PlayOn

PlayOn
Private
Industry Computer software
Founded United States
Headquarters New York City
Seattle
Copenhagen, Denmark
Website www.playon.tv

PlayOn is PC-based browser and media server software that was brought to market by MediaMall Technologies, Inc. in August 2008 to extend online content to the TV and other devices. PlayOn browses content from various online providers, and displays that content on a TV or mobile device. [1]

PlayOn provides access to more than 100 channels including Netflix, Hulu, Hulu+, ESPN, Pandora Radio, CBS, Comedy Central, Amazon Instant Video, and PBS and over 60 Plugin Channels that users can download and install from PlayOn’s Plugin Channel store.[2] The technology also provides access to personal media files via PlayOn’s My Media channel.[3]

MyMedia is a free media server software application from MediaMall Technologies that allows users to stream personal media to their TVs via gaming consoles, set-top boxes or directly to internet-connected smart TVs. [4]

MediaMall Technologies introduced PlayLater in September 2011 as a DVR solution for online TV.[5] PlayLater is a PC-based software that records movies and TV shows or movies from websites like Hulu, Netflix, ABC, NBC, and Comedy Central, and allows the content to be played at any time on the user’s computer, mobile phone, or tablet, and without requiring an Internet connection.[6]

Software

PlayOn

In August 2008, MediaMall launched PlayOn, a PC-based consumer software product, that acts as a digital media server to compliant game consoles, televisions, and set-top boxes to watch on a television Internet-based videos from content providers such as Hulu, CBS, ESPN, Netflix, CNN, and YouTube.[2][3]

PlayOn runs in the background on the PC and over the home network. It uses the technology standard Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), as defined by the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), to communicate with networked gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and many other Internet ready DLNA enabled devices. PlayOn also uses HTTP Streaming to communicate with devices such as Roku, Wii, Wii U, iPad, iPhone, and Android phones and tablets, working both as an internet browser to access online media and as a UPnP media server to serve videos to compliant devices.[7]


MyMedia

MyMedia is a free media server software application that allows users to stream personal media to their TVs via gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii, set-top boxes like Roku, Google TV and Apple TV (via AirPlay), or directly to Internet-connected smart TVs. The MyMedia Channel is also available for free in the Roku Channel Store. Roku users that have the MyMedia server can stream their local media content through the Roku to their TVs, including movie files, home videos, photo albums and music. MyMedia is a new offering from MediaMall Technologies and was made available to the public on May 22, 2013. [8]

PlayLater

PlayLater was made available in 2011 as a "DVR for online videos".

PlayLater was introduced to the public by MediaMall Technologies in September 2011, as “the first DVR for online videos.”[9] PlayLater can record streaming content from Hulu, Netflix, ComedyCentral.com, HBO Go and many other popular online streaming sites. Like PlayOn, PlayLater also has an open API which has allowed third party developers to build support for hundreds of other streaming media sources. In September 2012, MediaMall Technologies announced that videos recorded with PlayLater software can be uploaded to Android mobile devices, iOS mobile devices, Windows Phones and Blackberry smartphones. Videos recorded by PlayLater can be accessed and watched without the need for an Internet connection.[10]

Supported Devices

Windows PC Software

PlayOn software enables networked entertainment devices, such as HDTV's, networked set-top boxes and digital media receivers, networked game consoles, mobile phones, and tablets to view Internet-based content on the TV or device screen. The technology uses a Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC on a user's home network to stream on-demand video, audio, and image content from the Internet to the PC and then channel it directly to the networked device.

Devices and Network

In order to use PlayOn directly on a networked entertainment device, PlayOn must either officially support the device, or the device must support a standard technology called Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) as defined by the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). DLNA devices, such as an Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and numerous network ready televisions, use the home network to connect to the PC with PlayOn installed. The device is then able to interact with PlayOn and lets users navigate, select, and view streaming content on that system. Other supported systems use the device's web interface to connect to the PlayOn server. These devices include Roku, Wii, Wii U, iPhone, iPad, most Android phones/tablets, Google TV, Kindle Fire and Nook Color. The customer facing experience is very similar regardless of the networking protocol used.[7][11]

Content

Channels

PlayOn offers over 55 channels including Netflix, Hulu, Hulu +, HBO GO, ESPN, Pandora, CBS, Spike, Comedy Central, BET, Amazon, PBS, Nick, TBS and PBS. Some channels, such as Hulu Plus, HBO GO, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, ESPN3, MLB.TV, NFL Rewind and others require an active subscription to access.[1]

Plugin Channels

Plugins for PlayOn allow third-party companies and the open source community to develop feeds to online media content. PlayOn Plugin Channels are created by developers using PlayOn’s open application programing interface (API) and can be downloaded on the PlayOn Plugin Channel Store.[12][13]

My Media Channel

PlayOn’s My Media channel allows users to stream personal videos, music and photos from the PC to the TV.

