In the following article I will discuss the two services as they appear on PS3. Some people have asked me, “Hulu Plus, is it worth it? Should I get h+ or Netflix?” To cut to the chase, if you’re into streaming media, or if you are a cable-cutter, you want both. We all know that’s not a helpful answer, so this article should help someone who is on the fence make a decision. 

This article was initially written in August, but has since been updated to reflect the changes to both services.

Hulu Plus (h+) has been a fairly derided service since its inception. Ad-filled programming despite the monthly subcription fees has left many with a bad taste in their mouth. However, the service is not without its merits. H+ has a lightning-fast interface which looks great and is easily accessible. The “subscription and queues” tab is the most important for me. This tab makes browsing through your shows easy to locate. When watching your programs, you have the option to switch between different resolutions; a feature tragically absent from Netflix’s service. Available television shows tend to have at least one season back-logged, which is convenient if you wait until the season finale to start watching, a trait I am known for. H+ adds new programming the day after it airs, though this schedule has varied occasionally. Additionally, there is no guarantee the shows will remain streamable through the premium service. I will discuss more on programming further down.

Interfacing with h+ can be a bit troublesome on the ps3, though since the original time of writing many of the previous issues have been fixed. Hulu recently added support for the essential blu-ray remote peripheral, making stopping, pausing and starting videos a breeze. Furthermore, fast-forward and rewind are about as much of a breeze as streaming video will be, which is to say that it is as much of a chore as it always has been. It seems that neither streaming service has figured out a great way to seamlessly fast-forward or rewind. Despite these improvements, using the directional pad on the BD remote can still be as finicky as ever. Often, when browsing through shows and tabs I will inadvertently navigate up or down in hierarchy when I’m trying to scroll from left-to-right. There is a work-around, though it still requires some attention. The controls still need some work, but as mentioned above, it is a pretty user-interface which runs quickly on the ps3 (especially when compared to the laggy and ugly netflix UI*).

*Netflix has recently updated their interface on PS3, but it is still ugly.

The content available to h+ subscribers is a bit of an issue. There are no shows available from CBS (honestly I don’t miss that), only a few current offerings NBC, FOX and ABC. What few current television programs h+ screens can be removed without any notice. Most notably, NBC’s Community aired one episode on h+ only to be removed the next week. Most of the content which is available seems to be cancelled programming. There are very few cable offerings to be found on h+ and sadly no premium cable offerings (e.g. HBO). The movies available through the service are few, and like their television counterparts, are riddled with advertisements—a problem Netflix users will not experience. The most aggravating part about the lack of premium television / cable programming is that we are forced to sit through advertisements. Considering most of what is available could be watched without a cable television subscription, one would think the subscription could cover the cost of ads for network television. For ten dollars a month, I’d like to see more content from different networks, but maybe that’s asking too much. That being said, the cataloging and on-demand nature of h+ makes the monthly bill a cost* worth bearing. 

*Hulu has recently scaled back the monthly fee for the service, from $9.99/mo to $7.99/mo. This change affects all users, and early adopters have been credited for the months before the change.

I feel as if I don’t need to explain Netflix as much, but let us review. Netflix has a vast array of movies available for streaming at any time. I have never had difficulty browsing through the selection and finding interesting things to watch. The recent addition of the search feature on Netflix’s ps3 application makes it much easier to enjoy endless hours of entertainment, and the helpful “you may also like” options means you are scarcely going to run out of material any time soon. Since the original post, Netflix has forgone the use of the blu-ray disc and now runs natively on the PlayStation 3 through a downloadable application.

One cannot rely on the television programming offered by Netflix, whereas you can depend upon some of the staples available on h+. There are scattered seasons of seemingly random tv programs (again, no HBO! But Showtime offers some of its programming here). You can’t rely on getting seasons 1 through N available to stream, and usually cannot even rely on the most recent seasons. While with h+ television becomes available shortly after it airs, Netflix requires a home-video release before it can stream a tv show. 

As mentioned above, the Netflix interface lacks the finesse we find on h+. It feels heavy. You cannot choose video quality, instead Netflix chooses for you based on connection speed. This can be annoying if you’re a videophile on a slow connection. But, if you cared that much you would not watch streaming content anyway! Sometimes, though, the SD option really is too ugly, and I found myself refreshing the video until it loads in HD. 

Like h+, Netflix utilizes the blu-ray remote peripheral. Netflix is perhaps a little less finicky when it comes to navigating with the directional pad. Rewinding and fast forwarding aren’t as bad as on h+, though this is entirely because there are no commercial breaks. It still isn’t fun to rewind or fast forward. Thanks, streaming video.

Ultimately the value of streaming programming is up to the consumer. If you’re looking to get specific programming—that is, if you want specific television shows for streaming—you’re looking in the wrong place. So far these services are not for you if you want to find anything at any time. But, if you’re capable of being happy when you find gems in the wide range of perhaps mediocre (or mind-bogglingly large) offerings, then you ought to find joy in either one of the services. If you find you want to watch more up-to-date television, h+ is a good investment. If you require more recent film offerings, or simply a wider (and better) range of movies, Netflix is where you belong. If you’re like me, you happily pay for both. Also, if you’re even more like me, you’re hoping for the day when you can tailor your streaming television to your tastes, for a flat rate.