Hulu doesn't use the Java plugin, it uses the Flash plugin or the built-in HTML5 player and requires that JavaScript (a built-in feature, not related to the Java plugin) be enabled.

https://help.hulu.com/s/article/ka041000000sj2UAAQ/supported-computers?language=en_US

Hulu's suggestions for addressing playback quality issues are in this article -- you might already have gone through this:

https://help.hulu.com/s/article/ka041000000q0XhAAI/troubleshooting-hulu-site?language=en_US

Since your streaming is choppy with tracking protection enabled, it may be that some important script is being blocked, but I don't know for sure whether that is the issue.

Unfortunately, Firefox's tracking protection feature is all or nothing and doesn't let you selectively allow certain sources. You could gain more control using an extension like uMatrix, but it does involve some trial and error to unblock the necessary things and keep blocking other things. You can read more about it here: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/umatrix/ (I've experimented with it, but do not use it regularly myself)

Amazon video prefers to use the built-in HTML5 player plus a DRM plugin (probably Widevine) that satisfies the copyright protection requirements of the content suppliers. If it isn't able to use that, then it will try Silverlight -- not available in Firefox 52 and later, except in the Extended Support Release (see: Why do Java, Silverlight, Adobe Acrobat and other plugins no longer work?).

If Amazon won't play, could you check whether your HTML5 player supports all the usual formats? YouTube has a diagnostic page here where you want the first five boxes to be blue:

https://www.youtube.com/html5

What do you get? If any of those boxes are red, there may be a settings issue, a conflict with an extension, or missing system components. This article discusses Windows media components for users in countries that required Microsoft to offer them as a separate download: Fix video and audio problems on Firefox for Windows N editions.

Thanks for your replies and explaining that Java and Javascript are two different things. Youtube diagnostics gave us the OK for the 5 browser settings, including HTML5.

We do use Noscript and Ghostery, but have to allow all scripts to run in order to view videos in both Amazon and Hulu PLUS we have to disable Firefox's tracking protections.

One question I have about the Mozilla support forum. Even when I'm signed in your site tells me there were 2 replies but does NOT show me those replies. (I did see the replies, but only because I had set a bookmark when I initially submitted the question. Why don't the replies show when I search for my topic?)

Thanks for your help. It is greatly appreciated.

That is the very best way to do things after submitting your question on any forum page. The forum moves so quickly with so many questions that I would guess the one with the answer will show and the other will not.

I have seen 2 others today with 2 posts. Is possible just double clicked instead of single clicked for that to happen or is a bug on this end.

We really do not get into how this site runs itself though would be nice to organize my end but it is not. The questions come in and we try to answer them as best as can or sometimes need to wait till someone with more experience comes along.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Firefoxloyal said

Youtube diagnostics gave us the OK for the 5 browser settings, including HTML5.

We do use Noscript and Ghostery, but have to allow all scripts to run in order to view videos in both Amazon and Hulu PLUS we have to disable Firefox's tracking protections.

As a NoScript user, I'm sure you're familiar with the problem that once you allow a couple of servers on the list of script sources and reload the page, twice as many new ones show up on the list. But I would expect (hope?) paid sites to be less annoying and complex in this regard than free ad-supported sites so that you can get all the necessary elements running.

Since you are logging in to both Amazon and Hulu, hopefully you can accept turning off Tracking Protection while using those sites. If that workaround stops working, we'll need to try to figure out what else might be making your videos choppy.