Hulu Subscriptions and Services: All You Need to Know
So, you’re finally cutting the cord and want an on-demand streaming service. There are plenty of options, but Hulu is among the best. Should you take the plunge? In this quick guide, we provide information about Hulu account sharing, the subscription, simultaneous streams, add-ons, and more.
How many people can watch Hulu at once? How can you share your Hulu account? How many devices can access Hulu? We have the answers to all of those questions and more.
What is Hulu?
Hulu is an on-demand video streaming platform that has been around for more than a decade. It’s one of the best and largest streaming platforms in the United States with more than 33 million subscribers.
For many traditional cable subscribers, Hulu also represents an excellent cable-cutting alternative. Not only does it have an enormous library of around 2,500 movies and more than 40,000 episodes from thousands of TV shows, but it also has a plan to stream live TV through the Hulu + Live TV program (more on this shortly).
COPYRIGHT_NOVA: Published on https://www.novabach.com/i/hulu-subscriptions-and-services/ by Daniel Barrett on 2022-08-19T14:57:00.000Z
One controversial aspect that separates Hulu from most of its rivals is the use of ads. The cheapest plans (and bundles) feature ads in the content, similar to what you would see on network television. Paying for a service and still seeing ads might be disappointing for some users, but it does help keep the cost low.
For those who don’t want to see any ads, they’ll have to pay twice as much for the privilege. Unlike many other streaming services, you can also pay for premium add-ons individually for things like unlimited simultaneous streams, TV channels, and more.
Also read: How To Stream Disney Plus on PlayStation 4
What is Hulu Plus Live TV?
Hulu TV, or Hulu + Live TV, refers to subscription plans that include 60+ cable TV channels in addition to the standard streaming catalog. It’s essentially the perfect plan for reluctant cord-cutters, as it allows you to watch many of the same channels without the year-long commitment or installation and cancelation fees.
The cheapest Hulu + Live TV plan runs $64.99 a month, which is already much pricier than most streaming services. However, it does include ads on both Hulu content and TV channels. Local channels are generally included in the plan, but additional channel packages can be purchased for an additional fee as well.
There’s another plan for ad-free streaming at $70.99 a month, but it only removes ads from Hulu’s streaming content, not TV channels. Other add-on premium channels like HBO and Showtime will also feature ads at the beginning and end of the show or movie.
Perhaps the best thing about Hulu + Live TV is Cloud DVR, which allows you to save up to 50 hours of live TV content to watch at a later date. You can bump this up to 200 hours for an extra $9.99 a month, which also unlocks the ability to fast forward through recorded ads.
How Many Devices Can Stream Simultaneously?
You can stream Hulu (with and without ads) on two devices at one time on any network throughout North America. With Hulu + Live TV, you have the option of getting the Unlimited Screens add-on for an extra $9.99 a month. You will be able to stream from an unlimited number of devices at the same time on your home network. The only exception is with the HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Stars premium channels, which will have a limit of up to five screens at once. If you are on the go, you and your friends can stream Hulu on up to three mobile devices at once with the add-on.
How Do you Share a Hulu Account?
There’s no special way to share your account with others. Simply provide your login credentials and they’re good to go. General profiles have access to the account settings, though users can only see the last four digits of your payment method. Profiles for kids do not have access to the account settings.
How Many profiles Can you Create?
Up to six people can create a profile. You can create a general profile with access to everything Hulu has to offer. Profiles for kids are locked to the Kids hub.
What are the Plans?
Hulu currently offers four plans: two with on-demand content only, and two with on-demand content and live TV. You can stream the basic and no-ads services on supported devices on any network in North America. Unfortunately, Hulu isn’t officially offered in other countries, though there are ways around this, such as using a VPN.
Here are the plans:
- Hulu (with ads): $5.99 per month
- Hulu (no ads): $11.99 per month
- Hulu student plan (with ads): $1.99 per month
- Hulu (with ads) + Live TV: $64.99 per month
- Hulu (no ads) + Live TV: $70.99 per month
What are the Add-ons?
We split these up into three groups: Premium movie channels, live TV-only add-ons, and general service enhancements.
Here are the premium movie channels:
- HBO: $14.99
- Cinemax: $9.99
- Showtime: $10.99
- Starz: $8.99
- Starz + Showtime bundle: $14.99
- Here are add-ons only for Hulu’s live TV service:
- Enhanced Cloud DVR: $9.99
- Unlimited screens: $9.99
- Enhanced Cloud DVR + Unlimited Screens bundle: $14.98
- Here are general add-ons for all services:
- Spagnola add-on: $4.99
- Entertainment add-on: $7.99
You can grab any add-on through your Account page. The Live TV service includes 50 hours of basic Cloud DVR storage, while the Enhanced Cloud DVR add-on increases storage to 200 hours. The add-on includes a fast-forward function to skip commercials in recordings as well.
Disney Plus-Hulu-ESPN Plus Bundle
There is also the Disney Plus-Hulu-ESPN Plus bundle. You can get all three services for just $12.99 a month. This plan is with the Hulu With Ads tier, but you can add the No Ads version to the bundle for $18.99 a month.
Also read: How To Watch Disney Plus Using Firestick
What Devices Can You use to Watch Hulu?
Hulu provides a list here (and copied below) split into two groups: devices that use the latest Hulu app and those that rely on the Classic app. Note that Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 consoles do not support live TV due to the company’s PlayStation Vue service.
Here are the devices that support the latest app:
- Android phones and tablets
- Apple TV (4th generation or later)
- Chromecast
- Echo Show
- Fire Tablets
- Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
- iPhones and iPads
- LG TV (select models)
- Nintendo Switch
- Mac and PC browsers
- PlayStation 3 (Live TV not supported)
- PlayStation 4 (Live TV not supported)
- PlayStation 4 (Live TV not supported)
- Roku and Roku Stick (select models)
- Samsung TV (select models)
- VIZIO Smart Cast TVs
- Windows 10
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
Here are the devices that support the Classic app:
- Android TV
- Apple TV (2nd & 3rd generation)
- LG TVs and Blu-ray players (select models)
- Roku and Roku Stick (select models)
- Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players (select models)
- Sony TVs and Blu-ray players (select models)
- TiVo
- VIZIO TVs (select models)
How Many Devices Can You Add to Hulu?
Hulu doesn’t place any limits on the number of devices you can use with the service. But be careful, as your device list can easily stack up to the point where you may see 50 gadgets accessing your account.
That wraps up our guide for Hulu account sharing and other details related to the service. We will update this post if there are any changes or improvements.
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