hulu let a whole bunch of new people into their private beta this weekend, and despite a few complaints the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.
While we’ve been supporters of the site from the beginnig I have to admit I had hoped for more – after all this is supposedly a billion dollar online video site. Based on what it does now it’s not going to be worth that any time soon.
Above: 30 Rock: The Worm and the Crab
The good:
- Ease of use
- Ease of discovery
- Quality
- Embedablity
- Customization of clips for embedding
The bad:
- Content is limited
- Few opportunities for user engagement
- Thumbnail grid navigation.
Here’s a look at some of the content they do offer, a great feature is the ability to grab the embed code from any embedded player, a la YouTube – which shows they do have broader web syndication ambitions (a la CBS).
Above: Barack Obama on Leno
FOX is using hulu in addition to their targeted microsites offering users a choice of getting Arrested Development at hulu or at their MSN site. Each offers unique benefits in terms of targeting and monetization and either way users watch on FOX’s terms.
Above: Arrested Development Pilot
At its most basic, it’s good for everyone to allow this content to be shared and syndicated legally online.
[...] 11 11 2007 Online Video Watch gives its verdict on the Hulu private beta over in this post. The service scores highly for ease-of-use and discoverability of content, but poorly for the [...]