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11 tips to help you get the most out of Hulu

Hulu is a solid option for anyone who wants to legally watch TV online Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Amazon Prime:Which one should you choose? Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Amazon Prime:Which one should you choose? It's been years since we've compared the big-hit streaming services Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. And with changes in pricing, content, quality, and interface, we thought it was time to take a fresh look. Read more . In fact, I now think Hulu is a must-have for anyone who wants to get rid of cable TV by cutting the cord. Should you cut the cord or keep cable TV? Should you cut the cord or keep your cable TV? If you're still stuck with your cable subscription, but are debating whether it's time to make a switch, we're here to help. This guide will help you decide. Read More

And if you're thinking of getting Hulu, or if you already have a subscription, there are a number of tips and tricks you'll want to employ to really optimize your experience. Here are 11 you should start using right away.

1. Access Hulu from outside the US.

One of the biggest reasons people haven't cut the cord yet Everyone else is cutting the cord, why aren't you? Everyone else is cutting the cord, so why isn't it you? I cut the cord in 2013 and more and more people are following suit, ditching their cable service altogether. But not everyone is cutting the cord, and we decided to find out why... Read More This means that if you ever leave the US, for whatever reason, you will no longer be able to watch Hulu.

Fortunately, there are ways around this.

The often recommended method is to use a paid VPN that allows streaming video Best VPN Services Best VPN Services We've compiled a list of what we consider to be the best Virtual Private Network (VPN) service providers, grouped by premium, Free , and suitable for torrents. Read more . My preferred VPN is Private Internet Access because it's affordable and respectful of your privacy, but there are plenty of others worth using as well. Just be sure to brush up on these common VPN myths and misconceptions 5 Common VPN Myths and Why You Shouldn't Believe Them 5 Common VPN Myths and Why You Shouldn't Believe Them Planning to use a VPN? Not sure where to start or confused about what they do? Let's take a look at the top five myths about VPNs and why they're simply not true. Read more before signing up to use one.

Other solutions include DNS tunneling and unblocking of browser extensions. 2 Effective Ways To Access Region Blocked Videos Without A VPN 2 Effective Ways To Access Region Blocked Videos Without A VPN Music Content Available To Americans. Even Americans are deprived of international services like BBC iPlayer. Given this,… read more. If VPNs aren't an option for you, try these.

2. Defeat Lag using Router QoS

Unless you live alone, you've probably struggled with bandwidth usage before:You want to watch Hulu while your partner, roommate, or sibling wants to play video games, download torrents, or engage in some other high-bandwidth activity.

Internet congestion does not offer a pleasant viewing experience, so you should upgrade to a modern wireless router. Which brands are better when buying a wireless router? Which brands are better when buying a wireless router? Not all wireless routers are created equal, and the same goes for router brands. These are some of the most trusted brands along with some that are not so trustworthy. Read More when other people are watching videos and downloading torrents? Here's how to get your network performance back without third-party tools. Read more . QoS basically creates "fast lanes" within your network, in this case preventing your Hulu bits from getting "stuck" while your router tries to process all the other bits that pass through.

Seriously, QoS is a Must-Have Router Feature 10 Crucial Features to Use in Setting Up Your Wireless Home Router 10 Crucial Features to Use in Setting Up Your Wireless Home Router Most wireless routers are equipped with a few amazing features you probably don't have. t taking advantage Here are some of the most useful to start exploring right now. Read More Don't underestimate how useful it can be..

3. Track new episodes with watchlist

One thing I love about Hulu over Netflix or Prime Video is their watchlist feature, which is the easiest and most convenient to use of them all. Now that Hulu has so many high quality shows to watch 16 Must Watch TV Shows You Must Watch On Hulu Right Now 16 Must Watch TV Shows You Must Watch On Hulu Right Now Netflix, Amazon are the current kings of online streaming. However, it would be a mistake to dismiss Hulu out of hand, as it hosts a number of truly must-see TV shows. Shows like these... Read More

That's why it's nice that Hulu can automatically add new episodes directly to your Watch List as soon as they're available. I'm currently doing this with Master Chef - I go online, see a new episode waiting in my list and play it happily. No need to check when new episodes come out.

