Hulu’s upcoming live TV product is coming together with an apparent emphasis on personalization and timeshifting.
Early reports about the revamped user interface make mention of the Lineup, which is a personalized landing page. According to Mashable, users will have to answer a series of questions about their entertainment preferences before they can access the launch screen. The Lineup will vary depending on the user, but it will feature a combination of live, on-demand and recorded content.
The new Hulu live service will also feature notifications that will alert viewers when something particularly interesting is about to happen during a sporting event. According to Mashable, the alerts are reserved for sports right now, but in the future Hulu intends to apply the technology for breaking news as well as providing a heads-up when a show or series is about to be taken off the service.
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Details about how Hulu’s live TV service will work are emerging after Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins offered up some still fairly vague information last week about the service’s pricing and launch date. Hopkins said the service will launch in the next few months and will be priced at under $40, which he deemed necessary in order to be competitive. He said that the cost will include access to the typical $8 on-demand subscription as well.
Hopkins also confirmed that the service would include cloud DVR and, from the looks of the live TV experience so far, it clearly appears that the ability to record will be a large factor.
While it’s unclear how much storage Hulu’s cloud DVR will actually provide, just by having the function, as well as a content deal with CBS, the service currently has a leg up on DirecTV Now, the elephant in the room amid all the emerging virtual MVPDs.