Internet Protocol TV Market

Though numbers vary, research typically shows an increase in demand for over-the-top content (OTT), as well as an increase in cord-cutting trends.

ABI Research estimates that by 2017 OTT revenue will quadruple to $32 billion, up from $8.2 billion in 2012, and with increased focus on experience through multiple devices. ABI Research says, “Connected consumer electronics and mobile/portable devices in particular present additional consumer touch points and enable more creative ways to connect or interact with consumers. These devices are capturing more of our attention as many consumers claim to multitask while watching TV. Finding new ways to better engage consumers through OTT experiences, therefore, will prove increasingly important as consumers adopt new viewing behaviors.”[14]

As for cord cutting, the Convergence Consulting Group Ltd estimates that 2.65 million cable subscribers ditched their services between 2008 and 2011, with about 1.5 million of those happening in 2011.[15] Nielson Media Research reports a 22.8 percent increase in cord-cutters from 2011 to 2012, and estimates that 4.5 percent of television-owning homes are picking streaming over cable.[16]

In August 2012, DirecTV Group reported a quarterly customer loss for the first time, with 52,000 homes dropping the service in Q2, 2012. According to Yinka Adegoke at Reuters, “That was more than analysts expected from a company long seen as the best run video provider in the industry.” Also in Q2, Time Warner Cable Inc. reported losses, with 169,000 customers leaving the service, marking the 10th straight quarter of customer losses.[17]

Some criticize the focus of these reports, however, pointing out that these studies tend to look at television-owning households and people who have cancelled their cable services while ignoring the “cord nevers,” or people who have never subscribed to cable services. According to Rebecca Greenfield of [The Atlantic], “The cord-cutting numbers don't count people who have never subscribed to cable, as the stats usually look at people who are canceling subscriptions. People who never bought cable — say, young people living on their own for the first time —won't show up. The anecdotes are out there, but we don't know how much statistical damage these people have done.”[18]

MediaMall Technologies

Milestones

MediaMall Technologies was founded in 2003 to bring online content to the TV.

MediaMall Technologies, the creators of PlayOn and PlayLater, was founded in 2003 to make it simple, affordable and fun to enjoy movies, TV shows and videos from the Internet on the TV or on the go. The company launched its flagship product, PlayOn, in August 2009 and followed up with its Internet DVR service, PlayLater in September 2011. Most recently, MediaMall Technologies announced the compatibility of PlayOn and PlayLater software with the Nintendo Wii U.[19]


Popular Science honored PlayOn with a 2009 Best of What’s New Award in the Home Entertainment category, Money magazine ranked PlayOn in its 100 Best Money Moves You Can Make Now.[20][21]

Executives

Locations

MediaMall Technologies operates with offices in New York, Seattle and Copenhagen.[23]


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "What's PlayOn". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "What's On PlayOn". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Pandora and MyMedia for Free". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  4. ↑ "MyMedia". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  5. ↑ "PlayLater's DVR for Internet Video Goes Live to the Public". The Next Web. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions About PlayLater". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "PlayOn Users Manual". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  8. ↑ "MyMedia Lets Users Stream Personal Content to Their TVs for Free". Business Wire. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  9. ↑ "PlayLater is out of beta and ready for the masses". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  10. ↑ "PlayLater compatibility with major mobile formats". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  11. ↑ "PlayOn Supported Devices". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  12. ↑ "PlayOn Channel Store". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  13. ↑ "Plugin Channel Developer Hub". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  14. ↑ "ABI Research expects OTT rental to surpass subscription service by 2014". ABI Research. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  15. ↑ "The battle for the North American couch potato (Internet Archive)". The Convergence Consulting Group LTD. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  16. ↑ "Nielsen cord cutting and Internet TV viewing on the rise". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  17. ↑ "Americans drop pay TV". Reuters. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  18. ↑ "HBO,here are those cord-cutting stats you asked for". The Atlantic Wire. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  19. ↑ "PlayOn launches on the Wii U to let you watch videos from sites like Hulu, MTV and HBO Go". The Next Web. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  20. ↑ "Popular Science honors PlayOn with “Best of What’s New” award". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  21. ↑ "100 best money moves you can make". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  22. ↑ "PlayOn Executive Team". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  23. ↑ "About PlayOn". PlayOn. Retrieved 2013-03-11.

External links