Hulu Offers Cloud DVR Improvements, 60fps Video Streaming
Hulu is making improvements to its cloud DVR by giving subscribers more control over what they record. As the company notes in a blog post, when subscribers add a TV show to their My Stuff area, Hulu automatically saves new episodes of it to that person's cloud DVR. Newly announced settings give people more control over what exactly is recorded. Subscribers can now indicate if they want to save only new episodes, all episodes, or not to record anything. This option is now available to subscribers using iOS, Apple TV (4th generation), Amazon Fire, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and 2017 Samsung connected TVs. Hulu will expand these options to other platforms in the next few weeks.
That's not the only news from Hulu, which now streams 60fps video to Live TV customers. Channels including NBC Sports, the Olympic Channel, CNN, TBS, Showtime, and half of NBC and Fox affiliates now stream at 60fps, while iOS, Apple TV, Xbox One, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen TV, and Nintendo Switch viewers will be able to see it. Hulu is calling this Phase 1, so there's sure to be an increase in supported channels and devices in the coming months. Curiously, Hulu didn't announce this improvement with a blog post or press release. It broke the news on Reddit.
With all that innovation, maybe Hulu will stop bleeding so much money: Variety reports that Hulu lost $920 million in 2017. The debut of Live TV and an emphasis on original content were the main reasons. The company lost $531 million the year before. Don't look for the company's fortunes to change anytime soon, though: BTIG research analyst Rich Greenfield estimates it will lose $1.7 billion in 2018 and need an additional $1.5 billion investment from owners Comcast, Disney, 21st Century Fox, and Time Warner.
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