Hulu Plus launches at lower price with broader device support

Hulu Plus, the premium version of popular streaming TV website Hulu designed for set-top boxes and mobile devices, officially launched to the public today.

The service gives subscribers access to every available episode of currently-running TV shows on ABC, Fox, and NBC, and a large catalog of back episodes and movies that they can watch on their PC, mobile device, or connected TV.

For the last few months, the service was only available as a preview to subscribers with iOS devices, select Samsung and Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray players, or the Sony PlayStation 3; and the cost was $9.99 per month.

Today, Hulu announced that the service is now out of "preview mode," and the price has dropped down to $7.99 per month.

Additionally, the service today has launched on the Roku digital video player, and updates to the Samsung, PlayStation 3, and Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch Hulu Plus apps will be available over the next week.

In the coming weeks, it will be launching on more devices, including Internet-connected Vizio, LG Electronics, and Panasonic Blu-ray players and HDTVs; TiVo Premiere DVRs; the Xbox 360; and Western Digital's WD TV Live Hub Media Center and WD TV Live Plus Network Media Player.

"We're highly encouraged by the response we've received to the Hulu Plus service during the preview period,"
Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu said in a statement today. "Though the service has only been in preview for part of this year, Hulu Plus is already accounting for a material percentage of Hulu's overall business. But we're even more excited about where we plan to take the service in the months and years to come. This is just one more step in the journey to reinvent TV."