PlayOn Media Server Review - It Rocks!!!
I hate TV.
Let me back up. I hate most TV programming. Reality shows, and daytime TV are the death knell of our culture. But its not all bad. There are some things on TV that I'd like to see. A few shows that I want to follow. The trouble is I don't want to pay for cable or be held to the networks schedule.
Enter internet TV. Hulu has a ton of shows and movies that you can stream instantly. You can watch tons of shows when ever you want. Miss the last episode of Heroes? No worries, just log on to Hulu and you have access to the last 5 episodes or so. Same deal for most shows.There are even movies available to watch instantly online. Netflix watch instantly is also a great alternative to having to waiting for your next red envelope.
The trouble with these kinds of internet service is they are normally relegated to being used only on your computer. There are set top boxes available to let you access netflix on your tv but those cost additional money. There's also the possibility of using your Xbox 360 to access your Netflix account, but that only works if you pay for the Xbox live gold membership.
I have a 360, actually I have 2, but I'm not into online game play. So there's no chance I'm gonna pay additional money just to watch something that would be free on my PC. I could always hook a computer to my TV but that seems silly and fatuous.
Now lets talk about Youtube. Youtube is great but again its generally PC only. I have a Helio Ocean so I get a pretty good youtube experience there too but its a 2" screen. Not conducive to big screen fun.
So you may think that by now in this article I am going to say internet tv is almost there but not quite. It's true.
There is an alternative though.
Playon Media server allows viewing of Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, CNN, ESPN, and CBS on your Xbox360, PS3, and soon your Wii. Playon is a DLNA/UPnP server software that runs on your PC and allows you to watch any of those listedservices on you big screen TV.
The way it works is pretty simple. You install the software on your PC. Plug in your credentials for the various sites on the user accounts tab and thats pretty much it.
Once you turn on your Xbox360 navigate to the Video section of the My xbox group and Playon is now listed. Select it and you are given the choices of CBS, CNN, ESPN, Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. The navigation is simple and is directory based. Each title has a thumbnail of the show and a very brief description snippet.
Once you click it, it shows an Opening screen then it buffers for 20-40 seconds and then it starts. Thats it.
Video Quality
Video quality is pretty good. It's not HD but it looks at the very least DVD quality to me. Infinitely watchable.Truth be told it looks better to me than regular broadcast TV. Best part yet, if you use hulu there are still commercials but they are only 15 seconds long, same as it is on the website. If you watch netflix, its the same as on your PC. It just works. Best part? Sound quality is great too.
How it works.
Your PC with Playon interfaces directly with the different services and scrapes the sites for the program listings. Once you select a Program or movie Playon then transcodes the media stream on the fly. Thats why there's the buffering in the beginning. Once the stream starts it just goes straight through.
Playon only officially supports the Xbox360, PS3, and soon the Wii. However, I have read about it working on other devices like XBMC on legacy modded xboxs, nokia internet tablets. Popcorn hour, Archos internet tablets and a few others. Ive only tested on the 360, but will give it a shot once I find a more recent version of XBMC for my old modded xbox.
System Requirements.
The software asks for at least 1.5mbs of download bandwidth. You need a 1.5ghz processor or faster, 512 MB of RAM, and about 5gb free disk space. The software is small but the space is needed for the transcoding of the Streams.
The User interface is pretty simple and self explanatory but I'll show you the screen shots below and then a quick video of how simple it is to use.
Playon was in beta for a long time but finally became final on Feb 1. The software is available for a 2 week trial to see if you like it. If you like it Purchase a license for 39.95. Actually Playon is still available for 29.95 until the 15th of Feb so jump on it now.
Final Thoughts.
I'm in love with this software. I stopped watching TV a few years ago and even disconnected my cable because I couldn't fathom paying what I paid (nearly $100) monthly to watch maybe an hour or two of programming a week. So I went to downloading episodes of the shows I wanted to watch or watching the shows online. But I missed being able to just watch a few shows on my Big 46" HD TV. I could but it was a pain. But now, Playon has revolutionized how I watch TV. It's like all the shows are now on demand. The quality is great, and the freedom to watch when I want is awesome.
For the $30 dollar introductory price its a steal. At $40 its still worth every penny. I installed this software at a friends house to show what else could be done with their new Xbox360 and they fell in love with it also. They liked it so much they dropped their Blockbuster account for NetFlix and Switched to regular cable. It really is that good.
The RecklessPhilosophers give this 5 Thumbs up.
Dissident Demonstrates Playon by the media mall. Shows Netflix playing Heroes, Hulu playing Knight Rider, then Youtube playing the RP's japanese toilet demonstration.
