Get a free one-month subscription to Hulu Plus
Instead of the usual one week, you can test-drive the service for a full month -- even if you've already done a trial in the past.
So my wife and I just discovered what all the "Downton Abbey" fuss is about. We've been zipping through the first season on Netflix every night for the past week. I must admit, I don't like it -- I love it. (Yes, I realize I may have to turn in my Man Card.)
Alas, Season 2 isn't available for streaming on Netflix -- not yet, anyway. But you know what does have it? Hulu Plus.
Typically you can get a one-week Hulu Plus trial free of charge. Occasionally you see a special for two weeks. But for a limited time, you can sign up for a free Hulu Plus trial for one full month.
Although the deal is technically for Roku owners, anyone can take advantage of it. I just did -- and I've already done a couple Hulu Plus trials. In other words, it's not just for new customers; past customers can get in on the trial action as well.
Hulu Plus, of course, offers a deep catalog of movies and TV shows for streaming -- and not just to your PC, but also to any device that supports the service: Roku and TiVo boxes, Android phones and tablets, iPhones and iPads, and so on. It's also newly available on Apple TV.
It's not perfect. You have to sit through the occasional commercial, and there are maddening holes in the TV collection. (The movie collection just plain sucks, as it always has.) For example, you can't get a single episode of "Chuck" or "The Walking Dead," only clips from both. (Who the heck cares about clips?)
On the flip side, Hulu Plus is a great way to watch newer network shows you might have missed (I'm looking at you, "Grimm" -- or I will be, anyway) or revisit classic series (anyone for "Alf"?).
And, hey, it's free for a month. You will need to fork over your credit card -- and mark your calendar for September 28 so you remember to cancel before billing kicks in. Of course, with a price tag of just $7.99 per month, Hulu Plus is a pretty good deal, warts and all.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find out if Matthew and Mary end up together or what. (Still have two episodes to go in Season 1. No spoilers!)