TVSquad

Flash developer Paul Yanez either has way too much time on his hands, or he really doesn't like the way web video is presented. Yanez has already made browser-based versions of online video services like Joost and Babelgum. And he developed an Apple Front Row-like Flash application for watching streaming video from sites including YouTube, MySpace, and Heavy.

Now he's back with Hulu Media Player, a new approach toward watching videos from online video site Hulu. Like OpenHulu and TV Paradise, Hulu Media Player lets users without Hulu beta accounts watch TV shows and Movies hosted by the service. But unlike other sites, Hulu Media Player doesn't require you to use a mouse and keyboard to search for content from NBC and Fox. All you need is a mouse (although we'd really prefer keyboard shortcuts).

The media player looks a lot like Apple's Front Row interface. When you hit the "show guide" button you get a list of available TV shows. Click on one to bring up a list of episodes available for viewing. Right now only a small portion of the Hulu library is available, but there's still probably more worth watching on Hulu Media Player than there is on TV tonight. Hulu Media Player is still a work in progress. Several times when we clicked on an episode, a different episode began playing. But at least it was from the correct TV series.

Want to check out the NBC Universal and News Corp's invite-only online video site Hulu, but haven't been able to get an invitation? No problem, just check out OPENhulu. You can much of the same content, streaming directly from Hulu's servers.

OPENhulu is the brainchild of Matt Schlicht, and while he insists that he isn't violating any of Hulu's rules, we can't imagine it'll take long for someone to send this guy a cease and desist notice.

Schlicht's idea is pretty simple. Hulu lets you embed most of the service's videos on your own website. Since the videos include advertisements, Hulu makes money no matter where you watch them. So Schlicht has begun to embed every video he can on his own site. The layout isn't quite as pretty as Hulu, and there's a whole bunch of advertising on every page.

Since Schlicht has to copy and paste the embed code one at a time, not every TV show, series, or movie is available yet. If you're looking for Doogie Houser M.D. episodes you're out of luck for now. But you can watch The A-Team, Bones, House, My Name is Earl and many other popular shows. Or you could visit NBC.com or Fox.com to find many of the same episodes.

[via last100]