Yeah, I also think PlayOn is a great idea if you have an Xbox and a TV. As you know, I just hooked a projector to my PC and eliminated all the middlemen entirely.
BTW, I just learned that Microsoft's Zune team is being merged with the Windows Media Center Folk to "create a single group focused on creating software and services that enable great entertainment experiences across the PC, TV, mobile phones and Zune devices." My guess is they will fart around for a year and then buy PlayOn (or copy the idea) and turn it into crap.
Reply to this
I purchased PlayOn because I was enjoying the trial. Please, DO NOT purchase this service. Ever since I bought it, I’ve had nothing but problems. Hulu has not been working, which is the reason I got it. If you want to use the software, you have to check their blog periodically, because it doesn’t auto update.
When I contacted customer service regarding my issues, I was chastised for not going through the proper channels — the guy (who happened to be the CEO or president of the company), was belligerent and disrespectful. When I jumped through their hoops and finally got to their customer service, I was told there would be no refunds, even though the product remains unusable for me (because my only desire is to watch Hulu, and it simply doesn’t work).
The good news is, there will probably be free software that does the exact same thing and more. In the meantime, I can just watch anything in my Windows Media Player on my Xbox, or just stick a USB stick with movies and shows into the USB port.
Reply to this
Sorry to hear it's not working for you. I have been using it since december without fail. While its true it doesn't auto update the process is simple. I have found that if hulu or netflix doesn't work its usually just requires an update which is checked for when I look into the software. The downloads are fast and the install keeps your information. Only time there are issues is occasionally the DRM system needing to be updated or cleared.
Then a quick reboot and boom your done.
The team is pretty fast about updating their software to coincide with changes to the respective services. I'm very impressed with them all around.
I've never had it fail on me. Since Hulu is served from your PC and is transcoded on the fly perhaps the problem isn't with playon but with your PC. If you are running playon on a laptopthat is connected wirelessly, remember that your data is going through multiple conversions of media and its being transcoded on the fly. You will experience signifigant drag if you do everything wirelessly. Try running the serving machine (where playon is installed) on a hard line instead of wireless.
The software recodes the flv stream to mpeg2 which is much more bandwidth intensive. hence the need for a WIRED network connection. Remember that with wireless you have a 54mb connection, but that 54 is full duplex. Or in other words 27 up and 27 down. now if both set pc and xbox or PS3 are wireless. Now remeber this, if your downloading on a laptop and then playon recodes the stream then sends it back wirelessly to the router and then it in turn sends it out to the xbox your consuming a ton of bandwidth and you'll have problems. Remember its shoving huge mpeg2 around, you'll have streaming problems. Those problems are going to be lag and timeout. If your xbox takes too long to recieve the stream it will shit and not work.
What you could try is turning down the video quality setting down so it'll stream smaller files. Thats speculation on my part but it could solve your problems. Something else to try would be refreshing your PC if it hasn't been installed recently. Also check that you have enough space on your computer for the transcoding to take place. I'm assuming your PC does meet the minimum specs though. Also remember that you need a minimum of 1.5 mb's download capacity. if your on slower dsl you will have problems.
If this ends up not working for you I'm sorry. If I can give you a hand trouble shooting it feel free to message me back.
Reply to this
I have had nothing but good experiences with playon.tv. Their customer service us beyond great, and the few times I've needed them, they were available into the night. Can't say that with many companies. Sounds like you have sour grapes.
Reply to this
Avoid this product! Support is very poor. Worked fine for about one month, then stopped working. Wait for something better.
Reply to this
There isa need to consistently check for updates if it stops working. The software works by accessing and parsing out different websites. They have no affiliation with hulu or netflix. So when netflix or hulu changes something the coders get to work and fix it.
It's just one of those things. Of course there will be outages, thats just how its going to be. Other software like tversity and what not are not relying on outside souces, it plays what you have and it does it well since it has no outside dependencies.
It's usually as simple as just going and checking for an update using the control software. If that is too much to ask, then this maynot be for you and your learning curve may require you to pay for cable monthly than work out slightly more complex methods. You want no brainer? Pay through the nose for cable. Want slick and free even if it needs a little more gray matter between your ears? Do it this way.
Understanding a system and working with it is better than blindly stating it sucks and not knowing why. If you don't keep it up to date then is it really their fault?
