Media streaming service, Hulu - which is owned by NBC Universal, News Corp and Providence Equity Partners - caused much upset recently when PS3 owners in the USA found their feeds cut. It's now done the same to mobile phone users.
All this appears rather strange given that, according to Mediapost, it has "yet to establish a thriving business model. For one, critics question whether it runs enough ads to support the production of premium content. Perhaps as a result, Screen Digest analyst Arash Amel recently revised his 2009 earnings forecast for Hulu down from $180 million to $120 million."
Having now blocked PS3 and, says, the Tribble site, "officially blocked all Smartphone access". In fact, the TV and video streaming from Hulu has actually been blocked from phones using the Skyfire brower on Windows Mobile.
The reason for all this blockage was, sort of, explained in an email sent out to interested parties and reprinted at endaget. Apparently it's all down, "maximizing the content you can access as
conveniently as possible...". Yes, blocking devices sounded strange to us as a way to maximizing content. There is, of course, a caveat: "... in a way that "works" for the content owner".
In short, a content partner has complained and is exerting some influence over exactly what 'maximizing' the convenience of access means in reality.
All this appears rather strange given that, according to Mediapost, it has "yet to establish a thriving business model. For one, critics question whether it runs enough ads to support the production of premium content. Perhaps as a result, Screen Digest analyst Arash Amel recently revised his 2009 earnings forecast for Hulu down from $180 million to $120 million."
Having now blocked PS3 and, says, the Tribble site, "officially blocked all Smartphone access". In fact, the TV and video streaming from Hulu has actually been blocked from phones using the Skyfire brower on Windows Mobile.
The reason for all this blockage was, sort of, explained in an email sent out to interested parties and reprinted at endaget. Apparently it's all down, "maximizing the content you can access as
conveniently as possible...". Yes, blocking devices sounded strange to us as a way to maximizing content. There is, of course, a caveat: "... in a way that "works" for the content owner".
In short, a content partner has complained and is exerting some influence over exactly what 'maximizing' the convenience of access means in reality.
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Comments
Daz 17 Jul 2009 12:13
1/3
it's obviously run by idiots just ignore 'em, I'd never heard of 'em until all this started
Arteeum 17 Jul 2009 18:20
2/3
Havn't they been playing cat and mouse with blocking Boxy for ages?
Musoka Eimin 18 Jul 2009 23:04
3/3
Angry email written to them. I know it won't do anything but if everyone who was upset about this did, they may have had to listen.