Hulu Went Down and Users Did Not Handle It Well

Hulu users were absolutely frantic when the service went down this evening. With everyone at home due to social distancing, streaming services becoming unavailable has become more and more of a problem. So many users had problems that #huludown started to trend on Twitter. Some voiced their problems, but curiously others peeked their heads in after marathoning favorites like Bob's Burgers. So, there was obviously a lot of variation across the country. It would be hard to argue that it wasn't a big issue by the time that the trend had breached both coasts. The speed of streaming data has become a major source of conversation since social distancing took hold.

Over in Europe, data resources have been drawn thin by the sheer volume of people streaming their favorite shows and movies. European commissioner Thiery Breton actually had a conversation with Netflix about how they could help relieve some of the stress on the grid on that side of the pond. The streaming giant pledged to do its part to limit its impact by encouraging users to stream in standard definition when possible. Speed has also been tweaked as well when Netflix reduced bit rates for 30 days. Hulu, Amazon, and others have fallen in line because of just how hard the pandemic has hit Europe.

"Netflix has decided to begin reducing bit rates across all our streams in Europe for 30 days," a spokeperson for Netflix told The Verge in a statement. "We estimate that this will reduce Netflix traffic on European networks by around 25 percent while also ensuring a good quality service for our members."

A Prime Video spokesperson told CNET that it will be trying to help out by restricting the streaming rate as well.

"Prime Video is working with local authorities and Internet Service Providers where needed to help mitigate any network congestion, including in Europe where we've already begun the effort to reduce streaming bitrates whilst maintaining a quality streaming experience for our customers," the company said in an emailed statement.

What streaming services have you been using to pass the time at home? Let us know down in the comments! Check out the amazing responses down below: