playon.tv

What is PlayOn?

PlayOn is a streaming video recorder: it captures video from subscription and ad-supported streaming services so you can keep a copy and watch it later, offline, on a TV, phone or tablet. It comes in two forms that do the same basic job in different places.

PlayOn Cloud runs the recording for you, with no computer involved. You pick a title, it records in the cloud, and you download the finished file to your device. Because the work happens remotely, you can queue recordings from anywhere, and recordings download off-peak if you prefer.

PlayOn Home turns your own Windows PC or Mac into the recorder. You install it, point it at the services you subscribe to, and it saves recordings to your computer. It supports scheduled and one-click season recording, so new episodes can be captured automatically.

Both cover the same broad set of services — the site names Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO, Peacock and The CW among 15-plus channels — so the choice is mostly about convenience versus control.

Who each one suits. Cloud is the better fit if you travel, share a household with people who want shows on their phones, or don't want to leave a computer running. Home suits someone with a desktop that's on regularly, who wants files stored locally and is willing to accept lower-quality captures of ad-supported shows. The trade-off is real: Cloud costs more per recording and depends on a subscription, while Home is free but limited in resolution and requires your own hardware and storage.

One caveat worth knowing before you commit: recording services capture what you can already watch, so you still need active subscriptions to the source services, and availability of specific channels can change over time.

A practical next step: list the two or three services you actually watch, then check whether each is among the supported channels before choosing a plan. If you mostly watch at home on a laptop or TV, start with Home; if your main goal is downloads for flights and commutes, Cloud is the more direct route. You can compare the two side by side at PlayOn.

How does PlayOn Cloud differ from PlayOn Home?

PlayOn Cloud and PlayOn Home are two versions of the same idea — recording streaming video for offline viewing — but they differ mainly in where the recording happens and what you pay for.

PlayOn Cloud runs the recording in the cloud. No PC or Mac is required; you queue a recording and download the finished file later. According to the page, it supports Full HD 1080p recordings, closed captioning, ad-skipping on ad-supported shows, one-click full-season recording, recording from anywhere, downloads that never expire, offline viewing, casting to TV, and off-peak downloads.

PlayOn Home runs on your own computer. You turn a PC into a DVR, so the PC must be on and available when recording. The comparison table on the page lists Home as PC only, with SD recordings for ad-supported shows, and it includes a free tier. Both products list 15+ available channels.

The page's own pricing signals show Cloud at $4.99/mo. for 30 recordings (10¢ per additional recording) and Home at $4.99/mo. for unlimited recordings, plus a free option.

Practical takeaway: Choose Cloud if you want to record and watch on a phone or tablet without leaving a computer running, and you don't mind a recording cap. Choose Home if you have a PC you can keep on and you want unlimited recordings at a similar monthly cost.

Next step: If you're deciding, check whether your main viewing device is a phone/tablet or a TV connected to a PC — that single factor usually settles it.

Can I watch recorded streaming videos offline on my phone and cast them to my TV?

Yes. PlayOn is built around exactly that workflow: recording streaming video, then watching it offline on a phone or casting it to a TV. The site describes PlayOn Cloud as a cloud DVR for streaming services and PlayOn Home as software that turns a PC into a DVR, with offline viewing and casting listed as features of both.

H3 How the two options differ for your case

The practical trade-off is hardware versus convenience. Cloud needs no machine running at home, and its downloads are described as non-expiring, which suits someone who records ahead of a trip. Home depends on a PC, but keeps the recordings as files on your own computer, which matters if you want to manage storage yourself or move files between devices.

H3 A concrete scenario

Say you have a long flight next week and a queue of episodes on a subscription service. With PlayOn Cloud, you pick the episodes, let the cloud record them, then download them to your phone before you leave and cast to a hotel TV. With PlayOn Home, you would start the recordings on your PC, wait for them to finish, and transfer the files to your phone or a tablet.

Before choosing, check two things on the site: the current list of supported channels, since the page shows 15+ for both products, and whether the specific service you use is named. Then open PlayOn and compare the Cloud and Home breakdown to confirm which one matches your devices.

Which streaming services can I record from with PlayOn?

