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."

Comments

Re:No love for the Penguin?

[malevolentjelly]

This has been asked before, but... where's the Linux version? And will we need a liquid cooled Phenom x4 processor to render the Adobe video in full screen?

Quick answer: the linux community is full of inconsistent and unstable API's with no standard way to package or distribute software. There's no right way to release proprietary software on linux. (Predicted freetard response: MAYBE THEY SHOULD OPEN SOURCE IT)

Anyway, it's not only the hardest and most expensive platform to release/maintain for, it's also the least popular. It's an utter waste of time considering everything works fine on the web side of things. When you're using Linux, the only stable and consistent API on which to build and release solutions of this magnitude is the web. Thanks, Adobe and Mozilla. Welcome to protected commercial content.

Re:Why not just work with Boxee

[whiledo]

Did you miss the part where Hulu sells the set-top box? As in "takes money in exchange for." Keyword: money.