Hulu has released a significant update to their iOS app today, adding a completely new design to the iPad version intended to improve the browsing, show discovery, and viewing experience. Among the more interesting features is a new Discovery panel, accessibly by tapping any episode, show, or season thumb to view highlights and related content. They’ve also added a new ‘Trending Now” category, enabling users to see what content is being viewed the most by others.
From the release notes:
What’s New in 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.
We’ve made sure to keep all of your favorite features intact, including the popular Kids Lock (iPad-only) which limits the app to ad-free, safe and enjoyable content from our selection of Kids programming.
Give it a try and let us know what you think at mobilesupport@hulu.com.
Hulu for iOS 3.0 is, as always, available as a free download from the App Store.
