Hulu Review
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid's Tale.”
It offers a good selection of current TV shows and its ad-supported tier is cheaper than both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. You will be able to watch most shows from networks like ABC and Fox, and cable channels like FXX, FXM, HGTV, and more.
The service has a Limited Commercials plan for $7.99 a month, or you can upgrade to their No Ads plan for $17.99 a month. For $76.99 a month, you can get Hulu Live TV from major cable channels, live locals and regional sports networks.
Review
We tested Hulu and other subscription streaming services for more than 100 hours. Hulu is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, Xbox, Nintendo, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.
Content
Originals
Hulu offers original content available exclusively to Hulu subscribers.
These include top shows like “The Handmaid's Tale,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Reboot,” “Dopesick,” “The Kardashians,” and “The Patient.” If you want to catch these great shows, it’s the only way to do it.
You’ll also see original films like “Prey,” “Palm Springs,” “Grimcutty,” “Hellraiser,” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”
TV Shows
Hulu provides access to full seasons of many popular TV shows from ABC, NBC, Fox, and major cable channels. This means that the day after the show airs, you’ll get access to it on demand on Hulu.
This includes shows like “This Is Us,” “Grey's Anatomy,” “Family Guy,” “Bob's Burgers,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and more.
Unlike other services, you get access to new episodes during the current season, and for some shows like “Family Guy” — every episode ever made.
Movies
Hulu includes a large library of over 2,500 movies through deals with Lionsgate and Dreamworks. While they generally aren’t new releases, they include many classics like The Princess Bride, Slumdog Millionaire, Parasite, and more.
Kids
Disney is focusing Disney+ for their kids content, so Hulu comes up a little short in that department. You will find shows like Animaniacs, Hey Arnold!, The Powerpuff Girls and movies like Rio, Trolls World Tour, and How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming. If you have children, you may be best served by the Hulu bundle that includes Disney+.
Features
Up to 6 Profiles
Hulu lets you create up to six profiles for a single account.
Parental Controls
Hulu have the ability to create a special kids profile, which will only show “kid-friendly” programming.
Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and STARZ also have parental control features.
Up to 2 Devices
Hulu can be logged into as many devices as you like, but only two can be streaming at the same time.
Ads
Hulu displays ads while watching content.
Offline Downloads
Hulu includes offline access for subscribers of their Hulu with No Ads plan. The feature is available on both iOS and Android devices.
International Access
While Hulu is not available outside of the U.S., you can still watch any shows or movies you downloaded offline while traveling out to the country.
Compatible Devices
Hulu is compatible with these devices:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Google Chromecast (Google Cast)
- Roku
- Android TV
- iPhone/iPad (iOS 13+)
- Android Phone/Tablet (5.0+)
- Mac
- Windows
- Xbox
- Nintendo
- LG Smart TV (webOS 3.5+ (some 3.0))
- Samsung Smart TV (2016+)
- Sony Smart TV
- VIZIO Smart TV (2016+)
Hulu is not compatible with PlayStation devices.
Tech Specs
1080p HD
(Up to 4K UHD)
Most content on Hulu is in 1080p HD, but some Hulu Originals and films are available in 4K.
Currently, 4K streaming is only available on Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast Ultra, Xbox, and LG Smart TVs.
Hulu recommends having at least a 1.5 Mbps internet connection for standard definition content (480p).
For High Definition (HD) content, they require 3 Mbps (720p HD), 6 Mbps (1080p HD), or 13 Mbps (4K Ultra HD).
To reduce playback interruptions, Hulu will adapt the stream quality to match your network connection.
Some Surround
Stereo/Surround Sound
Hulu supports 5.1 surround sound on most of their original programming and films, but not on all library content.
As of now, they don’t support Dolby Atmos.