In our house, even though we don’t spend a ton of time watching TV, we’re big fans of online movie rentals. When we get a chance to hang out and enjoy a show, we’re rarely in sync with when the network slots our favorite shows, so good programming available on our schedule rules. Read More
Even though Roku has recently broadened their line of digital video players, they still pretty much offer only one product. Now if you’re looking for a simple way to bridge Netflix Watch Instantly or Amazon Video On Demand 
We listed our potential improvements wish list for the Netflix interface on Xbox Live a while back, and it’s encouraging to see the results that came with Microsoft’s Xbox Experience upgrade. Read More
The folks at Roku have been busy lately. When the first Netflix-enabled set-top Roku Digital Video Player debuted last June, its singular focus, easy interface and $99 price tag made it a popular early choice for getting internet video on the big screen. As more and more people are turning to the internet to watch their favorite content on demand, we’re seeing more content sources online — and Roku is moving quickly to keep up. Read More
It’s been a couple years since we started renting movies over the web at our house. And while we’re having fun playing in the early stages of the full-video-access-over-the-web revolution, renting DVDs via the mail will probably be a vital part of our home entertainment world for a while to come. And even though the we’ve been satisfied with our current rental plan, every once in a while the age-old question pops up, and it’s as relevant in 2008 as it was four years ago: Which is better, Netflix or Blockbuster
?
Hulu announced yesterday that they’re exiting the private beta stage of development and opening their free online video service to “anyone in the U.S. with a broadband internet connection and a computer” though there are workarounds for the “in the U.S.” part.
So now it’s easy access for all, and more content to boot. They’ve added a substantial amount of new TV episodes and full-length movies to the site. For what is essentially a brand new public site, there’s a wealth of shows worth watching — all in decent resolution. With its easy-to-use site search and navigation, Hulu’s hard to beat for free streaming TV and films.
We’re regularly testing a number of web TV solutions, looking for the best combination of video content (quality and variety), usability, speed and value. So far, one of the best all-around choices for accessing commercial movies and TV online is Graboid, a free video service which offers a huge selection of full-length content, available via streaming or viadownload at the fastest speeds available on the web.
Hulu looks to have smoothed out some of the bumps in the road in its current invitation-only beta version. They continue adding new content — having tripled the size of their library since opening last October — and they’ve improved their site navigation options, expanded their distribution into additional online sites, and have dialed in on managing capacity and demand.
With the new Xbox Live release,
Blockbuster vs Netflix: Online Movie Rental Plans Compared