Hulu this week added [amazon_link id=”B00DR0PDNE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Chromecast[/amazon_link] support to its Android and iPad Hulu Plus apps. The apps now feature the ability to watch any of Hulu’s movies, TV shows, and clips on your Chromecast-enabled TV. The new apps allow users to control the viewing experience with a new interface designed specifically for remote playback, allowing continued library browsing and, perhaps more importantly, full use of the mobile device without interrupting the on-screen experience.
In our tests on the iPad, the experience was intuitive and flawless—dare we say even easier than AirPlay. Of course, Chromecast doesn’t further offer the ability to use a physical remote, as with the Apple TV, to play, pause, and skip. Nonetheless, it’s a great experience. At this time, the feature is available on Hulu Plus apps for Android phones and tablets and for the iPad. An update to support the iPhone is expected soon.
The addition of Hulu’s content library adds considerable value to Chromecast’s already bargain price of $35. The question is, though, how many additional providers might add similar support? Currently Netflix, Hulu, and Google’s own Play and YouTube are the only video services offering native Chromecast support. We’d love to see it on other services like Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, and even local content library players, but you have to wonder how much motivation developers—particularly smaller shops—have to integrate with Chromecast. How many different remote playback protocols will apps be expected to support?
Read Hulu’s blog post: Cast Away: Hulu Plus on Chromecast