Hulu Finally Embraces HDR Streaming, Joining the Modern Viewing Era
For years, Hulu subscribers have watched as competitors flaunted visually stunning high-dynamic range (HDR) content. While Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Paramount+ elevated their streaming libraries with richer colors and deeper contrasts, Hulu stubbornly held its ground, offering 4K streaming but missing the crucial HDR element. Now, that wait is finally over. Hulu has officially announced support for HDR streaming, bringing its visual presentation into the modern era.
The change, first noticed by an eagle-eyed user on the AVS Forum, marks a significant upgrade to the Hulu experience. An updated entry on Hulu’s support page confirms that users can now stream select Hulu originals in high-dynamic range (HDR), encompassing HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision formats on compatible devices. This long-awaited addition brings Hulu in line with industry standards and offers subscribers a more immersive and visually compelling viewing experience.
HDR technology significantly enhances the picture quality by expanding the range of contrast between the darkest and brightest parts of an image. This expanded contrast results in finer, richer picture details, allowing viewers to perceive a wider spectrum of colors and a greater sense of depth. Imagine watching a scene with a sunset; with HDR, the vibrant oranges and reds will pop with unparalleled intensity, while the subtle gradations of light in the clouds will become far more discernible. The impact on the overall viewing experience is substantial, creating a more engaging and realistic portrayal of the content.
Hulu is making it easier for viewers to identify HDR-enabled content. According to the streaming service, an HDR badge will now appear on the details page of titles available to stream in HDR. This visual cue allows users to quickly and easily identify which programs will take advantage of their HDR-compatible devices.
It’s important to note that HDR support is not yet universal across all of Hulu’s original series. While many popular titles are now showcasing the benefits of HDR, others remain outside of this enhancement, at least for now. Shows like "Nine Perfect Strangers," "The Handmaid’s Tale," "High Fidelity," and "Little Fires Everywhere," along with movies such as "Happiest Season" and "WeWork," currently support HDR streaming. However, other series, including FX’s "American Horror Story," do not yet appear to offer HDR support. This suggests a phased rollout of HDR capabilities, with Hulu likely expanding HDR support to more of its content library in the future.
To access HDR content on Hulu, users must have "select devices" running the latest version of the Hulu app. These compatible devices include:
- Roku (HDR-compatible models)
- Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Cube devices (HDR-compatible models with Fire OS 7 or later)
- Apple TV 4K (fifth-generation or later)
- Vizio (HDR-compatible models)
- Chromecast Ultra (HDR-compatible models)
The requirement for compatible devices ensures that the hardware is capable of processing and displaying HDR content effectively. Using a non-HDR-compatible device will result in a standard dynamic range (SDR) viewing experience, missing out on the visual enhancements that HDR offers.
While Hulu is undeniably late to the HDR game, arriving several years after its main competitors, the platform’s inclusion of both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support provides a substantial consolation. Many of Hulu’s competitors, with the exception of HBO Max, only support one or the other of these formats. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are both advanced HDR formats that offer dynamic metadata. This dynamic metadata allows for scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame optimization of the HDR effect, resulting in a more precise and nuanced picture quality compared to basic HDR10, which uses static metadata.
By supporting both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, Hulu offers a broader compatibility range and allows viewers to experience the best possible picture quality regardless of their device’s specific HDR capabilities. This decision demonstrates Hulu’s commitment to providing a premium streaming experience, even if it took longer to arrive than many had hoped.
The addition of HDR streaming marks a significant step forward for Hulu. It brings the platform in line with the visual standards set by its competitors and offers subscribers a more immersive and visually appealing way to enjoy their favorite content. While HDR support is not yet universal across all of Hulu’s offerings, the initial rollout includes many popular original series and movies, providing a taste of the enhanced viewing experience to a wide audience. As Hulu continues to expand its HDR library and optimize its platform for HDR streaming, subscribers can look forward to a future where vibrant colors, deeper contrasts, and finer details become the norm, transforming their living rooms into immersive cinematic experiences. The long wait is finally over, and Hulu is ready to show off its new visual prowess.
