PlayStation 3 Users Denied Hulu Access

By : Erik Gruenwedel | Posted: 29 Jun 2009
egruenwedel@questex.com

Owners of Sony’s PlayStation 3 video game console reportedly have been denied the ability to stream TV programs and movies to their television from Hulu.com.

Online chatter at Hulu, in addition to a report from Gizmodo.com, said updated software for the PS3 over the weekend now denies users access to repurposed TV streams on the popular site.

Users who attempt to stream content from Hulu onto their TV via the PS3 remote receive a message apologizing for the “inconvenience.”

Earlier this year, Hulu stopped streaming content to rival TV.com (owned by CBS.com), underscoring the competitive nature of the nascent streaming landscape.

Separately, Hulu, which is co-owned by News Corp., the Walt Disney Co. and NBC Universal, is considering charging users for select content — a move some followers decried as an invitation to revisit piracy.

“If Hulu starts charging for this I will stop visiting their site, simple as that,” wrote one blogger.

Sony and Hulu representatives were not immediately available for comment.

"Online chatter at Hulu, in addition to a report from Gizmodo.com, said updated software for the PS3 over the weekend now denies users access to repurposed TV streams on the popular site." This is incorrect. This is Hulu specifically blocking the PS3. This has nothing to do with firmware 2.80. Here's a workaround: http://www.ypass.net/blog/2009/06/got-a-ps3-want-hulu-back-easy-enough/