Hulu Plus users will be happy to know that the streaming video service has released a massive update to its iOS client this afternoon. The update brings the app to version 2.0 and includes a wealth of improvements.
The biggest change in today’s release is the ‘entirely new experience’ for iPad. The entire UI has been redone for the tablet to make browsing for your favorite shows, and discovering new ones, easier than ever before…
Here are the release notes for version 3.0:
We’re excited to introduce you to an entirely new Hulu Plus experience for iPad. In addition to hundreds of internal optimizations, the Hulu Plus app has been redesigned to make browsing more enjoyable than ever and help you discover new and exciting shows with ease. Some things to look out for:
• Minimize a video during playback by tapping the minimize icon or “pinching” the video. The video will continue playing at the bottom of the screen while you use the app to browse, search, or do anything else you can think of.
• Tap on an image of any episode, show, or season to take a peek at what’s inside using the new discovery panel. Have fun casually exploring old episodes within a season or learning more about a new show with as little effort as possible. (Want to get straight to watching content? Just double-tap any image).
• Check out collections of editorially curated shows, clips, and movies. We recommend starting with the “Trending Now” collection of the day’s hottest clips – it’s a great way to see what everybody’s talking about right now.
• Watch clips and short-form content inline, just one tap away.
And the update is so big, Hulu made a video for it:
I’m not a Hulu Plus member anymore, so I can’t speak to how the update performs (app requires login). But looking at the screenshots, and the above video, I have to say that the new iPad UI looks quite impressive.
Obviously, if you already use Hulu’s premium service, grabbing this update is a no-brainer. Otherwise, Hulu does offer a 1-week free trial of Plus. Either way, you can find the Hulu Plus app in the App Store for free.