3 Major Common Issues With Hulu And How to Fix Them - Techpill - Tech Tips, News And More

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Tuesday 3 November 2015

3 Major Common Issues With Hulu And How to Fix Them



For those of you unfamiliar with Hulu, it is an online streaming service that allows users to watch movies or television shows online at their will. Users sign up for an account, visit the website or start their smartphone app, and choose a piece of media to watch. It has grown immensely popular and has two subscription methods available to users (one free and one that charges a monthly fee called Hulu Plus). The free options on the website are fine for a quick view here and there, but many people like to pay a little extra for Hulu Plus to get access to the full array of movies and TV shows that it has available, along with some great original content.

Competitors
There are a couple of other major players in this market that you should know about. Netflix is a similar service that is seen as the giant on the market and is Hulu’s biggest competitor. It has a lot of the shows and movies people like, but where Hulu allows you to watch ongoing shows just a little bit after they air on TV, Netflix requires you to wait for the full season to air before episodes are uploaded. The price is similar, so in the event that you don’t have a DVR or forget to record something, Hulu usually has you covered.

Amazon also has a streaming service called Amazon Prime Instant Video. It has no advantage over Netflix or Hulu in terms of video streaming, but an Amazon Prime Subscription has many other benefits, such as free two-day shipping for Prime members, access to the Kindle Lender’s Library, a music streaming service and unlimited photo storage in the cloud. Only you can pick out the perfect option for yourself, but Hulu is recommended due to its constantly updating nature and ability to access recent TV.

How To Fix Common Problems On Hulu
However, like all websites or services, Hulu occasionally has issues for some people when trying to use it to the fullest of its ability or simply use it at all. At times the videos won’t play, or other things on the website won’t work right, essentially ruining your experience and stressing you out when you should be relaxing. Fortunately, these problems are either fixed soon enough by the website, or you can easily (most of the time) find a quick solution that you can implement in a couple of minutes. 

1. Video Player Unresponsive or Not Working
  • If your video player on your browser is not working, there could be many different problems, and you may have to research or try a variety of solutions. However, before ripping apart your computer or giving up, try one of the following solutions: If your browser, the Hulu player, or your computer tell you that there is a problem and give you any hints, follow those first. They will be the most helpful tools you have in solving the issue. 
  • Start out by refreshing your page and then closing and opening your browser again. Sometimes the videos or video player just doesn’t load properly due to a temporarily bad connection.
  •  Check to see that your browser and any programs related to the video player are up to date. Often you will be notified if this is not the case. 
  • See if there are any interfering programs. Some ad-blocking software is incompatible and will cause problems with the player. Some other extensions or plugins if not used correctly can cause video playback issues. 
  • Check to see if the Hulu player is itself down. While this is rare, it can happen, and then you can rest easy knowing it is not your problem. 
2. Problematic Ads
Sometimes the ads on Hulu (one of the worst parts of using Hulu) can become problematic. They might repeat themselves over not allowing you to see the content, or perhaps they don’t load at all effectively putting up a roadblock to your movie or show. Whatever it might be, it is a problem that is keeping you from the great content you paid for.

While sometimes this can be the result of the website itself, more often than not, it has something to do with ad-blocking software installed on your browser. If you think this might be the case, then disable it and see what happens. If it works, then you may just wish to keep it disabled or try to update your software.

3. Regional Restrictions and VPNs
If you have a Hulu Plus subscription and travel a lot, then you have probably ran into the problem of regional restrictions on the content you were planning to watch. Essentially the player or website notices that you are not in the country that you subscribed in and, due to licensing issues, does not allow you to access the content that you have a right to, considering your subscription. It is a major problem that plagues a lot of people.

Thankfully, there is a relatively simple solution to this called a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which you should have anyway if you are travelling. A VPN is a service that allows your computer or smartphone to connect to an offsite secure server that will handle your requests for you. It uses an encrypted connection that will protect you on risky public networks (which you will encounter while travelling), and most importantly for you, it can make it look as though you are browsing the internet from a different country by masking your IP address. This means that you can appear as if you’re in the country you subscribed from and watch normally.

It is important to note that not all VPNs are alike and they come at different costs (try to avoid the free ones, they aren’t worth the hassle), compatibility, and features. Naturally some will be better suited for using Hulu overseas or in a different region, so it is recommended that you try to find the best VPN for using Hulu by reading a few reviews

This guest post by Isa C. He is a blogger and freelancer who enjoy writing about how to use technology to make life easier, safer and more enjoyable. visit his site on www.securethoughts.com

Share This: Do you have any other difficulties with Hulu? Have you dealt with any of the problems above? Do you have any other thoughts to share about the streaming service? Please leave a comment below and join the conversation. 


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