Hulu, who are tipped to be close to launching their subscription TV service in Australia, has overnight said that they will block access to its content on the new BlackBerry tablet device, the PlayBook.
Hulu, who are tipped to be close to launching their subscription TV service in Australia, has overnight said that they will block access to its content on the new BlackBerry tablet device, the PlayBook.
Last month Hula registered a patent name in Australia with the Company tipped to launch a sub $10 monthly subscription service.
Engadget said that a key selling point for Hulu Plus services is access on mobile devices, like Apple’s iPad and iPhone, through software applications. The PlayBook, however, has taken a different tack with its rival device than Apple, foregoing such applications in favour of a mobile browser that roams the open Internet.
PlayBook owners earlier this week were able to view free video content on Hulu.com, but the site’s shows and movies are now blocked on the device. A PlayBook user attempting to access video on the site is greeted by a message from Hulu that says the device isn’t supported by the site.
Engadget said that Hulu’s move is not surprising, as the site has adopted a strategy of denying consumers free access to its content through web-connected televisions and new mobile devices. Hulu’s owners include Comcast, NBC Universal, Walt Disney and News Corporation which also owns The Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun in Melbourne.
The Hula service which will be a threat to Foxtel and Telstra TV, could be up and running in Australia within months with the Company currently talking to several free to air TV networks according to Fairfax Media.
Hulu, which offers free ad-supported on-demand streaming of TV shows and movies, has been a runaway hit in the US, where it delivers hundreds of millions of streams a month on desktop computers and internet-connected TVs.
