Hulu introduces remote control for Hulu Plus, turning phones and tablets into remote controls

Hulu introduces the first release of the remote control experience for Hulu Plus, allowing a mobile phone or tablet to serve as a remote control for the service.

More specifically, this new function allows users to control the Hulu Plus experience on their living room device via their smartphone or tablet, with no hassle.

"Expanding on the great Chromecast support we successfully launched last year, remote control functionality for Hulu Plus brings that same awesome experience to your living room through the Hulu Plus app on your Xbox One, PlayStation 3 (PS3) or PlayStation 4 (PS4) systems," Hulu announced in a blog post on Thursday, April 24.

The process is designed to work seamlessly and without any hassle, as all you need to do is launch the Hulu Plus application on your iOS or Android mobile device and it will detect the gaming console system directly through the app. Once detected, your mobile device will display a "cast" button, allowing you to pair it with your living room device.

Moreover, you can also keep watching whatever you were enjoying on your Xbox One, PS3, or PS4 system without interruption, while using your mobile device to search for something else. Once you tap "cast," you can immediately start watching it on your TV.

"With the remote control functionality, you still get all of the controls you've come to expect from Hulu Plus such as pause/resume, seek, and 10-second rewind," adds Hulu. "Need to go downstairs to grab a snack? No problem - you can switch back to watching on your phone with the press of a button. With another press of a button, you can go back to casting to any TV in your home with a connection to your Xbox One, PS3 or PS4 system!"

Furthermore, Hulu says this is only the beginning. The company will continue to add more remote control functionality to more living room devices within the next few months. Lastly, the company further touts that the second season of the Hulu Original Moone Boy starring Chris O'Dowd has just premiered, offering new content to watch.

In separate news, Hulu has also started to block visitors accessing the site through IP addresses linked to a VPN service. This blockade aims to reduce piracy and applies to hundreds of thousands of U.S. users.