Hulu Testing Client App; Boxee Dispute Explained

N!NJA sends in word of Hulu's new beta section, Hulu Labs, which is now showcasing Hulu Desktop, a client that runs on both Windows and Mac. The author believes that Hulu Desktop explains why Hulu has been so touchy about Boxee. "This clearly explains why Hulu has been so persistent in blocking Boxee — an open-source media-center application for Macs, Apple TVs, and other devices — from including its content. Since Hulu provides free, ad-based mainstream content from the largest studios and networks in the business, they are under tight constraints imposed by these major players. We have already seen good examples of where Hulu is heading with integrated advertising inside the browser. A desktop client produced in-house will be much more conducive to monetizing Hulu using these kinds of campaigns."

Re:No love for the Penguin?

[Anonymous Coward]

"2. They use streaming h264. No adobe shit required"

FTFA: "You'll also need Adobe Flash 9.0.124"

Re:No love for the Penguin?

[Andy Dodd]

They use streaming H264 in an Adobe FLV container, streamed using Adobe's proprietary RTMPE (RTMP Encrypted) protocol.

While RTMP is pretty well documented and RTMP dumpers/rippers exist, RTMPE is a whole other ballgame.

In addition, Hulu does some funky stuff with their flash app to obfuscate the actual RTMPE stream URL.

In short, without either Hulu's official client or Adobe Flash Player and Hulu's site, you're not going to be watching Hulu video. It may be h264 video, but it is streamed using a proprietary streaming protocol.

In short - Adobe shit IS required, and is notorious for having far higher system requirements than the same video played back with a player that doesn't suck. (i.e. it really IS shit) For example, Hulu video won't play smoothly on my living room desktop, while streams ripped prior to them moving from RTMP to RTMPE playback smoothly with less than 50% CPU usage in MPlayer.

Let me RTFA that for you

[whiledo]

Hulu Desktop is wrapped with a media-center-like bow, with a customized "lean-back" UI that can run full screen and even respond to Apple Remotes and Windows Media Center remotes.

Re:No love for the Penguin?

[lordofthechia]

I'll give another example: Hulu streams (full screen) are choppy on my HTPC while 1080p videos will barely peg the CPU (thanks VDPAU!) and 720p will play just fine w/o VDPAU enabled (30-70% CPU usage).

Also add to this that MythVodka (MythTV Hulu app which no longer works due to changes at Hulu) could play Hulu videos smoothly. Keep in mind that MythVodka had to first download the video using a script, convert it on the fly to some other format, and *then* play it and fullscreen it! All of that consumed less CPU cycles than simply trying to fullscreen Hulu videos using flash!

Re:I don't think ads were the sticky issue with Bo

[IANAAC]

Link to that Boxee build plox! I've been trying to find it for ages! Extra credit if it's a deb or a repo!

Uh... have you not poked around boxee's site AT ALL? They give you VERY clear instructions on how to add the repository (Ubuntu is supported).

Re:No love for the Penguin?

[Neeperando]

Support for remote controls. With MythTV I can control everything from the remote, but when I go to Hulu suddenly I have to use the mouse. It's kind of annoying.

The real reason for blocking Media Centers

[colin_young]

This post (Q's 7 & 8) I think explains why Hulu has been forced to block media center apps: http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/your-hulu-questions-answered/ [nytimes.com] To be fair, Hulu needs to satisfy the desires of their content-providing overlords, and whether or not the people at Hulu agree with blocking media centers, they need to at least make it appear they are making a good-faith effort to do so (it does seem that every block they've thrown up has been easily worked-around). That said, I suspect the thinking is the full-screen app isn't going to be used by technically sophisticated users who are capable of setting up and running one of the Hulu-supporting media centers, and therefore anyone who is using the full-screen app isn't going to be the type that has their PC hooked up to their TV.

Re:Hulu would love to support Boxee

[defaria]

According to the Hulu CEO, the issue is the cable channels. They get a large chunk of their funding from cable subscriptions, and they feel very threatened by any project that attempts to replace the cable box in your living room.

Poppycock! Indeed their very web site itself "attempts to replace the cable box in your living room".

Re:Now just dump Flash

[compro01]

Anything that uses the Intel GMA 500 video has hardware acceleration for video decoding. A few that have this are:

• Dell Inspiron Mini 10
• Dell Inspiron Mini 12
• Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook U2010
• Sony Vaio VGN-P11Z/R
• Sony Vaio VGN-P11Z/W
• Sony Vaio VGN-P19VN/Q
• Sony Vaio VGN-P530H/R

And anything built on Nvidia's ion platform, though those are fairly much non-existent so far.

Re:No love for the Penguin?

[Korin43]

Some of us don't see the point in paying $50+ a month to watch one or two TV shows. I know for the last 6 months the only shows I've been watching are Heroes and Dollhouse. They're both ok (probably won't watch Heroes next season), but neither one is worth $50/month. Until Hulu came out, I just didn't watch any TV at all.

Re:I don't think ads were the sticky issue with Bo

[JackieBrown]

deb http://apt.boxee.tv/ [boxee.tv] hardy main

http://wiki.boxee.tv/Main_Page [boxee.tv]