[vox] Hulu Desktop and XBMC media server

[Tony Cratz]

Hello:

	I don't recall seeing this mention here yet, but Hulu has
	release a Hulu Desktop for Linux.

	Instead of using a browser to watch you can now use the Hulu
	client. With the client you can do almost all of the functions
	that the web page supports.

	There are some issues which I'm not sure if they are unique to
	the client or if they are problems which Hulu has not fully
	addresses yet. For example their commercials often times have
	their audio overlay on the content audio (and at a slightly
	higher level like most broadcast commercials).

	Otherwise I find the client usable. This now gives me a larger
	selection of content which I can watch along with the content
	I have access to with my XBMC media server.

	About a month ago a friend upgraded his desktop system. He did
	not have any family member to pass his old box to so I was it
	was given to me. The box was fine it just that he wanted a
	large 24" monitor so he decided to get a full package from
	Dell.

	As I said the box was fine and really not that old. It just
	with the old M$ OS it just really needed a fresh install to
	make it better (and I did offer to help him to a fresh install).
	But he decided for a the full package.

	Anyway I did not need to replace any of my other working systems
	and I really like the idea of having a XBMC ( http://xbmc.org )
	media server. And seeing this box supported SATA to start with
	this was a good box to add a 1TB HD along with an S-Video card
	so I could have a media server.

	With some help I was able to get the new video card to work on
	Ubuntu 9.10 beta (long story but the ATI drivers I needed for
	the R600 chip was not supported in 9.04 *and* XBMC 9.04 version
	also did not support the new driver).

	Anyway I have been playing with it for the last week plus now.
	I'm real happy with it and all of the media sources it support.
	Currently XBMC does not support the Hulu client but I'm sure
	that will change in the future. But there are a number of
	streaming services which you can add.

	Last night I was watching CBS NCIS show from last week via a
	XBMC plugin which got the stream right from the CBS site. After
	the first buffering of content I did not noticed any streaming
	issues.

	It is nice to be able to watch streaming videos on my normal
	32" TV instead of my laptop.

	As XBMC mature more (even with it being around for a few years)
	it will be a great media server. The friend who first introduced
	me to XBMC is thinking of about canceling his DirecTV service.
	He is able to get almost everything he wants via either torrents
	or streaming.

	The one thing I want to add in the future when money allows is
	a digital tuner for broadcast TV. Then I would add the MythTV
	software to the box (which XBMC supports) and have a FULL
	DVR unit.

							Tony