The rise of content sharing and streaming applications has brought a host of new web series and movies. However, most of these contents are restricted to the streaming service’s application only.
Service providers such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney plus, and HBO have gone highly competitive and are frequently releasing original content.
What’s the catch?
Instead of being an enjoyable experience, this competition has started cluttering your RAM and storage space. It is not remotely possible to install all the streaming applications to a single device and keep that device close to you.
Neither is downloading the content from torrent. That might lead to potential malware straight to your PC. Additionally, piracy is illegal and a punishable offense in many countries.
But:
What if you can access all streaming services from anywhere?
Sounds too good to be true, right? And there is an application through which you can stream, download, and entertain yourself from anywhere, even offline – that application is PlayOn Cloud.
What is PlayOn Cloud?
PlayOn Cloud is a mobile-based virtual digital video recording application that can access and control all the streaming applications supported by PlayOn. It is currently available for both iPhones and Android smartphones, from their respective app stores.
This application allows users to control, access, and download content. It will provide you with the options to either download the content on your smartphone application, which you can access only through the device.
Alternatively, you can download files on your designated home PC. While for those who would like to view the content from anywhere, you have the Cloud downloading option.
The videos downloaded to PlayOn Cloud remain available for 30 days after your download completes. Users also have the option to store their downloads for an extended period via subscription packs.
PlayOn Cloud Review: Is It Worth It?
We will be breaking down this PlayOn Cloud application in detail, to rate its user interface, speed, support services, and other features. Our primary goal is to identify the user-friendly features and ease of using this application.
User Interface
PlayOn Cloud is an easy-to-use application with stop-on access to your subscribed streaming applications. The user interface is smooth, but the application feels a bit slow when loading different pages. This lag is more noticeable when you transit from one menu to another. The application does feel slower when you are loading or exiting a channel.
The top of the application features a What’s Hot section, where you can swipe to check out the most in-demand movies and web series on the app.
A missing feature is a slide to scroll the menu, to shift from left to right, or vice-versa. Clearly, PlayOn does need a few changes but you will not have much to complain about what it offers.
This application will ask you before starting the free trial and mentions the number of free recordings available with PlayOn Cloud. It currently features over 22 channels, including some of the leading and most popular streaming services. But none of the services are available for free, neither can they be accessed by the paid application.
You should have a prior subscription to enjoy their content. PlayOn Cloud is comparable to the device manager on your personal computer. Through this single application, you can easily control all your streaming applications.
Menus
PlayOn Cloud offers 3 different menus for controlling your downloads, Recordings, Queue, and Messages. Under the Recordings tab, you have the option to either sort your recordings according to the most recently downloaded item or arrange them alphabetically.
It features a Refresh and a Manage button, but none of the features can be assessed by swiping. You will have to touch them individually to operate.
Here you will also be in control of the download destination. You have three options to choose from – Cloud, Device, and Home.
The Queue will provide you access to downloading options available on the application. By clicking on downloading options, you can control whether you want to Auto download using Wi-Fi or cellular data.
One of the best features of this application is the control to select the timeline when you want the downloads to commence. This is a nifty feature, specifically helpful for working professionals to exclude the hours they require high bandwidth. To make changes, you will have to select the ‘Restrict downloads to peak hours’ feature.
The Begin and End cycle feature both a clock type and timer type input log, which can be interchanged by just a touch.
Settings
The settings menu highlights all the important information. You can easily find any information that you want regarding this application, from your subscription validity to recording credits, video quality, Ad skip, or redeeming a PlayOn code.
The all in one setting tabs makes this application more user-friendly, so much that even kids will be able to use this application.
Support
The support feature of this application is very plain and simple. It lacks the diversification of issues to classify issues according to a title or topic. Writing your issue in plain text without a subject line or changes can severely impact the time required to resolve all the troubling issues.
This feature neither progresses into an email thread nor a chat. Instead, it simply raises a ticket.
This ticket is responded to by the support team via email, but instant service is not available for this application. Although, as per our review, we found an automated response to the support issues.
It is merely an acknowledgment message to inform you about receiving a support request from your application ID. This email also contains your message in .txt format.
Is PlayOn Cloud Free?
PlayOn Cloud is a free application. It offers you 5 recording credits with your free trial, which is valid for a week. All app features are enabled and available for usage during this trial period.
Even for usage after the trial period, you can access all the streaming channels from the application but downloading, or recording is disabled.
This application features a monthly cloud-based subscription offering you different storage options. The offer starts with 50GB and extends to up to 1 TB. Once you have purchased a subscription plan, you can save your downloads for as long as you have a subscription pack available.
Those unwilling to spend dollars on purchasing the storage-based subscription can explore the Get Recording Credits. Here you can buy credits for recording special episodes and watch them offline without downloading (the same way Netflix downloads work.)
This plan is very flexible, offering credits for as low as 4 downloads to 250 downloads. Recording Credits currents has 4 plans on offer.
- 4 Recording Pack, costing 50 cents per download
- 25 Recording Pack, costing 40 cents per download
- 100 Recording Pack, costing 30 cents per download
- 250 Recording Pack, costing 20 cents per download
How Much Does PlayOn Cost as Subscriptions?
PlayOn is the desktop version with full access to all television content. While PlayOn offers unlimited downloads with the desktop version, there is no option for cloud storage on this desktop or browser application.
The subscription is available for $4.99 per month and $19.99 per year. PlayOn also frequently sells lifetime memberships for a reduced cost. Currently, the lifetime plan is available for $34.99. The prices may differ for your region. All plans on PlayOn desktop are backed by a 30-day no questions asked, money-back guarantee.
Is PlayOn Cloud legit?
There might be very various thoughts in your mind concerning the authenticity of this application. While downloading content from streaming applications seems to involve some sort of dark process, but in reality, the application is not offering streaming services. Instead, this PlayOn Cloud acts as a DVR, a digital video recording service of your already subscribed services.
DVR services have been deemed authentic by law. We haven’t found any lawsuit against this company. The features and services seem genuine with flexible subscription and recording plans.
Is PlayOn Cloud legal?
Questioning the legality of this application is a different matter altogether. As per law, this application offers a DVR service. It doesn’t bypass the login access of the streaming channels to provide illegal content. But if someone purchases a subscription to a streaming channel and downloads it, all the content within that interval is a different story altogether.
As such any user can download over 700 hours of content in one month. If the streaming companies aren’t concerning themselves with such issues, there might not be a legal aspect to explore. That would require a definition of how many hours a user does stream from Netflix or Hulu.
What Channels Do You get with PlayOn?
PlayOn Cloud currently offers its services for over 22 channels, which require a subscription plan. Just enter the login credentials, and you are all set. It works with Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO max, P, Sho Anytime, Showtime, Vudu, Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, CW, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Crackle, Tubi, Roku Channel, BBC Player, and DC Universe
Does PlayOn work with Amazon Prime?
PlayOn and PlayOn Cloud both support Amazon Prime. There were some troubles with Amazon Prime login in the past. In case you face error issues while logging in, try updating the application. From PlayON’s end, there are no restrictions to accessing and downloading content from Amazon Prime.
Conclusion
First of a kind service, flexible plans, free usage, and simple user interface, even kids can use this PlayOn although that’s something you may want to keep an eye out for. Use parental controls to control your kids’ access. Considering its subscription plan, it’s not expensive especially considering the amount of entertainment on offer. PlayOn Cloud free trial will help potential users scrutinize the application, before purchasing a subscription.
