Audio Video News

The first thought that hits me when I open Hulu's desktop application is how bad I feel for Joost. A few years ago they were trying to pull off the same magic trick: bringing a full-fledged TV experience to the desktop. Adobe tried, too with...

The video streaming site Hulu got a new high-profile partner last week with the announcement that Disney movies and TV shows would be available. This is a leg up for Hulu, in the thick of an ongoing race with YouTube to sign up new content partners.

Up to now admission to most TV-on-internet websites has been free. But one of the category's major sites, Hulu, may soon start charging for online viewing of some shows.

Hulu has announced that it is now streaming in 4K/Ultra HD.

Hulu Plus, long rumored and now launching, is a paid version of the popular streaming video site. While the free version of the site will continue to offer fresh TV episodes, the paid version will offer full seasons of current shows plus seasons of shows no longer aired. The cost will be $9.99/month.

If you're like my son, no matter how big the hard drive is in your DVR it's not big enough. Humax USA announced today the nationwide availability of the T2500, the first TiVo Series2 DVR with a whopping 300 hours of recording capability. (Although it doesn't record HD, that's still over 12 days of continuous couch-potato bliss.) It'll cost you $699 for that kind of storage capacity; but when you compare it with what it would cost to 300 hours of Super Bowl commercial air time over the next 50 years, it's a steal. Since the T2500 (and the 80-hour T800) is a TiVo Series2 unit, subscribing owners can use TiVo's new Home Media features and online scheduling as part of TiVo's standard $12.95/month service package. The new features let you schedule recordings from any internet connection and move content between two or more TiVo Series2 DVRs in your home. You can also listen to music or view photos stored on your PC if you're so networkingly inclined. Now Humax just needs to release an HD DVR, and my son won't ever have to leave the couch.

Hollywood is now cranking out DVD titles at a rate of more than one per day, but rental outlets have only a few of the most popular titles in stock. This is clearly a problem for home-theater owners and movie fans looking for new material.