Hulu is getting ready to launch its virtual reality app next month, making it possible for viewers to watch episode reruns of "Seinfeld" and other Hulu content as though they are right inside the TV show itself.
Hulu's CEO Tim Connolly tells CNET that the on-demand TV and movie viewing experience on Hulu is about to get upgraded with the launch of its VR app next month, just in time for the release of the new Samsung Gear VR in November.
News of Hulu jumping into VR first came in September, when the company announced in a press release that its app will include support for "original virtual reality short-form" content and "unique viewing environments" designed specifically for VR devices. Hulu also said its app will include support for 2D and 3D programming.
"We're ready to go," Connolly says. "We think this is a smart bet that helps position us as an innovator and helps us learn earlier on what could be a substantive storytelling environment."
Hulu is already preparing content that viewers can watch on its VR app. For its first VR-only original film, Hulu has teamed up with Lionsgate to produce Freddie Wong's "The Big One," a short film to launch alongside Wong's "RocketJump: The Show" original series. Set in an apocalyptic future, the film features a meteor shower that ends up heralding the end of the world as we know it.
Aside from its VR-only content, Hulu is also working to port its existing catalog of 2D-only original and licensed content into VR. Pretty soon, viewers may watch reruns of "Seinfeld" as though they were sitting right on the iconic blue couch on Jerry's living room or watch Hulu's "Difficult People" while sitting in a virtual classic movie theater.
Hulu's VR app will be available for the second Gear VR Samsung developed in collaboration with Oculus VR. While the premium Oculus Rift is expected to command a high-end price, the Gear VR will be available for $99 at launch, making it much more accessible to mainstream consumers. The Gear VR will require the use of a Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 for the screen.
