Hulu Live TV Review

Genres and channels

The channels available in a specific area may vary slightly according to location, but generally speaking, the main genres are covered. In other words, there is breaking news available from top channels such as MSNBC, ESPN News and CNN. For sports, live games from college and professional leagues like the NBA, NHL and NFL are available via TNT, ESPN, FS2 and more.

For kids, channels like Disney Junior, Universal Kids, Boomerang and Cartoon Network cover all bases, while there are more options available with the Hulu streaming library – priced at $5.99 a month as a standalone subscription.

There are many channels available with Hulu Live TV, as detailed below:

• ABC
• CBS
• Fox
• NBC
• The CW
• A&E
• Bravo
• Cartoon Network
• CNN
• Discovery
• Disney Channel
• Disney Junior
• E!
• ESPN
• Food Network
• Fox News
• Freeform
• FX
• FXX
• Hallmark
• HGTV
• History
• Investigation Discovery
• Lifetime
• MSNBC
• Syfy
• TBS
• TLC
• TNT
• Travel Channel
• truTV
• USA Network
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• Fox Sports 1
• Fox Sports 2
• NBC Sports Network
• TBS
• TNT
• ACC Network
• Big Ten Network
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPNU
• SEC Network
• ESPNEWS
• Golf Channel
• Olympic Channel

Premium channels are available at an additional cost:

• Cinemax – $9
• HBO – $15
• Showtime – $11
• Starz – $9

Top Hulu + Live TV shows

Rick and Morty – Rick Sanchez shows up after nearly 20 years of being missing to move in with his daughter Beth and her family. Jerry, her husband, isn’t happy about the fact that Rick is a scientist who carries out experiments in their garage and displays a sociopathic personality. What’s more, he also regularly takes his grandchildren Morty and Summer on adventures across the universe.

Grey’s Anatomy – A medical drama series which shines a spotlight on a group of doctors operating at the Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. They began as interns and are now fully fledged medical professionals. Meredith Grey is the daughter of a famous surgeon who struggles to keep up relationships with her colleagues.

Killing Eve – Eve is experiencing life as a spy which isn’t what she expected, as she is chained to her desk. Meanwhile, Villanelle is a talented murderer who ends up going up against Eve. The series is described as refreshingly entertaining and great fun by BBCA president Sarah Barnett.

90 Day Fiance – Long distance relationships are hard in themselves, but when foreign spouses are brought to the US on a K-1 visa with just 90 days in which to marry, the emotional turbulence and drama is ramped up. The spouses experience life in the States for the first time and decide if they’re ready for marriage.

Homeland – After eight years in captivity, CIA agent Carrie Mathison thinks Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody has been turned. She is convinced he is linked with a terror plot which will be carried out in America, so she engages with him in a plan which puts the national security of the USA at risk.

Modern Family – A series which shines a spotlight on parents Phil and Claire, who are trying to keep up an honest relationship with three kids. While one daughter is growing up at an exponential rate, another one is very smart and a son is regularly causing them hefty doses of drama.

Survivor – Sixteen or more players are split into a number of tribes. They are taken to a remote location and forced to live off the land with few supplies. The teams are pitted against each other in a number of physical and mental challenges before competing individually to become the Survivor.

The Masked Singer – With Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke on the panel, The Masked Singer sees celebrities sing covers while wearing an elaborate costume which hides their identity. The panel, viewers, host and other contestants must guess which celebrity is behind each costume.

This Is Us – A drama with four seasons that features Jack and his pregnant wife, who move into a new home in Pittsburgh. Other characters include TV actor Kevin and New York businessman Randall. Many of them share a birthday and their lives are linked in ways they could never have expected.

Blindspot – A woman with no memories is found naked in Times Square, but FBI agent Kurt Weller’s name has been written across her back. The tattoos on the woman’s body become a crime that must be solved to reach the ultimate truth of her identity.

Streaming library

There are several good points to make about the user experience with Hulu Live TV. For example, the high quality design of the app makes it easy for users to navigate through live television. Furthermore, all platforms which are compatible with Hulu Live TV will load up a standard channel guide, so there is no need for confusion and learning a new setup whenever you switch devices. The search bar brings up accurate results, and if you missed the beginning of a show on a live channel, you will usually be able to rewind it to the start.

