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02 Sep 2011 19:51

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Biz, Tech: Netflix’s crappy day: As its stock falls, a new competitor shows itself

01 Jul 2011 17:25

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Tech: Google’s eyeing Hulu, or reasons they might be getting too big

  • then Back in 2006, Google purchased then-fledgling YouTube for $1.65 billion — its biggest purchase ever at the time. The service has grown massive over the years but has struggled bringing major content creators like Viacom on board — a huge bummer for fans of “The Daily Show” in particular. In fact, Viacom sued YouTube to get them to remove the clips.
  • now Hulu, a service started in part as a major studio reaction to YouTube’s viral growth, is now in talks with Google, who may buy the company out — and in the process, get the lucrative content deals that have eluded YouTube over the years. (Microsoft and Yahoo are also eyeing the service, by the way.) Will we finally see “The Daily Show” on YouTube again? source
  • » We don’t know how to feel about this: While we appreciate the fact that Google might make “The Daily Show” happen on YouTube with a buyout like this (though Viacom has pulled their shows from Hulu in the past), if it actually happens, it runs directly into a wall of regulatory scrutiny — as Google’s been feeling the heat lately. While YouTube and Hulu aren’t the only games in town (hi Netflix and Vimeo), together they’re big enough that it would deserve some regulatory scrutiny if it actually happens.

18 Jan 2011 22:30

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Biz: Comcast + Hulu – Power to control its investment = Is that enough?

  • problemComcast wants to buy NBC Universal, but has significant reason to competitively damage online streaming site Hulu, which NBC owns a 30 percent stake in. TV fans are worried.
  • solutionThe Department of Justice is forcing Comcast out of Hulu boardroom meetings, meaning they have to allow NBC content on Hulu, but otherwise have no influence on the company. source
  • » Will this be enough? It’s too early to tell, but the Justice Department’s restrictions on Hulu essentially put Comcast in a position of wanting Hulu to succeed, because they won’t be able to sabotage it directly, but their money is still backing it. Comcast’s Executive Vice President David Cohen put it like so: “We continue to have an interest in the growth and advancement of Hulu …and we obviously prefer to maintain our ownership position and our partnership with our content.” Let’s see if this is what actually happens. (thanks popculturebrain)

11 Oct 2010 22:23

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Culture: On Banksy, “The Simpsons,” News Corp. and YouTube

  • You can’t be serious. it’s like you’re hiding this. Banksy’s “Simpsons” couch sequence has been the talk of the Web all day. It packs a visceral effect that wears off after the first time, but it mainly works because it’s so out of left field – even for the Simpsons. Anyway, the video that everyone was linking from a YouTube channel called “banksyfilm” – you know, Banksy’s own account. Now it’s been taken down for copyright reasons and people have been told to watch it on Hulu, which, besides the country restrictions, is annoying because they initially didn’t even have the Banksy intro pulled out as a clip. The effect feels akin to censorship, considering the very viral subject matter can no longer be viewed in Asia. (Fortunately, we found another version.) source

09 Jun 2010 10:24

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Tech: An update on Hulu’s grand scheme to charge you money

  • yes Hulu plans to expand its base to the Xbox 360 and iPad very soon. (About time, guys.)
  • yes You will have to start paying for the service soon. (Grr… this is our angry voice)
  • no You won’t have to pay for new episodes of shows, just older, “classic” episodes. source

23 May 2010 11:33

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Culture: Diehard Conan fans fight Leno on all fronts – including Hulu

  • Yeah, that’s one way to handle Leno angst. Some smart Conan fans on Hulu have been tagging episodes of The Tonight Show to trash on the guy who got “The Tonight Show” back. While it’s funny, it’s also against Hulu’s own terms. Still pretty funny. source

11 Feb 2010 10:50

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Tech: How low can they go? Apple is trying to cut TV show prices

  • $1.99 the price Apple currently sells TV shows for – it’s also a dollar extra for HD, and it’s expensive
  • $1 the price Apple is gunning to sell TV shows for, which could help it take on Hulu
  • $30 the price they want to charge for all-you-can-eat monthly Apple TV subscriptions source
 

05 Jan 2010 20:27

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Tech: We watch a lot of videos, guys, mostly on YouTube

  • 31B videos were watched online in November alone
  • 40% came from Google – 99% of those from YouTube
  • 3% came from Hulu – a distant second place source

12 Nov 2009 21:43

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Culture: Clicker.com wants to be the TV Guide of Internet television

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  • Can a TV Guide specifically for the Web work? Clicker.com seems to think so, even though it has a ton of competition already, including from TV Guide itself, and, uh, YouTube. This isn’t going to be one of those things we hear about and then completely forget, like Cuil, is it?source

23 Oct 2009 13:36

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