Hulu Confirms Video-On-Demand Service Coming To PS3 In July

PlayStation 3 is getting another delivery option for on-demand video. Hulu on Tuesday confirmed on its website that it is bringing its video-on-demand service to Sony's game console this July as part of a new subscription option that costs $10 a month. "Hulu Plus" gives paying subscribers more shows and more platform support than the free browser-based Hulu.com site. The paid service also lets users view full, multiple seasons -- or in some cases all seasons -- of current and classic TV shows. Videos are displayed up to 720p resolution, Hulu said, compared to the maximum 480p for the free service. Business site Bloomberg cited unnamed sources earlier this month that said Hulu was in talks to bring its service to PS3, although the companies declined to confirm the report at the time. Hulu Plus is also coming to Xbox 360 in "early 2011," the company said. Initially-supported platforms include iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, which can access Hulu Plus through wi-fi and 3GS networks. Users will also still be able to view Hulu Plus content on their desktop Mac or PC via a browser. Support is also on the way for internet-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players from Samsung, Sony and Vizio. Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii currently have access to Netflix's on-demand library of "Watch Instantly" streaming titles. Customers must at least subscribe to Netflix's lowest plan of $8.99 per month to access the streaming videos, and in the case of Xbox 360 owners, pay an additional $50 per year for Xbox Live. Xbox 360 and PS3 also offer the option to buy or rent downloadable TV shows and movies from their respective online storefronts. Both Sony and Microsoft are increasingly positioning their game consoles as all-in-one media entertainment centers for the living room. Hulu CEO Jason Kilar said in a Tuesday blog post that "Hulu Plus is not a replacement for Hulu.com." Starting today, the company is sending out invitations to become a Hulu Plus subscriber, with interested parties able to request an invite. Kilar also said that Hulu Plus, like the standard Hulu, will still have advertisements. Kilar said the service will continue to expand. "There are more shows to license, more countries to expand into, and more product features to build. And we will," he said. [UPDATE: Kotaku reported that one reader with early access for Hulu Plus encountered a message that said, "Note: You must be a subscriber of the PlayStation Plus Network" in order to install Hulu Plus on PS3. PlayStation Plus is Sony's newly-announced premium online service that costs $50 per year to join. Sony Computer Entertainment America senior director of corporate communications Patrick Seybold told Gamasutra that more information about Hulu Plus and PlayStation Plus will be announced "soon," but he did not confirm the report as of yet.]