Hulu Plus out of Beta; On Roku for $7.99 a month

The Hulu Plus subscription service out of preview, and announced two items of note last week:

• First, the monthly price for Hulu Plus moving forward is just $7.99. Any current subscribers who joined during our preview period will receive a credit for the difference from the $9.99 preview price. This credit will automatically be applied to their next billing cycle.
• Hulu Plus launches on Roku. All PlayStation 3 owners with a PlayStation Network account, which is free, can download the Hulu Plus application. In the months to come, Hulu Plus will be coming to Internet-connected Vizio, LG Electronics, and Panasonic Blu-ray players and HDTVs; TiVo Premiere DVRs; the Xbox 360; and Western Digital’s WD TV Live Hub Media Center and WD TV Live Plus Network Media Player, with many more mobile phones, tablets, set-top boxes, and Internet-connected devices to be announced.
  

Hulu is offering several special offers:

• One free week trials for all new subscribers. In addition, current subscribers who joined during the preview period will receive a credit for one week of Hulu Plus toward their next month’s subscription.
• Two free weeks of Hulu Plus for both current subscribers and friends they invite through our referral program. Subscribers can learn more by clicking on the “Referrals” tab on their Hulu profile page.
• 11 weeks ($20 worth) of free Hulu Plus with the purchase of a Sony BRAVIA connected TV or Blu-ray player through January 31, 2011. (See sony.com/huluplus.)
• One free month of Hulu Plus with the purchase of a Roku device through December 15, 2010.

Can I rely solely on Internet streams to replace traditional TV? Netflix says yes, while the studios say no

Here are a couple of news items that show both sides of the potential "cord-cutting" story.

First, Netflix is reported to be trialing a streaming-only plan, costing $7.99 a month. Or, is it $8.99 a month?

At the same time, the studios are taking a harder stance to the availability of ad-supported streams of television shows, reports the Associated Press. Broadcasters took a big step toward eliminating free TV shows on the Web after they blocked access to their programming online this month to enforce their demands to be paid.

Recent actions by Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS in two separate fee disputes suggest that after a few years of experimenting with free, ad-supported viewing, broadcasters believe they can make more money from cable-TV providers if they hold back some programming online.

And, the rumor du joir regarding Hulu is that its Hulu Plus service fee may be cut in half, to $4.95 per month.

Acetrax and Panasonic - More Premium Video on Connected TVs

This summer continues to be hot for announcements regarding connected consumer electronics and premium content services. A few weeks ago, the $9.99/month Hulu Plus service (with more than 2,000 television episodes available) generated the buzz, as it is available on a variety of connected TVs and Blu-ray Players (Samsung, Sony, and VIZIO), along with two game consoles (the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) and a variety of Apple products (iPod touch, iPhone, and the iPad).

Today, the European news is about Panasonic making available content from Acetrax. The service will be available in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and the U.K. with titles likely to cost £1.49-£3.49 (€1.78-€4.17) to rent and £4.99-£11.99 to own. Users will be able to register up to four devices on one account.