PlayOn
PlayOn is the streaming media service available from MediaMall Technologies that allows media server based functionality to connect your HDTV to your PC through a console system or other media device.
Ease of Use, Performance: 5/25
Look & Feel: 18/25
Features 10/25
How much I enjoy 5/25
Total: 38/100
PlayOn by MediaMall Technologies allows you to connect to the internet and watch streaming video through your console system on your TV. The setup does not require much in the way of hardware other than your console system, PC, home network and television.
Okay, so it does require a lot but nothing extra in the way of expensive streaming media boxes and if you do have a console system like the Wii, PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and a home network your about ready to go. Hardware connection is simple and finding all the setup and troubleshooting for connecting is easy with the instructions of the program and help at the website of MediaMall.
Basically if you have your console system or other media device connected to your network most of the work is already done, simply download the PlayOn software and install on your PC. The software will guide you through the simple setup and you may have to change or set a few things on your consoles settings but it really is easy to get working on all three consoles.
PlayOn works through your PC to stream video to your TV and works through a console gaming system or other media device like many internet connected DVD or Blu-ray players and media streaming devices. The main concept behind PlayOn is good but with problems actually getting the video to play and having enough content to watch the cost may be too much for most.
I had no problems getting all three gaming consoles setup and playing videos from the various services but playback was a big problem, but more on that later. You can play videos from services that are affiliated with MediaMall like Hulu, NetFlix, CBS.com, ESPN.com, Comedy Central and several others.
MediaMall is continually trying to get more content and since I started checking this out they have added a couple like NFL.com and I think Revision3. I am not sure exactly which ones have been added but they are working on things as well as trying to get support for everything running better than it has been.
I really have not worried too much about the new services available and have concentrated more on Hulu which is one of the first so should be one of the best and most error free providers. The main problem I have had is videos just not playing, I go to the video through the console system and it typically plays for a few minutes and then gets an error or does not even start to play the video.
Another large issue is the fact that they have plenty of categories listed but nothing under these categories in areas like the Food Network. It is really frustrating to be told they have plenty of content to only find a dozen odd clips of shows instead of the all the shows that are listed in their categories.
I tried clicking on shows like The Iron Chef and other Food Network ones I cannot get anywhere else and they are all empty, the category shows Iron Chef but there is no episodes or clips there at all. The same for several other shows that have categories up and list the shows but there are no videos for the show like they are taunting me.
If they don't have the videos than why bother to list the show at all, I really don't understand this or the Comedy Central one where they have two shows for videos, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show are the only things you can watch.
Content is definitely lacking and what is there has problems with video stuttering, lag and voice becoming off sync with video as well as what PlayOn has titled Corrupt Data. Since receiving my code for the regular PlayOn service instead of the free 14 day trial I have had a lot of problems and really do not like the answers I am getting from MediaMall support.
I have looked at several of the forum posts and find many answers to be "submit a support ticket" or check your minimum system requirements. I have updated the program three times since receiving my code as well as uninstalled and reinstalled it several times to try and solve problems but nothing has worked for me.
My PC is an excellent one and I have had no problems streaming video and even editing video that takes more system resources than just playing them does. I know my system is better than average and I have tried the program out on both my computers using quad core processors and 4 gigabytes of memory for starters so my computers are not the problem.
I have also tried all three console systems and had video problems on all of them as well as my two computers having different virus and internet security software. My router is also not to blame here as I have tried three different routers, two from different companies to see if they are at fault and that about eliminates my hardware and software as problem with PlayOn.
I did submit a couple of support tickets but they mainly tell me to reinstall flash or reinstall PlayOn which has never solved any issues. Updates are also a problem with many people having problems with the program after a new update is installed but I have not had any problems with the couple of updates I have installed since receiving the program.
I am thinking that the main problem with the program is your already streaming video once to get it across the internet to your home computer and then streaming it again across your home. In the FAQ of PlayOn they talked about transcoding the video from the internet based format to a format your device can understand.
Basically its streaming the video to your PC and then changing format that your console or other device can use to show you on your TV. I could be wrong about how this works but if you look at the forums and discussions people are having with problems you can see plenty of people are having problems and not getting things fixed.
It is a good idea when purchasing anything to look not for what good things people have to say about something but the problems people are having with them. I always look at the lowest rated reviews for an item to see if I could possibly have the same problems as well as see if I want to risk my money.
The main benefit of using a media server such as PlayOn is to be able to sit at your television and watch your favorite videos, TV shows and other content in the comfort of your living room. The problem is the program often does not have or play the videos I wanted, lack of content, or it has problems, Corrupt Data, which sends me chasing back into my office to see what is going on.
It is much easier to just click on Hulu or the other sites in my office on my PC and not have to worry about the video issues that PlayOn is having. The most common and frustrating issue I have had is the video just does not play either from the start or a few minutes into the video it will just quit.
While PlayOn may be a great idea and well worth checking out it does have its problems and drawbacks including stuttering video, lack of content they promise and poor support. Yes, they do answer your questions but one problem I found was when asking a question on their forum.
I asked a question and the answer I got back was submit a support ticket, this seems to be the common answer to all questions. Many people when submitting support tickets do not go back to the forum and tell the rest of us what they did and if anything got fixed.
It would be much more helpful if support answered people right in the forums so everyone could try that fix before bothering support with their problem. When I am having an issue with a software program or even hardware the first place I look after the usual help and manuals is a forum. I search for people having the same issue and if they got it fixed what the fix was that worked for them.
I see a lot of other people are going around with MediaMall support about submitting support tickets instead of just answering them in the forum. It looks bad for a company to have a policy to not give answers publically about issues they are having and I suspect things when I see this.
Take into account the problems people are having and the fact that MediaMall does not seem to want to openly discuss problems and solutions and I have to step back and say "Do I really want to spend money on this?". I would not bother with PlayOn as the problems and possible waste of money does not warrant a $40 chance to be able to stream video to my TV.
While some people have gotten PlayOn to work quit well and not had any problems I just do not feel the chance of it not working with your particular hardware and home network worth the risk. While PlayOn does offer a free 14 day trial I would highly recommend seriously thinking once, twice, three times before paying for this service.
If the free trial works flawlessly I would suggest thinking about paying for it but if you have any problems I would not recommend paying for the service. The first $40 payment is bad enough but after May 15th or the 20th you will have to pay an extra $20 every year to continue using PlayOn.
I just think that money could be better spent on other things instead of a streaming service that for me at least does not work nearly as well as the company wants it to. My problems may not be typical but from what I have read many others are having annoying and frustrating problems with simply trying to watch their videos.
This is one type of program that you already have all the hardware, at a considerable cost I am sure, and the software is just supposed to be a bonus thing to watch videos on your TV in your living room. PlayOn should work flawlessly due to all the hardware already working well or should at least work most of the time, after all I can stream stuff from my PC to my PS3 before PlayOn without problems.
I had too many problems to even recommend this as a possibility to purchase as the company is not very forthcoming with issues in the forum and possible solutions. I cannot recommend PlayOn as it just does not work well enough for me and the cost is just too much, it just doesn't work well enough.