In that brief, ungainly time between DVRs and Streaming media boxes, like the Apple TV and the Roku, the only way that people could stream movies and TV was directly from a website, or via download. PlayOn was created to create a kind of media hub with software that in essence turned your PC into that streaming media hub.
But once Netflix arrived, and streaming boxes took hold, PlayOn was suddenly facing an obsolete business model. Now they’re back with PlayOn Plus, the only Streaming Video Recorder for storing your movies and TV shows offline. But is it needed when every episode of TV shows like Stranger Things is already housed in the cloud?
“PlayOn Plus is the only Streaming Video Recorder (SVR) that can record movies, shows, and videos from popular streaming websites like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Crackle and more. Record your favorite streaming movies or shows before they get pulled! Simply record streams right from your PC, and you’ll be able to watch videos from your favorite streaming sites like Netflix offline, anywhere, anytime.” - PlayOn.tv
PlayOn Plus is a recording utility that will enable users to binge record entire series on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and others. It even promises to record streams from TV websites like ABC, NBC and CBS (so if you’re looking to record that new Star Trek series on CBS all access, this may be the ticket for you). By subscribing to the stream through the PlayOn Plus utility, you can automatically record a series with a single click, much like you can do with that DVR you used to have before you cut the cable.
It can also be set to record during off peak times, like when everyone is asleep and the bandwidth isn’t bogged down by everyone watching Netflix all around the neighborhood. PlayOn Plus also has the ability to set and skip any commercials that are embedded in the stream, which is a handy feature. There’s also a mobile app to set your recording from anywhere in the world.
Once recorded, PlayOn Plus saves the file at an MP4 file, which you can then transfer to an tablet or smart phone to view on the go. PlayOn also sends the recording directly to iTunes so it’s available to you through the Apple TV, Playstation or even Roku for enjoying the lean back experience.
PlayOn Plus costs $29.99 a year, or you can pay a lifetime fee of $49.99. There’s also a 30-day try before you buy version. The free version of PlayOn still does the home theater PC stuff and works with streaming boxes that can network directly to your system. It worked really well with Playstation.
I get what PlayOn is doing here. They’re looking for ways to survive in the post Media Center PC world. Back in the day, I was a member of PlayOn and I found their interface easy to use and it enabled me to stream movies and TV shows directly to my PlayStation. It wasn’t the original media center utility, but it sure was one of the best, and now that Microsoft has killed Windows Media Center, it may be the last man standing.
But with streaming now a thing from Netflix and other services, there really isn’t a need to record and store those videos anymore. They’re already stored in the cloud — even shows, movies and music you’ve purchased from iTunes can be played from anywhere. And frankly, doing so may violate your terms of service due to copyright issues. It’s only real benefit is that if you travel a lot, you can record and off load some entertainment onto your mobile device and not impact your cellular data caps.
But hotspots are everywhere these days, especially in hotels and airports, so why? Granted, some hotspots are congested and slow, but in my travels, I rarely had an issue with streaming through them.
So I’m not sure just how successful PlayOn Plus will be. It’s kind of a utility who’s time has come and gone. It would’ve been great in the heady days of around 2005, but in 2016, the wave for this kind of technology has already passed. Then again, it’s only $50 for a lifetime subscription. So even if it works for a few years, the convenience may be worth the investment.
For more information, visit PlayOn.tv.
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