With more than 3 million subscribers, Hulu Live with TV is the most popular option around for most people. Hulu Live is one of the streaming services most-hyped for re-contextualizing TV experience.
A key part of the streaming service is the redesigned, revamped Hulu experience. It boasts a robust channel lineup, cloud DVR, and a deep on-demand catalog.
With Hulu Live, you can quit cable TV yet keep your favorite live sports, news and other channels. But what sets it apart? Read on to find out if Hulu Live is worth your money.
1. Onboarding
To use Hulu with Live TV, you need a fast internet connection. After signing up, you’ll need to use a supported device, such as Fire Stick, Roku or Chromecast to stream content on your TV. Some of the devices supported by Hulu include PC and Mac, Android phones and tablets, Apple TV, Apple iPhone, and iPad and select Samsung TVs.
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Once you sign in to your Live TV account, Hulu will guide you through the steps designed to customize the service to your preferences. Here, customers are walked through importing their existing WatchList and telling Hulu about their interests.
The interest categories are broad—including Sci-Fi, Crime and justice, Action and Adventure, News and Headlines or Late Night (while others are niche-specific). For instance, there are two categories for reality TV—one for reality competition shows and the other for celeb reality shows. You can as well select your favorite channels via the onboarding experience.
2. Hulu Live Channels
The channels that are offered is an important factor to consider when looking for a live streaming service. The Hulu TV channel lineup includes a mix of choices.
Your subscription to Hulu gives you access to more than 65 channels, although regional sports networks and local stations vary by location. Hulu Live TV local channels include FOX, ABC, CBS, Telemundo, Fox Sports, and many more.
3. Viewing Experience
In the early days, Hulu +Live TV depended on Hulu’s Guide Screen, which some users found frustrating. The service has since added the Live Guide which most users consider a better way to navigate. The Live Guide is a dedicated view exclusive to Hulu Live TV subscribers. This option offers a viewing experience almost similar to that provided by standard on-screen guides used by most linear TV services.
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Besides showing you all the channels, the lineup allows you to filter by categories, like movies or news, making navigating through what is currently playing quite easy. The guide also includes a Recent Channels section that doubles as a “favorites’ lineup.
Picture quality is clear and you rarely experience hitching or buffering—something to keep in mind. When live streaming on different devices, you’ll experience some interface changes.
4. Cloud DVR
Hulu Live TV comes with a Standard Cloud DVR that provides 50 hours of recording storage. The good thing is that you can upgrade the storage to up to 200 hours for about $10 a month. And that’s a plus for Hulu as many streaming services give you the standard 50 hours of recording storage.
5. On-Demand Library
For around six bucks, Hulu gives you full access to the on-demand catalog, Hulu originals, hit movies and select TV shows. The service also features FX on Hulu, showing exclusive TV shows scheduled to air on FX the next day and past FX shows.
On-Demand shows few ads but you can upgrade to an ad-free option for about $12 a month. Keep in mind that many streaming services don’t give you this option.
6. Pricing
Hulu Live won’t cost you a specific fee because it’s the add-on options you choose that factor into a monthly bill. The service’s monthly fee is average and you don’t pay more for what you receive. Add-on premium channels include STARZ, HBO, Showtime and Cinemax.
The base plan costs about $55 which is much cheaper than most cable plans. An awesome bonus that this service has is the ability to bundle it with Disney+ and ESPN+ for around $61. This is slightly cheaper than when subscribed individually.
Entertainment add-on only costs you about eight dollars per month and includes Cooking Channel, Lifetime Movies, CNBC World, DIY, FYI, and more. Also for about five bucks, you’ll get the Español add-on that comes with History Channel En Español, NBC Universo, ESPN Deportes, and more. All these feature a no contract obligation. This means that you can cancel your subscription anytime at no extra costs.
7. Sports Selections
One thing to note is that Hulu + Live TV is very serious about sports. With the streaming service, you won’t need to watch all games from all leagues. This makes it a great choice for sports fans, particularly college sports fans.
Hulu Live Sport includes nationally televised, local games and more. While you might notice a couple of missing channels, Hulu has about all the channels that air nationally. In the league category, the service covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA and NHL sports.
The streaming service excels in the regional sports network and has great college basketball and football coverage. Hulu + Live carry both NBC Sports RSNs and FOX Sports, which cover around 75% of teams.
8. Multiple Screens
Hulu with Live TV can be streamed on two screens at a go. So if you have several children with compatible devices, you should consider upgrading to the Unlimited Screens add-on for about $15 a month.
With Unlimited Screens, you can watch on many devices provided they are connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Plus, Hulu lets you create up to six profiles for different viewers. Each of the six viewers can choose their favorite sports teams and shows.
Try Hulu Live Today
Hulu Live provides a solid live streaming service with local availability, major network shows, and popular channels. Plus, it’s easy to use, mobile-focused, supports push notification alerts and features swipeable screens.
The service’s on-demand catalog provides you additional options when it comes to movies and more. All these make the service a worthy upgrade, especially if you’re looking to get rid of cable.
We discuss plenty of tech alternatives for you to consider on our blog. Check out this article if you’re looking for more streaming reviews.