When you load up the Hulu Live TV home screen, you will view a curated lineup of all the content you are most likely to enjoy watching, along with the channels you stream the most often. Upon loading up the TV guide, you will be able to see what’s on and shows which are coming up at a glance, plus set up recordings to the DVR system. When you use the search bar, the results are grouped into different categories – Top Results, Movies and Episodes. This saves scrolling through unrelated search results. When you want to view more information about each show, you will be able to see high quality visuals, plus a description of each episode, whether it’s available live, coming up or in the on demand library.

Accessing your Hulu Live TV account on a phone or tablet app lets you see a lineup of live, recorded and on demand content based on what you most like to watch. This information will partially be based on the profile you created upon signing up, where you detailed which channels you liked best, plus your favorite shows and sports teams. There is also a feature on the apps called Live Guide, which means users will be able to navigate to live content much more easily while on the go. When accessing the Live Guide, this will essentially be a video player in portrait mode, with a guide in grid form placed underneath. By turning your screen horizontally, you will be able to play the live channel in full screen mode.

Streaming quality

With Hulu TV, you can enjoy high definition television which is on par with other streaming services on the market. Furthermore, you’re highly unlikely to have an issue with the live streaming itself, as playback issues are rarely reported. The live content itself is around 30 seconds behind cable, which isn’t unusual compared with other services. In terms of quality, streams are at least 720p, and many of the channels have the capability of streaming at a framerate of 60FPS.

Additionally, Hulu Live TV adapts the quality of the stream to match your internet connection so that playback interruptions such as lag and buffering are reduced. All television content features standard stereo audio, and switching channels is estimated to take around 3.5 seconds on average. Depending on the content being used and the device for watching a title, connections can range between 720p, 1080p, 4K Ultra HD and 60fps high definition (HD) qualities.

Customer support

As a first port of call, Hulu subscribers can contact customer support by using the phone number which is available. There is also a support account on Twitter which operates between 5am and 10pm ET. As for chat and phone support, these are on offer around the clock.

Besides these measures, there is an extensive help center which comprises a searchable database of commonly asked questions. Customers can look up queries about topics such as their account, billing and available content on Hulu.

Free trial

There is a one week free trial available with Hulu + Live TV. Subscribers can see if they will get on with the service before parting with their cash for a subscription. If they cancel their trial before it expires, there will be no charges to pay. Those who want to continue watching do not need to take any further action, as the subscription will renew and the money will be taken.

Plans and pricing

The flat rate for Hulu Live TV is $54.99 a month after the one week free trial is over. By paying this price, customers gain access to over 65 live TV channels across sports, news, entertainment, kids and more. Full seasons of series exclusive to Hulu are available on the on-demand platform, and two screens can be watched simultaneously. The price also includes 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage for live TV recording.

There are also a number of add-ons available:

• HBO Max – Top series, movies, comedy specials and more for $14.99 a month.
• Cinemax – Hundreds of movies and original series for $9.99 a month.
• Showtime – Hours of top series and documentaries for $10.99 a month.
• Starz – Binge-worthy TV and original series for $8.99 a month.
• Enhanced Cloud DVR – Make your storage 200 hours. Other bonuses include being able to fast forward through commercials, having no limit on simultaneous recordings and the ability to stream recordings from anywhere on supported devices.
• Unlimited screens – Ensure everyone in the home can stream with a single subscription. Three screens are available for those who are on the go.
• Entertainment add-on – More news, entertainment and lifestyle from channels like American Heroes Channel, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Life and more.
• Espanol add-on – Many favourites are on offer in Spanish, such as CNN en Espanol, Discovery en Espanol, ESPN Deportes and Discovery Familia.

Competitors

There are plenty of live TV services out there, which is good news for cord cutters who want to have the freedom to switch services and cancel whenever they please. Services which are similar to Hulu Live TV include AT&T TV Now, fuboTV and Sling TV. Sling has more of a customised package option, while fuboTV has some sports channels not seen elsewhere. However, Hulu has the option to include its on-demand streaming library – plus unlimited screens.

Is Hulu + Live TV worth it?

Hulu Live TV provides customers with the best of both worlds if they are a fan of content from this platform – not only can they watch live TV from a number of channels and enjoy features such as a top notch user interface, excellent streaming quality and DVR recording, they will be able to access the full streaming library of on-demand content.

Whether you just want to watch your favorite show every weeknight or keep the TV on in the background, there’s an option for you. There is also the ability to add premium channels and add-ons to your service, so it can be tailor made to suit your exact needs. In other words, Hulu Live TV is a worthy contender on the streaming services market.

See our full list of the best streaming services to find the right streaming service for you.