Over-the-top (OTT) media services continue to grow, allowing you to move away from traditional cable and satellite outlets for your home and mobile entertainment needs. One of the fastest growing products in this segment is Hulu with Live TV.
First introduced in May 2017, Hulu with Live TV offers live programming from broadcast and cable brands. This works in conjunction with Hulu’s more traditional subscription service that allows you to watch current and past television series.
In this article, you’ll learn all about how to watch Live TV on Hulu using Hulu with Live TV.
Hulu’s Live TV Selection
Unlike similar services like Sling TV, DirecTV Now, and PlayStation Vue, Hulu With Live TV doesn’t offer a choice of channel packs. Instead, you pay $39.99 per month to receive access to more than 50 channels.
From there, you can select add-ons such as premium channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz, plus extra channel packs. YouTube TV, which is perfect for cord-cutters, is similar in that it offers one base package plus premium channels for extra.
The base Hulu With Live TV package varies slightly based on your location. It includes live local, regional, and national channels. Select channels may offer only on-demand content. Certain channels or content may not be available in all locations or on all devices.
With the base package, most subscribers have access to:
- Local channels featuring content from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.
- Entertainment and lifestyle channels such as A&E, Bravo, FX, National Geographic, and TNT.
- Family and kids channels like Boomerang, Cartoon Network, and Disney.
- Movie channels, including FXM and TCM.
- News channels such as CNBC, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC.
- Sports channels like BTN and ESPN.
Premium channels vary in price and are subject to limited time promotions. Most of these channels include one week of access for free. At the time of writing, for example, Showtime is priced at $10.99/month, but for a limited time, you can subscribe for $4.99/month for three months.
Recently, Hulu With Live TV introduced two add-on packages. These include a $7.99/month entertainment package, which includes channels like DYI and FYI, and a $4.99/month Spanish language pack that offers CNN, ESPN Deportes, and more.
More Extras on Hulu With Live TV
Hulu With Live TV also includes unlimited access to Hulu’s traditional streaming library plan, plus 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage, and the ability to watch on two screens at the same time. If there are a lot of people in your household, you can add unlimited screens for an extra $14.99/month.
Also for $14.99/month, you can upgrade your Cloud DVR to 200 hours. With Cloud storage, you can fast-forward through commercials and enjoy your programs anywhere on supported devices. (You will soon be able to download shows from Hulu for offline viewing.)
Finally, you can upgrade your plan, so Hulu’s traditional streaming library plan airs without commercials. For this, the standard price for Hulu With Live TV rises from $39.99/month to $43.99/month.
A Pricey Example
Imagine you have a household with five people and want to subscribe to Hulu with Live TV. You want to pay extra for HBO and unlimited screens. Additionally, you rather not watch commercials when airing content from Hulu’s traditional streaming library.
The monthly fee for this package would be:
- Hulu with Live TV (and no commercials), $43.99/month
- HBO, $14.99/month (because Game of Thrones and other HBO series are always must-see TV)
- Unlimited screens, $14.99/month
- Total cost: $73.97/month
You’ll need to decide whether switching to Hulu with Live TV or a similar solution is worth it or whether all of your favorite shows are covered.
Getting Started With Hulu Live TV
To subscribe to Hulu With Live TV, you must do so from the Hulu website by following these steps:
- Visit signup.hulu.com from your web browser.
- Log into your account using your Hulu email and password or through Facebook.
- Once logged in, select Manage My Account.
- Click Manage next to Add-Ons.
- On this page, you’ll see a list of your current subscriptions, plus ways you can change this. Make your changes and then select Review Changes.
- You can now enjoy Hulu With Live TV.
Hulu With Live TV is available on multiple platforms, including Mac and PC, iOS, Apple TV, Xbox, Chromecast, and many more.
Using Hulu With Live TV
Moving around Hulu With Live TV varies ever-so-slightly, depending on the platform. To watch live TV, click on the Live icon from the main Hulu screen. The main navigation in Hulu includes Home, Browse, Search, My Stuff, and Live TV.
By default, you’ll see a guide listing your most recent channels first. You’ll also see a window showing live TV for your most recently viewed channel. Click on the TV window to pause/play live TV or to make it bigger. Click or tap on one of the other recent channels to change the program that’s showing.
Tap on Recent Channels to change your view to All Channels, News, Sports, Kids or Movies. Scroll to find the channel you want to watch. You can find future programming using scrolling; when you see something to record, click on it and select Record.
The Hulu with Live TV guide is sortable alphabetically or by category, and you can use the guide during live programming.
Hulu With Live TV: Odds and Ends
There are two final notes to consider about the Hulu with Live TV service: home internet setup and profiles.
Home Network Setup
To use Hulu with Live TV, you need to verify the location of your home internet network within 30 days. Hulu uses this information to set your local and regional programming for your area.
Note: Your home network must be a residential, non-mobile network. So make sure you buy a good router and modem.
Note: Mobile users need to connect to the home internet network at least once every 30 days to use Hulu with Live TV.
To set or update your home location, you can log in on a living room device that supports Hulu with Live TV while connected to your network. You can also visit Hulu.com and select Set or Change Home on your Account page.
Profiles
You can create up to six profiles in Hulu with one account. These profiles personalize the TV experience by keeping track of viewing history to make recommendations. You can also create profiles for your children so that only family-friendly content is accessible.
To set up or change profiles, sign in to your Hulu account online. From there, click on Profiles from the main Account page.
Cut the Cord and Get the Popcorn Popping
Hulu with Live TV doesn’t offer as many channels as some other services. Nonetheless, it’s an excellent choice for those new to OTT services and current Hulu users. It’s a great way to cut the cord once and for all.
Before making a choice, be sure to shop around and check out the price of similar services before cutting the cord for good.
Read the full article: How to Watch Live TV on Hulu
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