Hulu's new desktop app on a Windows XP computer. (Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET) There are some stringent limitations to getting the desktop client to run properly, although if your system meets their standards, you'll get to play with some cool features. Windows users must have at least an Intel Pentium Core Duo, with a 1.8GHz processor and 2GB of RAM running Windows XP. Mac users need an Intel Pentium Core Duo, with a 2.0GHz and 2GB of RAM running OS X 10.4 (Tiger). Both Windows and Mac users should have at least a 2 Mbps Internet connection, and Flash 9.0.124 or later is a must. Once running, the desktop client offers a smooth and reasonable facsimile of the features users should be familiar with from Hulu on the Web. You can use a Windows Media Center remote or an Apple remote to control it, further emphasizing the computer as a TV. Using the standard maximize window button in the upper-right corner of the pane will give you full-screen viewing. Mouse over the video in the windowed mode to reveal the title of the video playing, its user rating, duration, and a button to jump to the main menu up at the top. A video progress timeline, volume control, buffer status, and video quality indicators live on the bottom. A handy preview pane appears when you mouse over the timeline. The Hulu Desktop main menu. Online video streaming site Hulu is breaking out of the browser and going native, launching a native desktop application for Mac and Windows. (Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET) The Web-based Hulu navigation in the menu remains the same. A scroll bar on the left smoothly moves from Now Playing down through Recently Added, TV, and Movies. A search feature available from a magnifying glass icon allows for Hulu-wide searching, and the scroll bar's Search option opens up a slick-feeling virtual keyboard. In my testing, I encountered no stability issues, although some users have noted other results. The Hulu Desktop beta is currently free, although there's no indication from Hulu whether that will change in the future. Hulu has updated its app for iOS with a brand new look, new navigation options and in-app subscriptions, allowing users to subscribe to the service and create Hulu Plus accounts within the app.
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March 2019
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