Reply to this
AGREED – DO NOT GET PlayOn! It does not work with Hulu. I just wasted 2 hours trying to get this stupid thing to work with my PS3, and the video is choppy — you watch in 2 second intervals. This company sucks. Their engineering quality is reminiscent of a bunch of drunk college students in the 80s — it is not at all up to standards of modern software. No support, no useful help, no problem saving tips, no FAQ — you have got to be kidding me! How can this blogger with any shred of dignity endorse such a shady deal?
Reply to this
Odd. This blogger endorses playon because even as I type I'm using it to watch netflix. Because earlier today I used it to watch hulu. I endorse it because it WORKS. Period.
I cannot comment on PS3 usability because I own the 360. It also works very well with XBMC on my old xbox.
There is support. Submit a trouble ticket through the control panel software. They respond quickly. If you have problems check the user forum on themediamall.com though support comes faster through the trouble ticket system built in the software itself.
Sorry your havig problems but you bash without giving any indications of system setup, network setup, broadband speed or anything. Just ranting about this sucks and whatever immature bullshit you wanna write.
I'll gladly help you troubleshoot it. But you need to step back and back off the personal attacks. That will simply ensure you get nothing from me.
http://www.themediamall.com/forum/ is a good place to start. In the meanwhile attempt to be more rational. This software conforms to the standards for the UPnP spec.
Please I encourage you to reread my above posts on trouble shooting. This software is worth every penny. But its not for the technically weak. I'll help if you want but you have to be open to it.
Reply to this
Interesting idea. I don't watch tv either, but like to watch different films which are free for download at http://www.rapidsharemix.com , but I'll think your offer over )
Reply to this
Better use http://www.btscene.com
Reply to this
We knew good and well that the fine folks over at MediaMall were toiling away in an attempt to bring internet TV content from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN and a host of other sources to Nintendo’s white-hot Wii, but there’s just nothing like hearing that intentions have become reality. Based on an email from MediaMall support to a particularly curious user, the “latest version of PlayOn includes a beta version of Wii functionality in it.
Reply to this
I don't have the Wii so its functionality has never been an issue. But for those that have them, this is a good thing. Come to think of it I need to pass this along to a friend of mine. The Wii is the most popular console in their house.
Reply to this
I just hooked up playon and initially thought "oh crap, this ain't going to work." I've been running a g network router and decided to go for the n router (as recommended).
45 minutes later (including the run to the store to buy the n rounter and to get it installed), I have Hulu up and running, no problem - running like I'm watching TV through the satellite.
I've been trying for a while to find a way to hook to Hulu through my Wii. This is fantastic.
Assuming it continues to work for the two week free trial, I'll be buying AND will be turning off my satellite services.
Wonderful!!
Reply to this
PlayOn wants to make sure you can get your daily dose of Barackrolls and Airwolf episodes beyond the desktop, while Hulu might not have a slick streaming set-top box of its own, this media server software turns flash video RSS streams into easily browsed folders for your DLNA-compliant hardware. PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and HP MediaSmart HDTVs being at the top of that list (with Nintendo Wii support planned by year-end) owners can grab the beta release of the software and stream low-res episodes of Psych, or any assortment of YouTube video they please. Similar information was availble on Tips and Advice about your computer, site, just wanna say it is becoming very popular day by day.
Reply to this
Use Coupon Code PAX1999 & Get Playon For.... $19.99 OH YEAH!
Reply to this
I never use PlayOn anymore because it stopped working for Hulu. That was 30 or 40 bucks down the drain...
Also, customer support was very rude and was no help at all.
Reply to this
If it doesn't work with Hulu, I might wait a while until it does/something similar comes out that works with Hulu.
Reply to this
There are obviously people in the above comments who have a stake in Play-On, but are not acknowledging it:
"Yeah, this is awesome. I'm watching Hulu right now. I'm gonna go tell 3 friends. " Give me a break!
Not cool. More evidence that Play-On support is crap.
Play-On for the Xbox 360 simply doesn't work with Hulu. It probably works with CNN and other channels, but the only good channel is Hulu. That's why I got it.
So-called customer support was unhelpful, and in the end they were aggressively rude. I've tried every update and every configuration, and it simply doesn't work.
Do not get this program -- it's buggy, not user-friendly, and probably won't work.
