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Apple TV quietly gets Hulu Plus app

Apple's streaming-video box gets one of the most requested streaming-video services.

Matthew Moskovciak Senior Associate Editor / Reviews - Home theater
Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters. E-mail Matthew or follow him on Twitter @cnetmoskovciak.
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Matthew Moskovciak
Matthew Moskovciak/CNET

The Apple TV is one of the best streaming boxes on the market and it just got a little better.

As of this morning, Hulu Plus is now available on the Apple TV. The app showed up without fanfare, with its icon popping up next to Netflix without an announcement from Apple or a required firmware update.

Hulu Plus was one of the major missing streaming-video services on the Apple TV, which has been available on competing devices like the Roku HD, PS3, and Xbox 360 for quite some time. As is often the case on the Apple TV, the user interface eschews the standard look available on other devices, instead featuring an Apple-customized look similar to the Netflix app. The Hulu Plus app also allows you to purchase a Hulu Plus subscription ($8 a month) right on the box using your iTunes account.

Hulu Plus on Apple TV
The Hulu Plus app has an Apple TV-customized look, rather than the standard interface available on other devices. Matthew Moskovciak/CNET

The new app comes on the heels of the new AirPlay Mirroring functionality, which enables users to watch Hulu (free) -- or any Flash video -- on their Apple TV, as long as they have a compatible Mac running the latest Mountain Lion software.