' needs," Wei wrote. "Our player doesn?t just simply stream video, it must also secure the content, handle reporting for our advertisers, render the video using a high performance codec to ensure premium visual quality, communicate back with the server to determine how long to buffer and what bitrate to stream, and dozens of other things that aren't necessarily visible to the end user."
Though Wei's comments were posted on Hulu's blog on Thursday, they were quickly taken down with no explanation given. But the text managed to circulate online before its removal.
The statement would seem to finally put to rest lingering rumors that Hulu might convert to HTML5 for an iPad-friendly site. But it does not mean that iPad users will not be able to access Hulu.
The company is still expected to bring its service to the iPad eventually, through software in the App Store much like the ABC and Netflix streaming players. It is believed Hulu on the iPad will be a pay-only service that would require a monthly subscription.
But the existing, popular ABC application shows programs like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" for free, with ad support. And that free product has apparently caused concern for Hulu, which is rumored to introduce a $9.95-per-month subscription plan later this month, on May 24.
It is believed that Hulu will incentivize its subscription plan with Apple's iPad, and also offer a "window" where content is available to subscribers, both on computers and the iPad, before it can be seen for free by the general public. Rumors have suggested Hulu's business partners -- the site is owned by the parent companies of Fox, NBC and ABC -- have pressured the service into subscription plans to "train" viewers that they should pay for online access to content.
Comments
Pretty much have all of the companies on payroll now, so what's a few more content negotiations ?
if you read their statement they can't use it because they couldn't figure out how to get DRM. Thanks "open" adobe for sticking us with hulu's drm content!
Hulu is supposed to give the content away for free?
What do you mean you won't support the standards in place? They are called Standards for a reason.
I refuse to breath air....
We don't really care about HTML5 when it comes to Hulu - we want H.264 and a dedicated app although if they don't get on it the content providers are going to realize that when it comes to the iPad (and hopefully iPhone soon) they can make more by just doing it themselves instead of going through Hulu...
Flash is using h264 for its f4v container(you can put it in flv container using ffmpeg), except flash allows h264 to be played in many browsers that dont support h264 natively like firefox.
Hulu is supposed to give the content away for free?
They lock out the downloads and force commercials at various time intervals. For now it's free, but if they move to subscriber model, then they will charge some bucks.
Go to hulu and play jon stewerts daily show. Ooops no longer on hulu, got to move to another site! Pathetic.
if you read their statement they can't use it because they couldn't figure out how to get DRM. Thanks "open" adobe for sticking us with hulu's drm content!
Are you upset at Apple too because the movies in their itunes store also have DRM?
Are you upset at Apple too because the movies in their itunes store also have DRM?
Actually i'm not upset at either. Just observing the hypocracy of talking about being open and then delivering technologies for closed content. I know apple has DRM, but they don't go around saying they are the web. http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/
Hulu is just being pissy because they've figured out that the "rich" Apple fanboys can't be easily exploited for their disposable income as they once thought. F*ck Hulu. Something better will soon replace them and make them irrelevant, anyway.
Signed,
An iPad owning, card-carrying Apple "Fanboy"
Actually i'm not upset at either. Just observing the hypocracy of talking about being open and then delivering technologies for closed content. I know apple has DRM, but they don't go around saying they are the web. http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/
'Open' vs. 'Closed' is more a discussion of whether or not the platform is available to the community to evolve, patch, repair; whether it [the technology; not the product] is free-for-use and relatively unencumbered by patents—not a discussion of whether it is free, or freely available. There is absolutely nothing wrong with DRM on an open standard if that is what is necessary in order for business to take place—and that's exactly what is required in order for Hulu to exist and do what it does. The movie industry would not tolerate Hulu if people were finding ways to download the content to their computers for distribution.
So what are you really upset about? That Hulu won't let you download the movies and distribute them? That they make you watch an occasional commercial here and there? If so, don't use their service. It is free and has less advertising than television. Are you upset that they're not on the Apple bandwagon? If so, get over it. Are you upset at Adobe for being at odds with Apple here? If so, get over it—it's business, and Adobe has every reason to protect their platform (though they really should be looking to the future; Flash is going to play a diminished role in the internet whether they like it or not); and Apple also has very good reason to try and kill Flash.
That said, I understand Hulu's position here. HTML5 is awesome for embedding video and other basic tasks, and hasn't yet evolved enough to handle some of these more advanced things without considerable development or pioneering effort. Hulu requires much more of video on their site than simply to play, and they have to develop that solution in HTML5 if they want to move past Flash, which has been used for years to do what they're doing now. I imagine what they want to do is definitely possible; they've just made a financial decision (whether due to some suggestion or motivation from the likes of Adobe, legitimate complications, or both) and will change their tune when money tells them they're making a mistake.
Is hulu going to be a linking website instead of streaming content.
Go to hulu and play jon stewerts daily show. Ooops no longer on hulu, got to move to another site! Pathetic.
yeah it does kill the experience.
Considering Hulu's supposedly started by the media companies, shouldn't they be able to at least get the content right?