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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."
"2. They use streaming h264. No adobe shit required"
FTFA: "You'll also need Adobe Flash 9.0.124"
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.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
I'm excited about the exclusion of game consoles, assorted media boxes, Linux machines, and all users outside the US. Still, this is a little too open for my tastes. Couldn't they have made it Vista-only?
Hehe, I remember back when I started reading slashdot in ... 97? 98? ... I thought Anonymous Coward was just another user. An exceptionally stupid user.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.