Microsoft has a history of helping users watch TV, first with now-dead Windows Media Player and then with Xbox One’s live TV integrations. But the Redmond-based software giant’s best option for cord cutters may be the new Hulu app, released today.
Hulu’s universal Windows 10 app was built by developers from both Microsoft and Hulu to take full use of the deep integrations available with the Universal Windows Platform.
The best feature of the new app is Cortana integration, which gets your favorite shows playing without lifting a finger. Now you can just say “Hey Cortana, Hulu play Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and Cortana will do all the work to get the latest episode playing on whatever device you are using.
But the app is also smart enough to know if you’ve never watched the show. So if you haven’t watched Fargo yet, you can say “Hey Cortana, Hulu play Fargo” and it’ll start from the first episode. You can even pick up where you left off, starting mid-episode, which is great if you started an episode on your phone and want to finish it on a bigger screen.
Hulu can also display a live tile right in the start menu, so users can see when there are new episodes of top shows without opening the app. And since Hulu is built with the Universal Windows Platform, it works seamlessly across desktops, tablets and phones, including the new Lumia 650.
The app is free and available today. While Hulu will still be free and ad-supported through desktop browsers, the app requires a subscription, which starts at $7.99 per month.