Reply to this
My story is simple been with Hulu since it was beta. I watched it a few times but haven't watched it in over a year because I don't want to watch it from my laptop. My 3 yr old son likes cartoons and has watched everything we have bought him so I thought why not check Hulu and see what they have. Saw alot of new content and wished for a way to get this on my tv. I was looking up new computer with video out and then i happen upon PlayOn and the ability to watch Hulu from my xbox. Downloaded it tried it had some buffer issues check my settings and my processor was low did some system adjustments on my laptop (was running connection wireless) freed up some processor and adjusted the video quality to low (still have SD tv) buffer problem fixed and I was watching Hulu from my xbox to my TV. Watch this weeks Fringe and last weeks Mercy and an episode of Robotech Macross Saga and it worked perfectly. I am definitely buying this. The problem the others described have to be with ther system and connection. I have no stake in this company but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in on the product it works for me and my 1.5GHz 768Mb Celeron M Insprion B130 running wireless with a Linksys 54mb G router on low video quality. I am planning on getting a 2.4Ghz standalone tower to run as the server and hardwire the connection later, but it is working for me now.
Reply to this
I couldn't get Hulu to work with my Xbox 360. It's great that some of you are tech savvy enough to adjust all your computer settings to get it to work. But unfortunately, I don't have a degree in computer science, so I'm not going to buy it.
Reply to this
Gonna have to give this go, thanks for the step by step guide, really useful, especially to a non techy like me, many thanks.
Reply to this
I tried trial which never worked and "exhausted" after 24 hours instead of the 14 days advertised. Media Mall returned my e-mails promptly but with such smug responses it really irked me. They did diagnose finally what went wrong with the time factor, (my computer date was set forward somehow making it appear 2 weeks later) but offered no help, sympathy and moreover responses became exceedingly smug as if I was being punished for being so stupid with the computer. And let's not forget even the 24 hours I got didn't work. They wouldn't or couldn't reset a trial period and damned if I'll pay a penny to a company with that attitude - like throwing good money to bad. If the trial is so disappointing I can't imagine the product or at least future Customer Service to be so. I finally responded nasty back and it takes a lot to get me there. Well, I'll take back one thing - with enough good reviews I might take a chance but they'll never sell it to me at even $30. So they lose for being bad to customers. I'm not on a mission to hurt, but reading an above review of poor customer service struck a familiar note.
Reply to this
HJA, you hit the nail on the head: Their customer service is terrible!
I really regret paying $30 for the service -- as I said before, it simply stopped working, and customer service refused to help.
Play-On is a waste of money!
Reply to this
just like everyone else here, playon media server seems to work great for a while, then becomes a steaming pile of sh**. also, if you ask for a refund, they tell you, "you agreed to the terms." and send you on your way. You will spend more time screwing around with the program than using it!
*****BE AWARE. THIS PROGRAM IS GARBAGE! DO NOT BUY!!!!*****
Reply to this
As of Nov. 15th, I've used and enjoyed this software on a PS3 and a Wii. Everything works very well. Image quality on the Wii is a bit inferior but that is a limitation of the Nintendo console.
Bandwidth is the key.
The PC where I run PlayOn is hardconnected to my ISP, and my PS3 is working wirelessly through my N-router.
I would say its just shy of plug and play. It has "hung" once or twice, then you just have to reboot.
Very nice product, worth my money. Just try it!
Reply to this
I have to echo the warnings from other PS3 users, as well as warnings about their after purchase customer support. I tried the demo and it worked great, so I purchased the product. However, between me demoing and purchasing there was apparently a large version update which broke the program for me. While the demo was flawless, after plopping my money down I received a program that took a movie and converted it to a slide show with studdering sound that was completely unwatchable. I logged a support request, they told me to try something and let them know how it worked, I did, then they said we just released an update get that and if I'm still having problems log a brand new support request. I went through that infinite loop of a support process 4 or 5 times until finally I realized it has been over a month since spending my money and I have NOTHING to show for it. Tired of jumping through the same support steps (when they should have just stopped trying to stall me and said the truth "We can't help you, but just keep waiting around and MABYE a later version in the future MIGHT fix your problems"), I asked for a refund. They simply said we don't offer a refund and instead have a demo. When I pointed out the demo worked fine for me, but since purchasing it hasn't. They just didn't care and refused.
So, moral of the story that I learned: When dealing with Media Mall and PlayOn, do not depend on the demo or the product working from one day to the next, and do NOT expect to get any money back that you give them, even if THEY break the product for you.
Reply to this
One thing I'm waiting for is that PlayOn has confirmed that they are functioning on a way to stream content that you have store on your local hard drives. That way you just have to have one media streaming service running on your computer.
Reply to this
I have to say - I have used PlayOn since December without a single fail. All problems have been brief and were user errors on my part (i.e. blocked my security software, computer was off, internet problems, etc.)
Having an extremely fast CPU processor and internet speed is crucial. I initially used it with Comcast cable and it was average, but for the price and savings worth dealing with the lower quality. I have since switched to CenturyLink Pure Broadband, and the quality, load times, ff/rew ability has increased ten-fold.