11 tips to help you get the most out of Hulu

To do this, all you have to do is visit the page for a particular program and click on + watch list button right next to the rating. When new episodes become available, the show will jump to the top of your watch list.

4. Change the video quality

It would be nice to see everything in HD all the time (or even Ultra HD when it's available) What's the difference between 4K and Ultra HD? What's the difference between 4K and Ultra HD? Thinking about buying a new TV or monitor but feeling lost With all the terminology like 4K and Ultra HD, here's everything you need to know about it (Read More) but that's just not practical or realistic for most of us. Fast Internet speeds are not only expensive, at least in most areas of the US, but even if you pay for the best rates, network quality can drop during peak hours.

11 tips to help you get the most out of Hulu

So instead of sitting through a constant stream of buffering, turn the quality down a bit. The image may not be as sharp, but it won't be as frustrating to watch either. (In my experience, the “Auto” quality setting isn't very good, so I'd avoid relying on it too much.)

5. Adjust the appearance of the subtitles.

Subtitles are not just for foreign movies. I find them useful for scenes that involve complex dialogue, scenes where the dialogue is drowned out by gunshots or explosions, and shows that have a lot of unique proper names (mainly in the fantasy and sci-fi genres).

11 tips to help you get the most out of Hulu

In any case, if, like me, you prefer to keep subtitles on, they are called correctly. “subtitles” on Hulu, then you should also keep in mind that you can modify the appearance of the text. Make it as comfortable to read as possible and you'll be good to go.

6. Watch Hulu on your TV

Watching Hulu on a TV is incomparable to watching on a desktop, or worse, a laptop or tablet. (And don't even think about watching on a smartphone!) Those alternatives will work in a pinch, but the Hulu-on-TV experience is objectively better in almost every way.

If you have a smart TV, all you have to do is install the Hulu app. Launch it, log in to your account and enjoy. Smart TV interfaces leave a lot to be desired 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy a Smart TV 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy a Smart TV It's undeniable that Smart TVs are now obsolete, and right now the option to buy a Smart TV would not be a smart thing to do. This is why. Read More

However, our preferred method is to use a dedicated streaming device How to Watch Hulu TV Shows and Movies on XBMC [US Only] How to Watch Hulu TV Shows and Movies on XBMC [US Only] Watch Hulu TV shows and movies without leaving the comfort of your couch. If you have an XBMC media center, you'd be silly not to install this plugin (assuming you live in the US:… Read More:A Roku basically turns any dumb TV into a smart TV, while a Chromecast lets you stream videos directly from, say, your smartphone to your TV. But between the two of us, we really like what Roku has to offer. Which Roku Media Streamer Should You Buy? Which Roku Media Streamer Should You Buy? The current offering is divided into five products:the Roku Streaming Stick, and the Roku 1, 2, 3, and 4. This article looks at what each product can offer, and tries to determine which... Read More .

7. Use your smartphone as a Hulu remote

You may not know this, but you can watch Hulu on your TV while controlling everything else with your smartphone:browse the library, add new shows and episodes to your watchlist, tweak account settings, and even switch to Hulu. another program in the middle of playback.

All you have to do is install the Hulu app (on Android or iOS), sign in to your account on both the TV and smartphone, and enable the remote control feature. This functionality works even on smart watches like the Apple Watch.

Compatible devices include:

  • Chromecast
  • AndroidTV
  • AppleTV
  • LG TV
  • Playstation 3
  • Playstation 4
  • SamsungTV
  • Wii U
  • Xbox 360
  • Xbox One

If you're watching on a smart TV, you probably already have a physical remote to use, but the app-as-a-remote alternative is even better because swipe-and-type is simply more convenient than the ease-of-use of a traditional remote. ..

