Hulu to Launch March 12 with Warner Bros.

By Geoff Duncan March 11, 2008

Hulu to Launch March 12 with Warner Bros.

NBC and Fox’s joint venture Hulu is set to open its doors tomorrow, ending a period of private beta testing of its ambitious online video service. And when those doors open, users will find something unexpected inside: instead of just NBC and Fox programming, Hulu will also feature programming from Warner Bros. television group, Lionsgate, and sports leagues like the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League.

Hulu was announced last August as an ambitious joint venture between unlikely partners—NBC and Fox’s News Corp.—promising to create a central, advertising-supported online destination for first-rate video content. Shortly after Hulu’s announcement, NBC pulled its programming from Apple’s iTunes store and YouTube, creating more pressure for Hulu to succeed. In the meantime, Hulu entered a private beta phase (with a reported 5 million users) and NBC began making content available via its own Web site and outlets like Netflix and Amazon Unbox.

At launch, Hulu says it will offer 250 television series, including current programming and popular older shows. Hulu will also sport about 100 movies at launch, including The Big Lebowski and Mulholland Drive.

Hulu’s beta has earned positive notes from advertisers, who are pleased that some 80 percent of Hulu’s library is viewed every week, and advertisers are also pleased with “select an ad” features that enable users to select advertisements that are most interesting to them—advertisers believe this sort of engagement will make their ads more likely to succeed, rather than merely irritate users. Hulu beta users have generally praised the quality of the streamed content available on Hulu, but have chaffed against restrictions: the content is only available via the Web (no transferring to a media player or DVR)), and a constantly-changing video selection means the availability of particular shows or episodes is hit-and-miss.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Smart Home

Prime Day in October: Get a pack of 12 AA rechargeable batteries for $18

AmazonsBasics AA batteries being inserted into a game controller.

As much as we try to avoid it, sometimes, you just have to buy those pesky household items you never want to spend money on. But if you're lucky, you can take advantage of some excellent discounts, like Prime Day deals, which provide the perfect opportunity to stock up. Amazon's Prime Day Big Deal Days event makes those discounts even sweeter. While we are close to an AA-battery-free world, it hasn't happened yet. Fortunately, we have a rechargeable option to spend less money and throw fewer batteries into landfills. Right now, you can get a 12-pack of Amazon Basic rechargeable batteries for just $18, thanks to a 10% discount on Prime Day. This deal will likely only stick around during the sale, so if your battery drawer is running low, grab them as soon as possible.

Why you should buy Amazon AA rechargeable batteries during the Prime Day Big Deal Days sale
Of course, there's not much I can tell you about batteries that you don't already know. These Amazon Basics brand AAs have a 2,000 mAh storage capacity. That's lower than a traditional alkaline battery, but it has enough power to last for a good three to four hours of continuous use. Then the rechargeable factor comes in. You can recharge these batteries about 1,000 times before they die out. Think about how many batteries it will save you -- and how much money. Let's do some quick napkin math. 1,000 recharges... alkaline batteries cost around one-third the price of a rechargeable... factor in the difference in storage capacity... It could be as much as $300 in savings over a single battery's lifetime. A lot less waste too.

Smart Home

Roborock is launching two affordable robot vacuums in October

The Roborock Q8 Nax next to a wall.

Roborock revealed the Q5 Pro and Q8 Max robot vacuums during IFA 2023. Both are midrange products arriving in October. Alongside the two robovacs, Roborock also announced the Dyad Pro Combo stick vacuum and the Zeo One -- an all-in-one washer/dryer combo.

The two robot vacuums are the most exciting of the four product announcements, as they make big improvements to the existing Roborock lineup while also carrying reasonable price tags. The Q5 Pro is billed as the “entry level” option for the Q Series, and it’s equipped with a DuoRoller Brush to eliminate hair tangles, supports up to 5,500 Pa of suction, and mops in the direction of your floor seams to optimize its cleaning performance.

Smart Home

Blink Outdoor Camera 4 launches with Person Detection, new design, 2-year battery life

The Blink Outdoor Camera 4 mounted on a brick wall.

The Blink Outdoor Camera 4 is the newest addition to the Blink catalog, offering the same impressive battery life as its predecessor while bundling in better motion detection skills and a sleek, updated design. The camera is now available for $120, which includes a Sync Module 2.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Blink Outdoor Camera 4 is its new look. It’s still a solid black square like the old Blink Outdoor Camera 3, but its camera has been repositioned from the center of the device to the top corner. It also looks a bit more streamlined than the outgoing model, with fewer accents and indentations across its front.