Shephard Blog 6 - YouTube/Hulu

Youtube and Hulu are both popular online sites that play videos. To compare the two, they both allow for users to subscribe/become members. While Hulu does offer HuluPlus as an additional cost and serivce, both Hulu and Youtube play videos for free. The basic feature of video playing are available on both: pause, volume controls, full screen mode, time counter and toggle. As well, both sides have stationary ads on the borders or sides of the pages. However, once you get past these basics fundamentally the sites are quite different. YouTube allows accountholders not only to watch videos, but upload their. Members also have their own pages of videos they've uploaded or videos they have favorited. Users can comment on other's videos and insert little "pop ups" that occur while something is being watched. As well, at the end of the playing item, a viewer has many options like emailing the video as well as suggestions to other videos they might like. Youtube videos tend to be no longer than maximum 30:00 min, and range from music videos, to trailers, to clips, to home videos, speeches, you name it.... Whatever anyone wants to upload (within reason) can pretty much be found. Hulu, on the other hand, is strictly videos related to TV and film, either full episodes, or clips from shows or movies and can run as long as a few hours. As stated before, Hulu has the service of HuluPlus, which users can subscribe to for a monthly fee. HuluPlus offers even more shows and movies and gives access to content (as in episodes, seasons, or specials) that is not offered or available for the general public or an nonpaying user. The main difference, however, between Hulu and Youtube is the advertisements. While youtube more frequently has featured advertisements at the beginning of a video/clip, Hulu has advertisements playing throughout programs at dedicated stopping points or commercial breaks. Whatever program is playing stops, and one to two advertisements play, leaving the viewer unable to continue watching their program until after the advertisements finish playing. It is this sort of forced commercial feeling, that interrupts what you are watching as if you were watching live television. It will be very interest to watch and see how these sites change as the media landscape changes, and especially to see if they will continue to offer free services, or if they change to pay only or (hey lets be hopeful) free for all.