A few weeks ago I was excited to see that Hulu was offering all of its major programming in 420p. While not high definition the progressive scan version allowed a full screen viewing of Fringe to not look slightly grainy. Of course when the site launched it was promised that HD content would roll out as bandwidth became capable of handling it. Up until now that has showed up in test runs via theatrical trailers presented in 720p.
This week Hulu is changing things up by adding full length 720p high definition programming to its lineup. An NBC venture, Hulu will begin by offering NBC shows. That makes sense. 30 Rock, The Office, Heroes, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog are the first to get the upgrade.
The new HD content will roll out as it can, with this push being a major part of the new “Hulu for the Holidays” campaign. Less than a year after launch and Hulu is already delivering on their promise to provide streaming HD content in a reliable manner. I’ve maintained since last year’s Writer’s Strike that the internet is an important part of television’s future. The response I got was that it wasn’t possible, and even if it were people wouldn’t care. Hulu’s growing popularity, along with this move, shows that internet television may be closer than even I thought.