PlayOn says its recording lineup covers more than 15 services, and the ones it names explicitly are Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO/HBO Max, Peacock, and The CW. Those channels are listed for both of its products, so the service list is essentially the same whether you record in the cloud or on your own computer.

How the two options differ

What this means in practice

If your shows live on several of those services and you want them available on a phone or tablet during a flight or a commute, Cloud is the version that fits, because the recordings are stored for you and don't expire. If you'd rather keep everything on a hard drive you control and don't mind running a Windows machine, Home does the recording locally.

Two things worth checking before you commit: the exact list of supported channels can change as streaming services update their apps and terms, and PlayOn's own comparison notes that Home records ad-supported shows in SD only. If picture quality on those channels matters to you, that's a real trade-off rather than a minor detail.

For the current channel list, start at PlayOn and check the supported-services page for your specific shows before choosing a plan.

Does PlayOn let me skip ads in recorded shows and record entire seasons automatically?

Yes. PlayOn supports ad skipping on commercial-supported shows and one-click whole-season recording, according to the feature comparison on its site. Those two features appear for both PlayOn Cloud and PlayOn Home, so the choice between them isn't about whether you get them—it's about where the recording happens.

PlayOn

What each feature actually means day to day

Skipping ads. On ad-supported shows, PlayOn marks the commercial breaks so you can jump past them during playback. The site lists this as "skip any ads on commercial-supported shows" for both products. Practical consequence: it works best on the ad-supported catalogs (Hulu's ad tier, Peacock, The CW and similar). On ad-free tiers there is nothing to skip, and on premium movie content the breaks are fewer anyway. Expect to still confirm the skip manually in some players rather than getting a fully seamless cut.

Whole-season recording. "Record an entire season with one click" means you can queue every available episode of a show rather than adding them one at a time. Combined with "automatically record new episodes," this suits a viewer following a weekly series who wants each new installment captured without returning to the app. The trade-off is storage and time: a full season of HD episodes is a large pile of files, and a PC-based setup needs enough disk space and a machine that is switched on when episodes appear.

Cloud vs. Home for these two features

The meaningful split is quality and hardware. Cloud records at 1080p and needs no computer, which matters if you travel and want downloads that stay available. Home is PC-only and, per the comparison, records ad-supported shows at SD—fine for a phone or tablet on a plane, less so on a large TV.

A concrete scenario

Say you follow three network dramas and one streaming comedy. With Cloud you queue each season once, let the service record new episodes as they air, then download the finished episodes before a flight; ad breaks in the network shows are marked so you can skip them. With Home you do the same on a desktop that must be running, and you'd accept SD for the ad-supported titles in exchange for keeping files locally.

Next step

Decide first whether you need 1080p and computer-free recording. If yes, look at the Cloud plans page; if you already have an always-on PC and mainly watch on smaller screens, compare the Home option. Then test with one season of an ad-supported show before committing to a large library—that tells you quickly whether the ad marking and season queueing match how you actually watch.

What are the subscription costs and free options for PlayOn?

PlayOn splits into two products with different costs and free access. PlayOn Cloud runs in the cloud with no PC needed; PlayOn Home runs on a PC or Mac. Both cover 15+ channels, but the free tier is only on Home and is limited to SD recordings of ad-supported shows.

Cost and free options at a glance

Which one fits your situation

• You want to try before paying: Start with the free PlayOn Home tier. It costs nothing, but expect SD quality and only ad-supported shows, so it is a test rather than a long-term setup.
• You record a lot on one computer: PlayOn Home at $4.99/mo. for unlimited recordings is the better value if you already have a PC or Mac that can stay on.
• You travel or don't want a PC running: PlayOn Cloud is the fit, but the 30-recording cap means heavy users pay 10¢ per extra recording on top of the monthly fee.
• You record occasional seasons: The Cloud plan's included 30 recordings may be enough; check your typical monthly volume before choosing.

A practical next step: count how many episodes or movies you record in a typical month. Under 30 and no PC available points to Cloud; unlimited recording on a machine you own points to Home. If you mainly want to test the workflow, the free Home tier costs nothing but limits you to SD ad-supported content.