Hulu optimises mobile, web UX
May 17, 2018
Noting that summer is just around the corner, but that there is a lot of great TV on Hulu that its users won’t want to miss, “experiences that matter most to you when you’re on-the-go: mobile and web” it says, the streaming service is introducing a range of updates, suggesting that leaving the house does not mean leaving your TV behind.
“We know your mobile phone is the most personal device you own,” writes Richard Irving, VP of Product in the Hulu blog. “It goes with you virtually everywhere you go, and we know it’s how you watch TV when you’re away from your big screen. In fact, we’ve seen that Hulu viewers are taking their TV with them often these days: Our viewers are watching 84 per cent more hours of programming a month on their phones compared to last year,” he notes.
“We also know that your laptop is the other screen that travels with you when you’re on-the-go. To enhance both your mobile and Web experiences, we’re rolling out a handful of features that will get you to the programming you love more quickly, give you more control over your recommendations and let you share your TV moments when you’re away,” he advises.
“First, to get you into live TV more quickly and with fewer clicks, we’re introducing a new dedicated live TV destination which will take you directly to live playback on your most recently watched channel. Just look for the lightning bolt icon on your navigation bar. Your mobile devices will also get a robust dynamic live TV guide that will allow you to easily see what’s on now, what’s coming up in the next 24 hours and switch channels,” he says.
Other enhancements give users more control over their recommendations. “With more than 75,000 episodes of TV at your fingertips, it’s important our recommendations are tailored precisely to your tastes. That’s why we’re adding two new features that put you in greater control of your recommendations: ‘Stop Suggesting’ programming and ‘Remove’ from Watch History,” he reveals.
“We know that two-thirds of Hulu viewers watch with family or friends at least once a week and most places you go, you’ll have access to a big(ger) screen. Even though you’re away from home, we want you to be able to enjoy the big screen experience with your friends that you love. So, we’re adding HDMI support to iOS and enhancing your experience with Chromecast devices. This means you can watch Hulu on the big screen just by plugging in to an available HDMI port or casting to an available Chromecast device. Plus, our new portrait player lets you control Chromecast playback and channel-surf all in the same place,” says Irving.
For those moments when the desktop screen is the biggest and best screen available, Hulu is bringing the built-for-Web experience it has been perfecting over the past year. Beginning week commencing May 21st, live TV subscribers will all have access to the new Hulu experience for Web – at http://new.hulu.com. Additional subscribers will start seeing the new hulu.com throughout the summer.
For Irving, the best news of all is that all of these features will begin rolling out to Android and iOS week commencing May 21st. “We hope that you enjoy these enhancements while you’re watching all of this summer’s can’t-miss live and on-demand content on Hulu. And for those of you who will be working hard through the summer, Hulu is there for you to keep up with the ballgame on your computer while you get your TPS report done,” he concludes.