Hulu Review: Watch Your Favorite Shows And Movies At Home Or On The Go

Hulu offers a huge streaming library of current and classic TV shows and hit movies you love. Get access to tons of episodes of every kind of TV. From Family Guy to Modern Family to The Handmaid’s Tale to This Is Us – there’s plenty of all the things you’re into.

Streaming TV is becoming more and more sophisticated – and complex. Like their competitors at Sling TV and YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV lets you watch some of your favorite cable channels live, as well as a lot of your favorite cable shows on demand. That makes HULU one of the best streaming services available.

Unlike other cable replacements, though, Hulu’s live TV service integrates seamlessly into its streaming service. In other words like Netflix it has movies, but also has channels for live TV.

At $7.99 a month, basic Hulu is one of the best deals in streaming, with a huge number of recent and vintage movies and shows. And, if you want everything you need in one package, upgrade to Hulu Plus Live TV which adds several live channels for sports, news and local channels. Plus Hulu’s now offers a Disney bundle with a DVR. For the Plus package with movies + live TV + Disney you’ll pay 10 times as much (currently $76.99). But, this combination of live channels with Hulu and Disney and a deep on-demand catalog is something no other live TV streaming service can match.

In comparison YouTube TV is $73/mo. for their basic streaming service. They have 100+ channels, which is much more than HULU, but not the same awesome select of movies and no Disney channel. Sling is offered right now at $40/mo. but with much fewer live channels (35 channels at this time).

Hulu + Live TV Interface

Unlike YouTube TV, Hulu’s live TV service doesn’t come in a separate app. It’s part of the Hulu channel interface, so you just move around to what you want – rather than switching to another app. Comparatively, YouTube TV is a standalone app, so it’s not the same convenience.

What You Get

Access 95+ channels with Live TV, Unlimited DVR, endless entertainment with Disney+ (With Ads), live sports with ESPN+ (With Ads), and award-winning Hulu originals with Hulu (With Ads).

Hulu Plus Live TV expands upon the on-demand service with more than 75 live channels and throws in both a cloud DVR and program guide. It’s all available on Hulu’s standard app on all the major platforms, including computer browsers, iOS, Xbox, PlayStation, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and smart TV systems. 

Hulu’s live TV lineup includes A&E, Bravo, CNN, Disney Channel, ESPN, FX, Food Network, Fox News, Fox Sports, History, National Geographic, Syfy, TBS, TNT, USA and plenty of other worthwhile programming, including  sports and kids’ content. Depending on your region, you’ll even get a generous assortment of local channels, such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Channels: Hulu has a lot of channels, and just a few less major cable channels than YouTube TV. The service is missing popular channels AMC and BBC America, which every one of Hulu’s competitors offers. Hulu also doesn’t have PBS local stations, though in the coming months that will change, as well as NBA TV, which is available on YouTube TV. However, Hulu does offer the History Channel, Lifetime and A&E, none of which are on YouTube TV. The big one is that Hulu Plus Live TV package also includes ad-supported Disney Plus and ESPN Plus – not available on YouTube.

Sports: Like other live streaming TV services the big question now, and in the future is sports. They have opted out of many live sporting events, as did YouTube TV. Live TV or other offers might be best for that. However, if you’re a football fan Hulu does include the  NFL Network which is a big plus.

Recommendation

It mostly boils down to the live TV choices. If all your favorite channels are on Hulu Plus Live TV’s channels Hulu Plus Live TV is a perfect fit. Because overall the number of available movies is more robust than the others. Also, Disney Plus and CNN Plus is a big attraction for some.

YouTube TV offers more channels, and currently a deeper cable-like service. Or if you don’t need as many channels or streaming local network affiliates (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox), Sling TV Blue offers a much cheaper rate at $40 a month.

My kids are huge Disney fans, so that’s a big attraction for me. I’m more of a movie fan, so the attraction to me is how many movies in their catalog. So, Hulu is more of a match for my viewing habits. But, keep an eye out because what each offers changes quickly.