Table of contents
When it comes to recording streaming content for offline viewing, you might be thinking about PlayOn, one of the few tools that lets users record streaming content on Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, etc., legally for personal use.
In this PlayOn review, we'll dive deeply into what the platform offers, its functions and limitations, and how it compares to a more professional solution.
What is PlayOn?
PlayOn is a streaming video recorder that captures content from services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. Which means screen recording your favorite shows or movies to save them permanently on your device or cloud, so that you can binge them limitlessly.
Different from other streaming recorders, it comes in two formats:
- PlayOn Home (Windows-only): A desktop software that records content using your PC
- PlayOn Cloud (iOS/Android & macOS via browser): Cloud-based recordings that let you schedule and later download to any device.
Discover the PlayOn Costsš°
It's quite complicated to figure out how PlayOn costs when facing its various plans, different versions, and refilling credit packs. So we made a clear sheet here for a better view:
| 1-Month Plan | 1-Year Plan | Refund Policy | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
PlayOn Home |
$4.99 |
$24.995 |
30-Days |
|
PlayOn Cloud |
$4.99 (100g) $9.99 (500g) $16.99 (1T) $29.99 (2T) $49.99 (4T) |
$59.88 (100g) $119.88 (500g) $203.88 (1T) $359.88 (2T) $599.88 (4T) |
30-Days |
These are details of all kinds of PlayOn plans. If you really consider purchasing it, read carefully to know how to make the most valuable choice:
-
1. PlayOn Home doesn't offer single month/year plan; the plans actually available start with 2 years or 3 months
-
2. All PlayOn Cloud plans include 30 recording credits, which will be refreshed per month:
-
Standard definition (480p) & High definition (720p) require 1 credit per recording.
-
Full High Definition (1080p) requires 3 credits per recording.
-
3. All recordings stored in the cloud will exist for 7 days with infinite chances to be downloaded locally. The cloud plans listed in the sheet above will upgrade the time limitation for storage to forever.
-
4. For PlayOn Cloud plans, there are "Cloud Credit Packs". They won't expire at the end of the month but work as extra credits which can be used anytime.
Here are the prices of the Cloud Credit packs:
| Credits Amount | Price |
|---|---|
|
50 |
$7.5 |
|
250 |
$35 |
|
450 |
$49.99 |
|
500 |
$65 |
Review PlayOn on Its Prosā
1. A diverse range of supported sites
PlayOn supports screen recording from 20+ major streaming video sites, including Max, Netflix, Disney+, etc.
2. Compatible with both mobile & PC devices
Unlike another streaming video recorder that just gives up developing a Mac version, PlayOn offers a flexible way to satisfy Mac & Mobile users' needs for recording with the PlayOn Cloud plans.
3. Allow standard-quality output
PlayOn announced that it supports up to 1080p output on streaming platforms, which is friendly to your offline viewing experience.
4. Auto ads-skipping
Instead of removing the ads directly, PlayOn users have the option to skip ads while watching recorded videos. Although it might be strange if the video has a gap due to skipping the ads, it still saves you money from subscribing to a more expensive, ads-free plan.
Review PlayOn on Its Consā
While PlayOn offers convenience, it comes with some limitations that users should be aware of before purchasing.
1. Damaged output quality
The recorded videos do not meet the same quality as the downloaded videos, maybe only 720p. If you are using the free version of PlayOn, the only supported resolution is 360p.
2. Time-consuming process
Unfortunately, if you want to record a movie with PlayOn, you have to spend the same time as the movie length to record it. And it doesn't have a speeding-up technique to shorten the recording process.
3. Take up lots of space
Due to no codec options on H.264/H.265, the recorded videos by PlayOn always take up more space than other video tools supporting optional H.265.
4. No support for multiple recordings
Although it says that it can "record an entire season of your favorite series with a single click", what it actually does is just line up the episodes and record them one by one, only saving just a few of your clicks.
5. Terrible customer service
You probably get surprised the first time you see the user reviews on PlayOn. It only got a 1.4 rating with 90% of 1-star comments, most on the piles of bugs, poor output quality, and the invisible support team.
How Does PlayOn Work?
Install PlayOn Home on your device, then start it to get ready for recording your favorites.
Click on any one of the listed streaming services to get started. You need to log in the aim service with your own account.
After logging in, find the video you want for offline viewing, then click on it. PlayOn will add it to the task queue and start recording.
After the recording is done, you can find and play the videos in "Recordings". It will use your local video player to play the recorded videos.
Recording videos with PlayOn can be a time-consuming process, often taking the entire duration of the video to complete, so for users looking for a quick and efficient recording experience, it is challenging to endorse it as a reliable option for recording or downloading videos from online platforms or OTT services.
Fortunately, we have discovered an alternative solution.
Best Alternative to PlayOn: StreamFab Video Downloader
StreamFab Video Downloader is a way better alternative to PlayOn. This one is a real video downloader, processing direct download mode, which provides you with lossless movies/shows from a wide range of support to 50+ streaming services and 1000+ video-sharing sites.
Efficiently and conveniently save all TV shows/movies you want in ultimate quality from a sea of supported sites. More exclusive functions are waiting for you to experience!
- Supports downloading videos from 50+ OTT sites and 1000+ video-sharing sites
- Output 720p-8k resolution with HDR10/Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos/EAC3 5.1 optional
- Remove DRM protection and save videos in MP4/MKV formats
- Cut all ads off, no matter if you're subscribing with the ad-supported plan or not
- Automatically download new episodes on a specific schedule set by yourself
- Bulk download multiple episodes of the TV series you like simultaneously
- Free trial allows you to have the first 3 downloads on each platform for free
To let you know the gap between a video downloader and a streaming recorder, we made a simple comparison here:
| StreamFab Video Downloader | PlayOn Home | |
|---|---|---|
|
OS |
Win/Mac |
Win |
|
Core Mode |
Direct-download |
Recording |
|
Supported sites |
50+ OTT services and 1000+ video sites |
20+ OTT services |
|
Resolution |
Lossless 720P-8K + HDR10/Dolby Atmos |
Damaged 360p-1080p |
|
Audio |
Dolby Atmos/EAC3 5.1/AAC 2.0 |
Original |
|
Processing speed |
6-7mb/s |
Depends |
|
Ads-free |
ā |
ā |
|
Auto saving |
ā |
ā |
|
Batch processing |
ā |
ā |
Operating steps
If you are attracted by the convenient functions of StreamFab, and want to know if they're true or just advertising, here we take the Netflix download module as an example.
Go to VIP Services and find the streaming website of Netflix.
Choose and play a video or search for the video name on Netflix. You can also copy and paste your video URL directly into the address bar on the Homepage. StreamFab will analyze it automatically.
Then a pop-up window will ask for your customization. You can choose the audio, subtitle language, format, resolution, etc. Then you can click the "Download Now" or "Add to Queue" to download it right now or add it to the queue.
FAQ
Not at all. It depends on which version of PlayOn you are using.
- For PlayOn Home, its free version allows the recording of ad-supported content in Standard Definition (SD) for free.
- For PlayOn Cloud, you pay a small fee per recording, which includes 7 days of cloud storage and unlimited downloads during that time.
Conclusion
In this PlayOn review, we can learn its price, pros & cons, and operations. However, it is important to note that recorded videos may not always meet the desired quality due to the PlayOn primarily functions as a recorder and not a downloader.
If your objective is to download and save high-quality videos effortlessly or download on certain platforms not supported by PlayOn, you may want to consider the alternative option, StreamFab Video Downloader.
Stop hesitating and get 3 free download chances on each platform from StreamFab!