Long Awaited Hulu Video Site Getting Close to Launch

The long awaited joint venture between NBC, NewsCorp. opened up a private beta today, meaning that you can get in to view the site if invited. The site itself will host a variety of videos from top-tier content partners in a bid to steal some of Youtube's thunder. The idea is that instead of videos being pirated and appearing on Youtube, entertainment companies will finally become proactive and put them out on the Web themselves, where they can both retain control and do a better job monetizing the content. The big question was whether the traditional media companies could get their act together and actually make it happen.

Fox news reports that 'Hulu will legally offer hundreds of episodes of current shows such as NBC's "30 Rock" and Fox's "The Simpsons," as well as older shows such as "Lou Grant" and "Lost in Space."'

In some ways Hulu does not compete with Youtube. While Youtube is about user-generated videos, Hulu will take only programming from its networks. But they do compete. It';s no secret that much of the success of Youtube is based on the fact that it hosts pirated, professional content. It will be interesting to see how the launch of Hulu impacts Youtube.

I've tried to embed a Hulu video below. Let's see if it works:

The site is scheduled to launch in public beta