Hulu begins encrypting HTML content to thwart non-browser apps
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 1st 2009 1:10PM
posted April 1st 2009 1:10PM
It looks like Hulu's trying yet another ill-fated tactic to keep its content restricted to traditional browsers and off things like Boxee -- TunerFreeMCE's Martin Millmore says Hulu's HTML is now encrypted at the source and then decrypted using Javascript on the client. That means plugins that parse the Hulu site for links to content won't work anymore, but man, what a complicated monkey dance for basically no gain -- it's already been broken, and we're wondering what Hulu's going to do when Boxee or another company stops playing around and simply builds a full-on WebKit or Gecko browser with a tweaked ID string into their app. Keep driving towards that cliff, guys -- millions of users who want Hulu on their TVs and will jump through hoops to get it don't represent any kind of market opportunity or anything.Update: The Boxee folks just pinged us to say what several commenters have also noted: the current Mac alpha now features an XUL-based Hulu component that works no differently than a browser, and the Windows and Linux versions will be updated shortly. We'll see how Hulu responds -- for now we're sticking by our prediction that this all ends with someone building a full-on browser into one of these apps.
DROP THE CHARGES!
this is Why the pirate bay will keep Sailing~
I still don't see the point of Boxee. I guess if your too lazy figure out how to watch online video on your own then you would need Boxee to hold your hand. I've been watching Hulu on my tv from day one.
Hmmm...let's see. There's the ability to use a remote (not a keyboard). There's the seamless switching between online video and set top box. There's ease of use and general aesthetics.
Should I continue? Just because you don't understand the value doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Any updates with XBMC Hulu plug in? Well I can always continue watching Hulu on my HTC Fuze with Skyfire on the go.
Why does Hulu care? if you are watching it and seeing the commericals then what does it matter what you view it on?
Just as long as it still works on my PS3. That's all I care about.
You can still watch Hulu through Zinc - www.zeevee.com/zinc - we are an internet video browser for the PC based on Firefox
Um. Do the networks really need to make it harder for people to view their content? Isn't that the reason Hulu was invented? Because the eyeballs were drifting away. Maybe they want less advertisers??? This is a head-scratcher.
Wow, That didnt take long now did it? Holy smokes man!
RT
www.anonymity.us.tc
What the media companies (who own Hulu BTW) are afraid of is people using things like Hulu to replace those expensive cable plans. So, they are trying to stop any efforts to provide a "TV-like" interface to Hulu and similar sites (including any efforts to make watching it on a TV itself easier)
I second the zeevee zinc modified firefox browser method. The thing works great, especially for us windows users who don't have boxee yet. You can watch hulu, nbc, cbs, espn and others while also being able to watch all your local content from within the browser. No pictures or music, but who needs that on their tv. (heck you can even use the rss thing a ma jiggy to have all your friends status updates on your tv)
LAW effing L
The trouble people go through to watch advertisements. I'm soooooo past this.
I wouldn't be surprised if this change was only meant so they could go after Boxee and others under the DMCA, since they'd now be circumventing encryption to use Hulu
By ignoring the world outside the USA and introducing other stupid means of 'protection', Hulu is just asking people to keep using bittorent. And I am going to.
Woops, what's this? I sure hope those bad pirates don't get their hands on this.
function _dobfu(input)
{
tmp = input.substring(7).replace(/%/gi, "");
var output = '';
for (var i = 0; i < tmp.length; i += 8)
{
output += String.fromCharCode(parseInt(tmp.substring(i, i + 2), 16) ^ 0xCE) + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(tmp.substring(i + 2, i + 4), 16) ^ 0xFA) + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(tmp.substring(i + 4, i + 6), 16) ^ 0xED) + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(tmp.substring(i + 6, i + 8), 16) ^ 0xFE);
}
return output;
}
A bit better.
function _dobfu(input)
{
var output = "";
input = unescape(input.substring(7));
key = unescape("%CE%FA%ED%FE");
for (var i = 0; i < input.length; ++i)
{
output += String.fromCharCode(input.substring(i, i + 1).charCodeAt(0) ^ key.substring(i % key.length, i % key.length + 1).charCodeAt(0));
}
return output;
}
As predicted Hulu is once again viewable on tv if you use PlayOn. It was down for a few days but is back up and fully functional
ok, after doing some reasearch on ways to stream hulu and netflix to my ps3 i have found a few answers for everyone complaining about no hulu on your tv, unless you use a tv as your computer monitor. the reason behind this (which i am not supporting so dont flame me) is becuase a recording medium can be plugged into a tv and record whatever is playing...hence compyright infringement...which is what they are trying to avoid. most peopel have no way of recording what is on a computer, and some computers have monitors that do not allow the screen images to be captured by cameras.
i used to record video games on vhs as i played them as strategy guides when super nes was popular and sell the tapes to help people who couldnt beat the game (before strategy guides were wildly popular, or i would trade them. the fact is recording mediums can be hooked up to tvs and record whatever is on them..which defeats the purpose of streaming compared to downloading.
i think free content should be..free but they dont want the content to be recorded which is understanadable yet stupid at the same time considering tvs now how hookups like s video and hdmi which some graphics cards support which still allows for a vcr or other recording medium to be plugged in and record so go figure, nothing is perfect and there are ways around everything.
it is sad that HULU keeps chaning stuff. i am getting netflix so i could care less what hulu does. my pirating days are over becuase my internet got cut off for downloading "mirrors" for bit torrents so i am legit now and will just find other programming to watch online through my ps3 since hulu doesnt want me to watch it on my tv...it isnt like we arew paying for it anyways..but i am not to worried about tv shows, i just mainly do movies so i am in a different situation than some users on here. anyhow, hopefully this brings to light some of the reason why hulu does what they do. in no way am i defending them, work for them, or am associated with them, i just figured since everyone is not happy atleast now you can know why they are encoding their programing.