I Can't Play Anything on Hulu
Hulu is an online video streaming service that features clips, movies and TV episodes. Hulu collaborates with major television networks to compile streaming media from multiple sources into one site to provide on-demand television programming with minimal commercial interruption. Because Hulu is an internet-based video streaming service, there are several factors that could impact your ability to watch videos on Hulu.
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System Requirements
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While Hulu does not require that you download or install a special viewer, you do need to have the most recent version of Flash installed on your computer in addition to an active internet connection. Hulu recommends viewing its website with the most recent updates to Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome. Hulu supports Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and above, Macintosh OS X 10.4 and above and Linux operating systems.
Internet Connection
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Hulu recommends that you have a broadband internet connection with a downstream bandwidth of 1 Mbps or higher for the best performance. Speedtest.net can test your download and upload speeds quickly and efficiently. Log on to Speedtest.net and click the green “Begin Test” button to run a diagnostic on your computer’s upload and download speeds. Contact your Internet Service Provider if your download speeds are less than 1 Mbps to troubleshoot your Internet connection
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Bandwidth Consumption
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Video streaming is a bandwidth-intensive activity. Bandwidth refers to the amount of internet traffic that your Internet connection can support at one time. Check to see if you are running other bandwidth-intensive programs including online gaming or video chat. Close any bandwidth-intensive programs that you are not actively using while streaming video from Hulu. If you share an Internet connection, check to see if any other users with access to your connection are using any bandwidth-consuming programs.
Parental Controls
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Hulu restricts access to films rated “R” and TV shows rated “TV-MA” -- you must be at least 17 and logged into your Hulu account to view them. If you do not have an account, click the “Sign up” button at the upper left-hand corner of the screen and follow the prompts to create a new Hulu account. You must have JavaScript and cookies enabled on your browser in order to access restricted programming on Hulu.
Hardware Acceleration
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Hulu reports that viewing videos in full screen can cause the video to appear as a black screen despite the ads playing without difficulty. Hulu suggests turning on the hardware acceleration feature of the video player. To turn on hardware acceleration, right-click over the video image in the middle of the screen and select the “Settings” option from the menu. Click the tab on the bottom left of the new windows and select “Enable hardware acceleration” then click “Close.”
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References
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- Photo Credit Agri Press/Lifesize/Getty Images