8. Set parental controls with Hulu Kids Lock

Both the Android and iOS apps for Hulu have a feature called Kids Lock that blocks access to any Hulu content outside of the Kids section, both in terms of browsing content and viewing content. If you've wanted to let your kids watch shows, but were reluctant to fear they'll stumble upon something they shouldn't be watching, this is perfect for you.

Enabling Kids Lock is easy:

  1. Launch the Hulu mobile app.
  2. Navigate to Children section.
  3. At the top of the screen, enable Child lock .

It honestly is that simple. To disable, tap unlock at the top of the screen and enter your Hulu password when prompted. Unfortunately, this feature is not available on other devices and it is currently unknown if it will ever be available elsewhere.

9. Use the advanced search options

Searching by titles and keywords is great for quickly getting to the page of a particular show you have in mind, but it's not so good if you want to find a particular episode of a program or something equally specific and difficult to search for.

That's where Hulu's Advanced Video Search comes in, which you can access by searching for anything (it doesn't matter what) and then clicking Advanced Video Search Link displayed at the top of the search results page.

11 tips to help you get the most out of Hulu

Or you can use specific modifiers on the actual search query, thus avoiding the need to use the Advanced Video Search page:

  • Use quotes to search for a phrase (eg "el que tiene" )
  • Use + Before a deadline to demand it in each result. (eg +perro )
  • Use - Before a term to exclude it in each result. (eg -dominar )
  • Use show: To filter by a certain show. (eg espectáculo: "El escudo" )
  • Use season: Filter by a certain season. (eg temporada: 1-3,5 )
  • Use episode: to filter by episode number. (eg episodio: 12 )
  • Use network: Filter by broadcast network. (eg red: abc )
  • Other search modifiers can be found on this help page.

10. Finance your subscription with Bing Rewards

Bing Rewards was rebranded as Microsoft Rewards in August 2016, but not much has changed in the transition except for a few superficial updates. The essential remains the same. What is Bing Rewards, how does it work and what's new? What is Bing Rewards, how does it work and what's new? The premise of Bing Rewards is that you can earn credits for searching with Bing. Read more:Earn points every time you use Bing and redeem them for gift cards, subscriptions, sweepstakes entries, etc.

At the time of this writing, you can earn approximately 300 points each day and redeem a 1-month Limited Commercials subscription for 6,800 points, which is awarded approximately 23 days if you earn all of your daily points (and you can earn even more points if you browse over the web using Edge).

Assuming you regularly earn all of your daily points, you can easily fund a Hulu subscription without paying a dime. Set Bing as your default search engine and this will take almost zero effort.

11. Don't cancel, put it on hold

This last tip should sway you if your only concern is that you probably won't watch Hulu on a monthly basis and you're not sure if an account will continue to be worth your time. Fortunately, Hulu allows you to postpone your subscription whenever you want for up to 3 months at a time.

11 tips to help you get the most out of Hulu

Are you going on vacation for a while? Did you burn everything you want to see and nothing else catches your eye? Do you have cash flow problems and need a temporary solution? Put your account on hold. It will automatically resume when the wait duration is over.

What do you love about Hulu?

Just Because You Don't Like Netflix 7 Reasons You Should Avoid When Subscribing To Netflix deal. So before you sign up for Netflix, take a moment to consider these blemishes. Read More They are more different than you might imagine, and some of these tips and tricks could help make Hulu the most convenient option for you. However, if you can afford it, there's nothing wrong with having both Netflix and Hulu.

Thanks to the above, I've come to appreciate Hulu quite a bit over the past few months, especially when using the No Commercials plan. The ad-free experience is definitely much, much better.

Are there any other Hulu tips you want to share with your fellow readers? What do you like most about Hulu? What are your favorite shows on Hulu? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!