Hulu Plus gets lots of minuses on iTunes

One the sacred commandments of retail is "Thou shalt not raise prices, at least not so noticeably as to incur the wrath of thy customers."

Seems that rule also applies to online videos. Hulu Plus, a $9.99-a-month video service introduced Tuesday, is getting lots of minuses when it comes to user ratings for its iTunes app, which lets subscribers view Hulu videos on Apple Inc.'s iPads. 

As of 9 a.m. Friday, the Hulu Plus app had received 3,173 one-star ratings out of a total 3,836 on iTunes. That's 83% of reviewers claiming to be unhappy with the app. Check out a snapshot of the full ratings profile, pictured on the left.

Just for comparison, 24% of those who reviewed the Netflix app gave it one star.

Why all the frowns for Hulu Plus?

Hulu executives this week said the new service would be in addition to the site's current offering of free TV shows. But viewers aren't seeing it that way. One reviewer summed up the rage in a relatively tame comment, saying, "Why pay $10 a month for something that was free on my computer?"

Another common complaint: the ads. One reviewer wrote, "They want $10/mo to watch TV shows WITH COMMERCIALS included. No thanks." Another review, entitled "Useless," read, "What idiot would pay 10 bucks a month to watch ads."

Note to TV executives: Fabulous app! Except for one small thing. Viewers don't seem to like it.

-- Alex Pham

Comments

[Jim]

"What idiot would pay 10 bucks a month to watch ads."

Hmmm...let's see:

-Every person who subscribes to cable TV.
-Every person who subscribes to DirecTV, Dish Network or any other satellite service.
-Every person who subscribes to Verizon FIOS, AT&T U-Verse or any other TV service through a phone company.

Apparently, there are a lot of "idiots" out there. And they're paying a whole heck of a lot more than $10 a month to watch ad-filled television shows.

Currently, the expectation is that TV online should be free. That expectation will go away.

You simply can't spend millions of dollars producing something and then give it away for free.

[Tom]

So, is this another reason for the lack of Flash support? Apple sure will do anything for a buck these days. Product quality and customer support (and respect) are at an all-time-low, but somehow the stock is at an all-time high.

$10 as a one-time fee would seem reasonable. Paying more than a Netflix subscription for vastly less content? Now, that's just stupid.

I'm so old, I remember when Apple had integrity. (With apologies to BartCop for co-opting the expression.)

What a world we live in, that people will spend $500 and up (plus $100/month) for something just because it's a neat-o gadget, with no regard whatsoever to need or intended use.

Another memo to Apple: just because it's a tech product doesn't mean you aren't making it in a sweatshop. Some people care about workers' conditions. Apple consumers, clearly, do not.

[Angelique]

I do not subscribe to cable. I own a 50" plasma television hooked up to a Windows 7 PC with windows media center that gives me excellent control / DVR for my HDTV antenna. I also own an iPad. We've been without cable for two years, which was more than enough to pay for the Media Center PC and iPad.

I am perfectly willing to pay $10 / month for Hulu Plus so I can laugh at all the tards still paying $50 / month for cable + DVR...but not for another 3 weeks when Mad Men starts again.

[Paul]

It's the ridiculously high price, the ads, and the fact that it's barely standard-definition quality. On a smaller note, it doesn't include surround sound support, which will be a large complaint when the PS3/Xbox 360 apps come out later this month.

[Jim8]

My problem is the choppy video. I have DSL and it isn't fast enough. I also hate the ads.

Watching videos on a computer is a challenge.

[Diesel_Dog]

this is the future people, sayonora free internet, hello pay to play apps....You didn't think that The New York Times and Hulu would be free forever did you??

[Jack C NYC]

hulu.com is now running multiple ads instead of just one at a time... they make money off ads but it's not enough! (PS it's never enough) greed will be hulu's downfall.

I checked out the Plus offereings... and would subscribe if more programs were available than currently are... for example, programs with more episodes than hullu.com currently offers, even complete good foreign TV shows would be nice: Doc Martin, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Da Vinci's Inquest,

So people will start looking for other websites to get these programs, and there will be other websites, some good, some bad.
http://www.movieweb.com
http://www.free-tv-video-online.info

PS. I never subscribed to cable, I used antenna TV for years, now just the Internet.

[Jack C NYC]

My problem is the choppy video. I have DSL and it isn't fast enough. I also hate the ads.
Watching videos on a computer is a challenge..
Posted by: Jim8 | July 03, 2010 at 10:02 AM
---
FYI
I had DSL for 5 years then when I moved I switched to comcast (phone and Internet, not TV for intro $39/mo)

My comcast wi-fi (I have laptop), is 2X faster than my wired DSL (ethernet). No more choppy videos.

[Jack C NYC]

So, is this another reason for the lack of Flash support? Apple sure will do anything for a buck these days. Product quality and customer support (and respect) are at an all-time-low, but somehow the stock is at an all-time high.
WRONG: JD Power & Forrester Research APPLE TOPS IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION both products and support!

$10 as a one-time fee would seem reasonable. Paying more than a Netflix subscription for vastly less content? Now, that's just stupid.
HULU STILL HAS LOTS OF FREE TV & MOVIES unlike Netflix

I'm so old, I remember when Apple had integrity. (With apologies to BartCop for co-opting the expression.)
POT CALLING KETTLE

What a world we live in, that people will spend $500 and up (plus $100/month) for something just because it's a neat-o gadget, with no regard whatsoever to need or intended use.
HUH?

Another memo to Apple: just because it's a tech product doesn't mean you aren't making it in a sweatshop. Some people care about workers' conditions. Apple consumers, clearly, do not.
WRONG: FOXCONN MAKES PRODUCTS FOR DELL, HP, SAMSUNG, ETC ETC ETC

Posted by: Tom

[MightyMax]

Why do people even bother with sites like Hulu? If you wanna get tv shows for free without ads then use bittorent.

[Michael]

I have a sneaky suspicion that the cable/satellite companies are playing a bigger role in paid internet tv than is being let on to. If you're a cable exec and it's time to renew your contract with a major network and they want $4 from every subscriber but they provide most of their popular shows online for free, you're probably going to balk. These companies are aware of how many people are saying "I'll just watch it online."

Also, I think that they could make enough money for most TV shows giving them away for free. Unlike cable, most internet TV doesn't let you skip ads. Add to that the possibility of using sites like facebook to know exactly who is watching the show and micro-target the ads, this would make that adspace much more valuable and could bring in substantial revenue.

@MightMax: While torrents are all fine and good (if in a legal gray area) studios are catching on and seeding more and more torrents with tracers. The Hurt Locker's producers recently sued 5,000 torrent sharers and issued subpoenas for their isp information.