Sony has announced that its Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer can now tap into Hulu Plus, expanding the devices slate of video and television offerings with literally thousands of current TV episodes, movies, and more from the ABC, NBC, and FOX broadcast networks. Hulu Plus complement the range of over 1,000 applications Sony says are available for the Dash, including social networking apps, news and weather information, as well as sports, online radio, and video services from the likes of Sony’s Bravia services, Shoutcast, and chumby. Of course, to get Hulu Plus, Dash owners will still need to pay for a subscription—currently $9.99 a month.
“The addition of Hulu Plus serves as an ideal example of how Dash continues to evolve and improve over time” said Sony senior VP of personal imaging and audio Brennan Mullin, in a statement. “With Hulu on board, the Dash platform has the ability to deliver a huge variety of online entertainment instantly to consumers’ homes on top of glanceable, real-time tidbits of information.”
Rather than being a tablet device, the Sony Dash is kind of a an Internet- and video-capable version of an old counter-top radio: it features a 7-inch color screen, Wi-Fi networking, and built-in stereo speakers, and is designed to bring the Internet to rooms like kitchens, offices, bedrooms, or other places where a full-fledged computer is overkill. It’s also cheaper: the Sony Dash retails for $199.
The Dash is the latest product offering from Sony to pick up Hulu Plus—it’s also available on the PlayStation 3, along with selected HDTVs and Apple iOS devices. Other devices are working to add Hulu Plus support, including the Xbox 360 and streaming set-top boxes from Roku and Boxee. Recent speculation also has Hulu considering a price drop for the Hulu Plus service, with some reports putting a new price point at $4.95.
