Hulu's New Watch Party Feature Is Easy To Use But Has Some Major Drawbacks (2024)
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Much like Netflix Party, Hulu Watch Party allows you to watch TV and movies with friends over the internet.
By Mat Elfring on
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Back in March, the Google Chrome extension Netflix Party launched, which allowed you to watch content with your friends over the internet. What connected the viewers was a chatroom where everyone could talk to each other like you were in a AOL chatroom in 1996. The extension was a lot of fun and a great way to connect with people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, it was revealed Hulu was testing its own watch party feature with select subscribers, and it feels like a much more polished Netflix Party.
Hulu Watch Party isn't available for everyone to control. It is currently only available to Hulu (no ads) or Hulu (no ads) + Live TV subscribers, and that's to control it or to watch it with friends, which is one of two major drawbacks to this service. The other issue is that you need to be in a supported web browser--Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge on Windows 10. Not everything is available for a Watch Party--including live TV or premium add-ons; however, searching through Hulu's catalog, we didn't find anything that couldn't be included in a Watch Party.
The person setting up the party selects something from Hulu's catalog. To the right of the "Play" button, there is another button that says "Watch Party" when you highlight it. You click that, get another prompt about Watch Party, then you get a link to share with friends. You can only share with seven other people, but do you really need more than eight people in a chatroom for a film? Again, everyone joining the party needs to have a Hulu (no ads) or Hulu (no ads) + Live TV account.
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One interesting thing is that when the host of the party and the guests' streams are out of sync. Hulu Watch Party lets you know that you are out of sync with the option to sync-up with the host, instead of automatically doing it. This will come in handy if you have a host who accidentally clicks on the time bar or someone who wants to jump ahead to "the good parts." There are also a plethora of emojis to choose from on the chat bar.
It's very easy to use, and it exists within Hulu, so you don't need to add an extension. Most importantly, it's legal. While Hulu's new watch service and Netflix Party utilize every viewer's account to stream content, hosting parties through Zoom, Discord, or the many other extensions or programs only stream from one account, so there are legal issues, as GameSpot discussed with law professor at Cornell Tech and Law School James Grimmelmann. Hulu Watch Party is simple to set up and use, but you have to be in a higher-tier subscription and on your computer, but where else will you be able to watch Holey Moley with friends right now? It's probably not something you'll want to pay extra money a month for, but for those already in the no ads tier, this is a very nice addition to Hulu.
Hulu's no ad plan will cost you $12 a month--with Hulu's ad-supported subscription costing $6 a month. If you have the Live TV tier, which costs $55 a month, you'll have to upgrade to Live TV (no ads), which costs $61 a month. You can learn more about the tiers for the streaming service below if you're interested in hosting your own watch party.
And speaking of things you should be watching, consider listening to GameSpot's weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Hulu Watch Party isn't available for everyone to control. It is currently only available to Hulu (no ads) or Hulu (no ads) + Live TV subscribers, and that's to control it or to watch it with friends, which is one of two major drawbacks to this service.
Watch parties can help people feel closer to the content and communities they love. They're also suited for all types of viewers across many types of genres. When you decide to host a watch party for your fans, you'll want to give yourself enough time to plan everything in advance.
To use Hulu's Watch Party, users select the “Watch Party” icon on each title's Details page and then share a link with up to seven other Hulu subscribers to join.
At the present time the Watch Party feature on Hulu is in the test or beta stage. Only Hulu subscribers with the no-ads or Hulu no-ads + Live subscribers can use.
Prime Video Watch Party allows you to chat and watch eligible titles/content with friends and family virtually. With Watch Parties, you can chat with up to 100 friends in the same country while you watch movies and TV shows online together.
You must respect all applicable local, national, and international laws while using Watch Parties. Do not invade the privacy of others. It is prohibited to share content that may reveal personal information about individuals, or their private property, without permission.
GroupWatch syncs streams so that up to seven people have the same viewing experience, even if you're unable to watch together in person. Everyone will need to have a Disney Plus account to join, although up to four different profiles on the same account can stream together.
Hulu subscribers, beware: The password-sharing crackdown is officially here. The new policy went into effect this week, barring people who don't live in the same household from piggybacking on subscriptions. It was already in effect for subscribers who joined on or after Jan. 25.
You can download the Hulu app and activate your account on as many supported devices as you'd like, but only two of them can be streaming simultaneously. If you attempt to stream from an additional device, you may see an error message on that screen.
You'll only be able to stream premium content from a total of five screens — three of which can be on out-of-home mobile devices — at one time. If you exceed this limit you will run into a “too many streams” error message.
You can access your Hulu Live TV account from different locations. However, your Live TV home location can only be one place. Multiple devices can use the Hulu account for a given region.
Users will need to have a Hulu account and can access SharePlay by starting a FaceTime call, then opening the Hulu app, selecting a TV show or movie, tapping the “Share” button and then selecting the “SharePlay” option. Anyone can rewind, fast-forward, reverse and those commands will apply to every feed.
"Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.
No problem! Hulu subscribers are able to stream from two different screens at one time. While you catch up on last night's episodes in one room, the rest of the family can settle in for a movie night in another — no more fighting over the remote.
The Teleparty extension works on laptop and desktop computers, both Macs and PCs. There's also an Android app, which you can download from the Google Play Store.
Hulu's user terms of service say subscribers and anyone allowed to access their account are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of their account information. You can add five profiles in addition to the primary account holder, but only two devices can stream Hulu at the same time.
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