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"When the iPad was announced a few weeks ago, the lack of support for Adobe Flash prompted outcries from would-be users \u2014 largely because of what impact that would have on streaming video services. Today, AllThingsD's Peter Kafka is reporting that Hulu for the iPad is indeed likely, but you might have to pay for it.Last year, the web went into hysterics when a representative from Fox (one of Hulu's three owners \u2014 alongside Disney and NBC Universal/Comcast) announced that he wanted to start charging for Hulu. Whether that would be part of some sort of subscription service for more premium content or include access to other types of devices hasn't been formally discussed, but according to AllThingsD, the iPad would be part of this strategy.\nRight now it sounds like Hulu's management is trying to figure out how to keep the main site free, while charging for other access options. \nAllThingsD describes this:\n\n\"One idea the company and its backers like: Turning Hulu from a 'one screen' service \u2014 one you're only supposed to watch on your computer \u2014 to a \"three screen\" offering, by adding support for TVs and mobile devices.\n'Just three screens alone is pretty enticing,' for consumers, says an executive at one of Hulu's parent companies.\"\n\nHulu has gone to great lengths to position itself as a \"computer-only\" service (even when it offers programs like Hulu Desktop that are clearly designed for use with a remote control from a sofa or chair), trying to prevent services like Boxee from making it easy to view the web content on a larger screen. Whether or not this strategy would include teaming up with hardware partners a la Netflix, is still unclear.\nThe Definition of a Mobile Device\nAllThingsD and Gizmodo both touched on what is probably the biggest hurdle for Hulu and the iPad: the definition of device type. One of the reasons that Hulu has not come to mobile phones is because there are additional rights involved with getting shows licensed to view on a mobile phone. Hulu doesn't own those rights. And while it's likely it could get them, that process won't be fast (and it almost certainly won't be a free option \u2014 especially for newer shows that have mobile royalty rates written into the contracts of the creatives and talent).\nHow the iPad's device-type will be defined is still unknown \u2014 it could be argued that when used via Wi-Fi, the device is not mobile, but when used over 3G, it is. Still, this seems to be a larger logistical hurdle than just creating an application wrapper to service the Hulu video content.\nFlash Wouldn't Erase This Problem\nAlthough having Flash support would prevent Hulu from having to write either an iPad-optimized website (or separate application) to serve content, it wouldn't solve the dilemmas over what constitutes a mobile device and on what types of screens Hulu wants to serve content.\nAs the Boxee kerfuffle has proven, Hulu is not afraid to try to block requests from certain browser types (which is why Boxee uses a user agent string that matches Mozilla in almost every way). Blocking access coming from devices that identify themselves as an iPad wouldn't take any effort. I'm not saying Hulu would do this \u2014 but the technical fact is, it wouldn't be difficult to do.\nIf the big issue is how to charge and how to categorize the device, and not how to serve the content \u2014 having Flash or not having Flash is really beside the point. It's a nice issue for users and developers and pundits to hang their hats on and debate, but really, if what is being reported is accurate, the issue seems to have very little to do with what wrapper the video content uses.\nAssuming Hulu does come to the iPad \u2014 as part of some sort of subscription service \u2014 would you pay? How much would be fair? Would you also want access to other devices like a TV or mobile phone?\nLet us know your thoughts in the comments!"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/02/19/hulu-ipad/>