Many people have NOT read the user manual, and do NOT properly submit service tickets as directed by the company. If your internet connection sucks, so will the end product from PlayOn. This is a product where you make a few, minor tweaks now because you know in long-run it is saving you $100+ per month.
Reply to this
I've had playon for about a year now. It does have bugs from time to time, but for the (at the time) $30 I paid it is well worth it just for Hulu alone. The other features I don't really use often. I'm using it for the PS3. It works more often than not for me.
Reply to this
Please believe me when I say: This is "Bait and Switch" software. The PlayOn program worked as a demo, so I bought it for $30. Two days later (and nothing changed on computer, router or wii), it stopped working. I had spent a week writing back and forth to PlayOn's customer service. They told me so many things to do, I almost had them memorized. NOTHING WORKED!!! When asked about a refund, they gave me the same story of "we don't offer refunds". But I chose to file a dispute. I encourage three things for everyone: 1)Don't purchase this software, it's a scam 2)Those who have via credit card or paypal, dispute it 3)If anyone knows how to file a Class Action Suit, please let me (and all those who have lost money to this company) know.
Reply to this
I've been using the PlayOn Media Server in my home theater setup to get my Hulu-to-TV fix (shhhh, don't tell Hulu) since I don't have a spare Intel Mac to devote to running Boxee on in the living room. Today PlayOn sent us a note that their software has just been infused with a whole lot more awesomeness in the form of local media browsing, making PlayOn an even more valuable Swiss Army knife for handling media in your home (on top of Hulu, it also streams Netflix, Amazon VOD, YouTube, CNN, ESPN, CBS and Revision3). We took a look at the new functionality on both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 and wanted to share our largely positive impressions.
Reply to this
I can not speak for the people in my PS3 XBOX but I have very few problems and I am using a wireless G (N, I do not recommend) connection. I've been using since the early test versions, and has improved a lot, but surely there's always room for improvement. Perhaps the problem is that not using a PS3. Totally worth it i paid $ 30.
Reply to this
I have been using this since it was in late Beta, I think. I got it for 4.95 promotion combined with Gamefly for 8.95. Rented a few games and then cancelled Gamefly. There are some hiccups every now and then that usually require a computer or just the software engine to restart. Other times, a website changes a few things around and you have to get the update that playon has to put out to fix it.
Overall I enjoy this for being able to watch Hulu on my TV. I don't mind watching at my desk, but my wife likes to see the TV. The plugins for other content really ratchet up the enjoyment. The content providers should really be happy with this stuff because you can't really fast forward the commercials, and since they are short, it's not bad.
One note. On my PS3, I still use my Netflix disc, because it takes the load off my computer and doesn't have to transcode the stream, so I get better images that way.
Reply to this
Don't buy it. The quality is mediocre for the most part, but more to the point, after purchasing a "lifetime" license to their product, they are now requiring more money to access the "premium" features that I originally signed up for in the first place. Purchasing a product from a company that is willing to completely remove all the relevant features after the sale is complete is a poor decision, and I would certainly not recommend anyone spend their money on this piece of software, nor any piece of software that this company may produce in the future.
Reply to this
Bottom line: Don't buy it.
All these services are coming to the PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, if they haven't arrived already.
Reply to this
Not a valid reason. The xbox has netflix true if you have a Xbox live account. Hulu will come to the xbox if you have both a xbox live and a paid hulu account.
Reply to this
I understand that PlayOn can't be perfect because the networks keep changing how they serve up the content and PlayOn has to adapt to the new settings, so this causes some disruptions. You might be able to watch Hulu fine, but then ESPN changes how it serves up content and PlayOn has to reprogram for that.
I've used PlayOn with an old Xbox Media Center which works pretty well. Depending on which service you are using, you get mixed results. I watch Hulu almost all the time without an issue, there have only been a few times there has been an outage. I watch ESPN3 and the streams start fine, but drop off a minute or two into playing.
I also have a BriteView CinemaTube HD and that plays Hulu ok most of the time (the CinemaTube has issues with displaying directories, sometimes it will display the contents of a directory just fine, and a second later the same directory will show as "empty". I'm thinking this is due to network timing and the software programming for the CinemaTube.
I'd really like to drop my cable service and just use PlayOn. I paid $40 for the lifetime standard license and another $40 for the lifetime premium license. I just hope MediaMall don't continue to add new tiers (super premium, elite, premium elite) and suck more cash out of people.
Reply to this