Hulu.com Launches Today

I just wanted to mention this one because I've been Beta testing it for a while now. Hulu has officially launched. And it is pretty good.

Hulu allows you to watch TV on the Internet. Time shifted, so that you watch what you want when you want. Picture quality is good, audio is good. Watch what you want, wherever you are (that's why it's better than Tivo -- all you need is a laptop and an internet connection).

Right now, the only drawback is the programming available. Limited shows from current programming are available, and the lineup seems to change every so often. For example: when I started testing, every episode of The Sarah Connor Chronicles were available. Now, only episodes 6-9 are available. Only the first five episodes of Heroes Season 2 are available. It looks like they are only going to offer 5 actual episodes for each title (though I haven't looked at every single title available, every one I checked had only 5 full episodes available), with a variety of short clips also available.

Older shows are also available (I was especially happy to see The A-Team and Airwolf on the list). The list is far from comprehensive, but there are plenty of great shows there that you can watch any time, anywhere you have a computer with high-speed Internet access. I don't think Hulu will be replacing cable any time soon, and I doubt it will provide any serious competition to Apple TV. But if you're looking for a service that allows you to watch current TV shows when you want, or see the shows you grew up with whenever you want, Hulu may be for you. At $0.00 a month (yes, it's free. There are commercials that run in each program), the price certainly is right.