Hulu Plus makes much more sense when viewed as a cable alternative (where there are also ads, but you pay a lot more) than a Netflix alternative. Netflix is going to try to get into the first-run content market, but right now if you don't have cable or OTA TV but want to be able to legally see any shows during their season, for just a fixed subscription fee, Hulu Plus is the option (though sadly it's missing a lot of stuff I'd like to see—I'd gladly pay at least $20 if it covered all the major broadcast and cable channels' original shows).

I had the same exact reaction. A whole hour of "what the hell? Do they not activate accounts on weekends or something?" Going back and forth between my laptop and the PS3 I finally found and read the FAQ one more time without skimming when I saw them pointing it out. I've gotten used to it now, although I wish they were a little more sympathetic– the connection occasionally craps out causing everything to freeze up, the only way to get back being either to stop and restart or turn the whole thing off. It would be nice if it could remember that I just saw two ads, for the third time in a row (and for some reason, the issues are only with hulu). Feature request: localized ads! I hate the US ads, but don't really trust Hulu JP content– I'd rather just watch the Japanese ads if they're the same as what's on tv. They're somehow less presumptuous, easier to ignore, or better-feeling when they're good (BOSS).