Gadget Notes - Hulu - What I Watching Tonight?

Date:  Feb 15, 2016

Netflix has stirred up a lot of noise lately.

1.  Netflix has enter the International market.  You thought it is good, but end up you get a lousy collection of movies/TV shows.  According to news paper reporting, you get only 10-15% of the US library.  That is because there are many movies and TV shows has copyright, and Netflix simply cannot bring it to outside of US.

2.  Netflix has vowed to stop non-US location to get their US movie library thru VPN.  So, they are going to crack it down so that you, who is located in Singapore subscribe to watch “Singapore-version” of Netflix.

My friends asked me what am I watching nowadays.

I told them, I am watching the latest US TV series thru using the Hulu App on

1. Apple TV

2. Amazon Fire TV.

3.  iPhone / iPad / iPad Pro

I love Hulu more than Netflix!

I used to hate Hulu.

I hated it so much that I refuse to watch anything on Hulu.

Because last time, to watch their show, you are forced to see their advertisement. 

And oh boy, their advertisement are really long.

Just as you thought you have finished watching the advertisement, there are more advertisement in a show.  About 4-5 advertisement.

Recently, they have come up a “No Commercials” version.

Paying another US$4.00 more.  (US$11.99 per month instead of US$7.99 per month).

And after I have changed my subscription, I love Hulu.  

With Hulu, you don’t need to download from Torrent anymore.  It is the right way!

Hulu is competitor to Netflix.

Hulu is joint venture or joint investment from some major TV powerhouse in US.  All these network work together on a single platform to give you the latest TV shows.

All shows are latest.  You can’t get these from Netflix sometimes.

As it is somethings exclusive on a certain Network, such as Fox, ABC, etc.

Let me show you what I am watching, then you know why I love Hulu so much.

[Caution!!] You need a VPN to watch Hulu.  If you subscribe to ViewQwest with Freedom VPN or other equivalent from other ISP, then, you are all set.  Subscribing to Hulu should be easy, once you are in Geo Lock unlock environment, you can access to the Hulu sign up page.  There, you simply key in your credit card (without even change the ZIP code, you can place your Singapore credit card there.

The X Files.  Nice to catch up with Fox mulder and Scully.  They look very old, aging in the show.  But the conversation still fun!

My sons are watching Master Chef Junior.  Season 4.

This is the TV series for Tom Cruise’s movie.

NBC only has one TV show I am following.  But they have a lot of cool old 70’s and 80’s TV series.

Although is a bit slow the story line but I still enjoy watching the latest series of Heroes Reborn.

Don’t miss the Saturday Night Live.  Have you seen the episode where they have Adam Driver, The Star Wars Kylo Ren going undercover.  So funny!

Battlestar Galactica.  The original series.

Don’t make me angry.  You won’t like me when I’m angry.  The Incredible Hulk.

From Comedy Central, you have the South Park cartoon.

ABC has the most show I am watching.

Learn from the doctors.  

Agents Carter.

Who is the terrorist from Quantico?

Agents of Shield.

Some cartoons from Nickelodeon are not bad too!

Kung Fu Panda.

The Penguins of Madagascar.

CW network.

Legends of Tomorrow.

The Flash

Arrow.

The 100.

Watching Ancient Aliens on The History Channel.

Documentary.  National Geographic Channel.

Animal Planet.

Discovery Channel.

Anime.  Some dup, some sub.

Korean and Japanese shows.  In English subtitle.

Look what I found.

And Gatchman.

That is how I spent my free time, when I am not teaching my sons, not playing with them either, not exercising, not sleeping, etc.

I already got hooked on Hulu.  I have not even check out the movie sections yet.  All these TV programs will eat up all my time.

 

Netflix & Hulu on ViewQwest FreedomVPN

Date:  Nov 28, 2013

This week is SITEX week.  So, it will be appropriate to talk about this.  :)

I wrote a blog entry 16 months ago about the magic DNS that I have been using to access Netflix and Amazon Movies.

Magic DNS:  http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2012/06/magic-dns.html 

This pair of DNS works fine until I changed my home router from ASUS Black Diamond into DLINK DIR-868L (AC1750).  According to the SmallNetworkBuilder router chart, the DLINK is ranked #2 on WAN-to-LAN throughput.  Scoring 931.4Mbps throughput.  My old trust worthy Black Diamond is 11 place behind with a score of 802.4Mbps throughput.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suddenly, my magic DNS breaks.  I think is the way how they do the DNS rerouting that breaks my magic DNS.  So, my son was sad as he can no longer watch Mighty Machines on Netflix.  I was sad as I cannot watch my favourite movies and TV shows.  

So, I decided to upgrade my home Internet and top up with the Freedom VPN service.  Using this service, the ISP will give a pair of DNS that will interface with Netflix and tell Netflix that “Hey!  I am in USA.” so that Netflix will allow us to watch Netflix from outside USA.

So, I went to ViewQwest to picked up a new ONT.  (Mine some how spoiled, after I mingled around the settings, etc).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK.  I have to wait for 2 working days for ViewQwest to place my home IP address range into the “Super Magic DNS” servers.  Once that is done, my home Internet are given a new pair of DNS address.  

In this case, it is the ISP who give me the DNS so that I do not have to mingle around with the DNS settings on my IOS devices.

Two days later, I just type www.netflix.com, and I am able to access Netflix without doing any special settings on my DNS settings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jay was so happy to finally see Netflix working at my home again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are so many cartoon and documentary he can watch.  Netflix is only US$7.99/month and it is much cheaper than Starhub Video on Demand services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I also configured the Hulu Plus on my TV.  And it is US$7.99/month again.  

[Go Google How to do it...] To sign up, simply click on Signup.  When you need to fill in the credit card info, I fill in the correct home address and card number, but I change the ZIP code (Postal Code) from 198798 into 19879.  And I check with the US zip code, there is actually a place in US owning that ZIP code.  And Walaaaa…. Hulu Plus activation is approved.

Hulu Plus provide more Korean shows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am very sure there are ways to turn the Advertisement off.  But one of the annoying thing about the Hulu Plus is the Advertisement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also there are some categories are not suitable for kids too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am very surprise that the speed of accessing and buffering the Hulu is VERY FAST.  Take a look at the video below and you know what I meant.  (After the Ads)  yes, and the Ads are indeed annoying.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/wg71hcSB8Cs

Look at this one.  See what I mean the speed of playing the video.  And the video is quite good quality.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/Ht8gizoWaXc

Now, if you compare to Netflix, the playing of video and the buffering takes slightly longer time.  About 15 seconds.  But the quality is also amazing.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/OhJ6TGa5Woc

Not only I can do Netflix and Hulu, I continue to sign up for PBS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PBS have quite good shows too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, my recommendation is if you can afford the S$10/month, please get a FreedomVPN from ViewQwest and watch these fantastic shows at your own convenient time.  Quit cool.

Suddenly I felt like terminating my Starhub’s subscriptions and make it as minimal as possible.  Wahahaha.  Because I am paying almost $50/month for it but the contents are not much nowadays.  Wahahahahahaha.