Sony PS3 Gets Hulu Plus, NHL GameCenter App

Hulu Plus is now available to all PlayStation 3 users in the U.S. via the PlayStation Network, Sony announced Wednesday.

Sony also said that its console will support the new NHL GameCenter application, as will Roku and Boxee.

For Hulu, PlayStation 3 users no longer need a PlayStation Plus subscription to access Hulu Plus content, Sony said in a blog post. The news comes several days after Hulu announced that its subscription-based Plus program is no longer invite-only. Anyone in the PlayStation Network, therefore, can now sign up and watch via the console.

For $9.99 per month, Hulu Plus provides full-season access to TV shows on Hulu; free access is still available on Hulu.com for recent episodes. On the PS3, users can access it after downloading the free app via the PlayStation Store and visiting ps3.com/hulu. Hulu Plus is also available via Internet-connected Sony Blu-ray players and Bravia TV's. Those who purchase certain Bravia TVs will get $20 towards a Hulu Plus trial, Sony said.

The PS3 also now has access to the National Hockey League's new GameCenter Live app, which will stream up to 40 out-of-market NHL games per week, as well as replays and classic games.

Those with a $169 annual NHL GameCenter Live subscription can download the NHL application on the PS3 for $9.99; PlayStation Plus subscribers can download the app for free. It will be accessible under the video category on the XrossMediaBar menu.

The app will also be available as a free download for users with the Boxee Box or Roku. "Simply link your existing subscription to the NHL GameCenter LIVE app on either Roku or Boxee platforms and you're ready to enjoy live and on-demand hockey action," the NHL said.

The NHL promised a version for the iPad in the coming weeks.

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I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

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Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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