Hulu Live

syaoran wrote:

The issue is with the location requirements.  T-Mobile’s Home Internet uses cellular, which can’t give an accurate location and in a lot of cases, can’t even issue an IP within 100 miles of where the modem actually is.  This location restriction being within a very close radius of the Hulu’s Live TV subscribers billing address is why Live TV isn’t compatible with T-Mobile’s Home Internet service currently.  

Exactlt

Thanks BobT - I kind of figured that would be the case, but not a networking pro....just know enough to be dangerous sometimes!  

I've looked into some of the other content providers like YouTube, sling, Paramount, etc...unfortunately Hulu is the only one I've found with all the channels my wife and I watch, within it's lineup using the DVR function (in addition to LiveTV) to blast through commercials.  In this regard, I really miss my cable subscription package, but not the yr/yr 11-20% cost increases, or living hearing my neighbor's tv through the walls of our homes (I now live almost a.mile away from my nearest neighbor between two cornfields in the country).  So everywhere ya look, there's a trade off I guess ;-)

T-Mobile always assigns your publicly visible IP address (unless using a VPN). Hulu utilizes IP-based geo-location services for that address which really amount to nothing more than a wild guess.

A separate router assigns a private IP address which can be static (depending on how that router is configured). This will also result in a double NAT (network address translation).

Anything connected to that router will still be using the TMO public IP address.

P.S. Sorry to say this really isn’t a TMO issue, but rather a content provider issue for those relying upon inaccurate IP based geolocation services. Content providers relying upon a device’s GPS don’t have this problem; however not all devices support GPS. FWIW, YouTube TV and others are a little more forgiving and don’t require jumping through hoops to update your location as needed.

Has anyone tried connecting their streaming device (ie - firestick) through a separate router connected via Ethernet to the TMobile Gateway, in lieu of using the TMobile gateway's router functionm. Interested in learning if this is a potential workaround so that the IP addy is stable? OR if somewhere downstream the gateway still broadcasts its own dynamic IP addy in the signal to Hulu?

Will-Cut wrote:

cjake wrote:

More likely that Hulu Live sees the T-Mobile Home Internet as a mobile hotspot and not a home internet device.  Hulu requires a home internet device.  This would be an issue for Hulu to rectify, not T-Mobile.   

Hulu’s live TV doesn’t work on T-Mobile home Internet | Ars Technica

 

 

 

 

Not true. this can be done with a different network configuration and segmentation by the carrier, that is a T-Mobile problem.

It may be possible that there was something either side could do to make things work. I do know that every other streaming service works with TMHI. Practically speaking, there is more competition for Live TV streaming services than home internet, so if I change something to make this work, it’s not going to be my home internet.

cjake wrote:

More likely that Hulu Live sees the T-Mobile Home Internet as a mobile hotspot and not a home internet device.  Hulu requires a home internet device.  This would be an issue for Hulu to rectify, not T-Mobile.   

Hulu’s live TV doesn’t work on T-Mobile home Internet | Ars Technica

 

 

 

 

Not true. this can be done with a different network configuration and segmentation by the carrier, that is a T-Mobile problem.

At some point the number of T-Mobile home internet users will be so large that Hulu will have to fix this issue. However it’s obviously not there yet. So I’m using YouTube TV, I don’t like it as much as Hulu Live but I can deal with it.

That this still hasn’t been resolved is absurd.

I just left the hell that is being a comcast customer for a couple decades and I am not going back for the sake of Hulu Live TV (to which I just upgraded to replace Xfinity).

And here I am on hold for 40 minutes, waiting for my second “override” since switching to TMHI early this week. This is how you lose customers. (T-Mobile is lucky I’m dead set against going back to Comcast...and I’m probably not the only one.)

Not that i want to excuse Comcast, but actually Hulu is co-owned by Disney and Comcast with Comcast being a silent partner and Disney set to assume full ownership in 2024. So, although it might be true that Hulu is unmotivated to solve the issue because of the Comcast connection, I think it’s more likely that it just hasn’t become a big enough issue to warrant them changing their system. As of Q4 2021 Hulu with Live TV had 4 million subscribers. T-Mobile Home Internet likely has way fewer than that, so the overlap between the two services is likely relatively small. As both services grow, it’s more likely Hulu will be forced to find a solution if T-Mobile doesn't itself.

Hulu is owned/operated by Comcast, which is a CABLE company. There is no incentive for them to modify their services to work on a competitor’s wireless network. It is very unlikely they will make any changes, whether they lose customers or not.