Ever since it debuted earlier in 2017, Hulu has been streamlining and updating the interface for its Live TV service, giving users the ability to test them out via a beta web browser. Continuing this trend, a new set of beta features based on feedback from users are making their debut and they make some welcome changes that should add further flexibility to the Hulu interface.
The big new feature is the addition of picture-in-picture streaming. You can now continue watching whatever you’re streaming while simultaneously browsing Hulu’s library or multitasking elsewhere on the internet or your desktop. By pressing the “minimize” button on the bottom-right corner of the player, the content you’re watching will shrink to a separate window that can be moved around the screen.
Users will also notice a number of changes the My Stuff section of the interface, which is now the first screen you will be greeted with upon signing in. The My Stuff menu stores all movies, series, and live events that you want to keep track of in one centralized location. You can have up to six separate profiles, each with its own tracked programming. Shows, movies, and all other programming added to the My Stuff collection is organized by Hulu, keeping track of what you watched and what you have left. Conveniently, users can now select and delete content they have saved, which will hopefully make things even more simple and user-friendly.
The last of the changes in this update come to the search tool. The first addition here is that, when searching, both TV episodes and sporting events will now both be listed. More interestingly, the search bar can also now respond to “descriptive” inputs. So, if you’ve forgotten the name of a movie you want to watch, you can write your best description of a film — say, “Michael Jordan goes to space” — and you will be greeted with Hulu’s best guess. Similarly, users can search with “moods,” and the results will reflect that.
These features are available now on Hulu’s beta web browser, which is accessible to both Hulu Live TV subscribers and Hulu users with HBO and/or Cinemax add-on subscriptions. If you’re interested in Hulu with Live TV but are curious how it stacks up to the other live TV streaming services like PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, and more, check out our guide.
