PlayOn: What's the right play?

[sic0048]

This whole idea of being entitled to free upgrades of a software is total crap. If you buy Windows Vista, do you expect a free upgrade to Windows7. What about Photoshop CS4 - free upgrade to CS5? Of course not. There is a big difference between updates and upgrades. While most softwares give free updates that is not the same as free upgrades.

Playon effectively came out with a new version that offers new features (more channels). They have not changed their original "lifetime" license. If that is all you want (like it is for me), then you have no obligation to pay more money, nor will your current license end or get fewer channels.

If you want the advantage of the new features that Playon is offering, then pay another $40 to get the added features. It is as simple as that.

Stop the bitching and moaning!!!!

[Zippster]

I think I'll just play with it over the summer and see what shakes out as Sept 30 gets closer.

[Suntan]

Although I’m not overly perturbed by the “upgrade” pricing, I just don’t see compelling content added to the “premium” category. A bunch of random sports and some random feeds of stuff that is generic (pretty much the reason I dumped cable a decade+ ago.) I do see the PBS additions as beneficial, but the few shows I tried to watch didn’t work.

Netflix and hulu are the main attractions for me, so I’m undecided on an upgrade in general.

When you figure $45 will get you 3 years for roughly the same cost as the “lifetime” upgrade, that is a pretty long time in this rapidly changing market. Who’s to say we won’t be accessing all these online feeds directly (as opposed to recompressing them) through a GoogleTV add-on or some such in 3 years?

Right now I am leaning towards paying the $5 for the first year and deciding if I want to pay $20 the next year based on the amount of new content that they add in addition to what they have shown so far.

That said, if they make Netflix HD streams available sooner rather than later, and streaming to smartphones (*not* just iphone) an option, then I would be much more inclined to pay $40 and be done with it.

-Suntan

[trini0]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

As mentioned previously, the offer was made by email to purchasers of the original PlayOn product (now known as PlayOn Basic). May 20 was the cutoff for getting in on that deal.

That counts me out..

[IVB]

Originally Posted by ChaOConnor

$40 was an easy choice for me, I think PlayOn is a great product and worth the money.

yep. I don't see why I'd even want the new stuff, but I respect that these guys put in work and need a revenue stream coming in, and just-in-case i want the new stuff I'll get it. Worst case is that I keep a smaller guy in business for one extra hour, a smaller guy who's gotten me hours upon hours of entertainment.

[wado1971]

I just received an error "need premium service" when trying to stream netflix !! I didn't realize netflix streaming would be pushed to the premium stuff

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by wado1971

I didn't realize netflix streaming would be pushed to the premium stuff

It shouldn't be, according to what they said back in April:

It [Playon Basic] will continue to work and still support Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, ESPN, YouTube, Amazon VOD and all of the channels it supports today (excluding Comedy Central).

I'd suggest you contact PlayOn Support and ask them (politely) why you're getting that error.

[wado1971]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

It shouldn't be, according to what they said back in April:
I'd suggest you contact PlayOn Support and ask them (politely) why you're getting that error.

I updated to the new playon version and the message went away - relief.

[Brent94Z]

Just an FYI but I contacted Playon about a lifetime license. I really hate paying yearly "fees" and in most cases would rather just spend the money once and not have to worry about it. I was told that in a few weeks they are going to offer a lifetime license for $79.95 or $79.99, I forget exactly but let's just say ~$80.

That's right on the cusp for me. LOL Not sure at this point if PlayOn will be "the thing" to use in 5 years which would be the break even point for subscription service vs lifetime so what to do???

As for now, I'm back to my Blu-ray player for Netflix streaming until I decide if $40 or even $80 is worth it. Right now I don't seem to miss it because I have nearly more than I can watch using Sage Favorites (so no need to stream broadcast episodes using PlayOn) and haven't watched a Netflix streaming movie in a couple weeks. Plus, I have a remote that with a few clicks my Blu-ray player is up and running Netflix streaming in HD.

For $20 I'd just get it... for $40 and $20 yearly, I don't see myself as using it enough to justify the expense at the moment. Hopefully that'll change and PlayOn will get even more content and make this a no brainer decision.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know about the $80 lifetime coming up.

[MitchSchaft]

The $40 is lifetime for previous buyers and no yearly subscription.

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

The $40 is lifetime for previous buyers and no yearly subscription.

If that was in reply to what I wrote, yep, I knew that but for the new PlayOn users, that is not an option. Upcoming, according to PlayOn, will be an $80 option with no yearly subscription

[cncb]

I have not upgraded to Premium yet but I'm still getting Comedy Central shows?? I thought starting on the 15th you needed to upgrade or you would stop getting these?

[pjpjpjpj]

On Saturday, virtually everything went to Premium. I didn't go back and read the original email I received (I am a previous subscriber and got the $40 offer), but I thought only a few things were moving to Premium... but if you look at their website now, the only things that are listed as NOT Premium are Pandora, and the ability to pass through your own media files on your network (moot with Sage anyway). Everything else is listed under Premium.

I was planning on moving to Premium anyway, but I would have been really mad if they had changed the game on me when I wasn't planning on it. Like I said, I didn't go back and verify, but I believe that is the case... and that's kinda cr*ppy.

Regardless, I paid the $40 and upgraded. The message went away, all is working well.

For those who would have to pay $80.... think of it as one month's cable bill.

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

On Saturday, virtually everything went to Premium. I didn't go back and read the original email I received (I am a previous subscriber and got the $40 offer), but I thought only a few things were moving to Premium... but if you look at their website now, the only things that are listed as NOT Premium are Pandora, and the ability to pass through your own media files on your network (moot with Sage anyway). Everything else is listed under Premium.

I was planning on moving to Premium anyway, but I would have been really mad if they had changed the game on me when I wasn't planning on it. Like I said, I didn't go back and verify, but I believe that is the case... and that's kinda cr*ppy.

Regardless, I paid the $40 and upgraded. The message went away, all is working well.

For those who would have to pay $80.... think of it as one month's cable bill.

I think they are offering a new "Playon Lite" for free with just those couple of features. This isn't the same thing as the old grandfathered "basic" plan. I haven't checked to see what I still have access too, but I think it should still be the older content we are use to.

Obviously a lot of the more recent channels that were added (like Comedy Central) as well as the new features like having access to entire seasons of shows is only available with the newer Premium level.

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by sic0048

I haven't checked to see what I still have access too, but I think it should still be the older content we are use to.

You might be disappointed. I was receiving the "you must have PlayOn Premium" message for everything I tried - from ABC and CBS to Comedy Central and (worst of all) every single plugin and script. Maybe something was messed up with my system, but I don't know why it would have been - it was working a few days previous, and then suddenly not.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

You might be disappointed. I was receiving the "you must have PlayOn Premium" message for everything I tried - from ABC and CBS to Comedy Central and (worst of all) every single plugin and script. Maybe something was messed up with my system, but I don't know why it would have been - it was working a few days previous, and then suddenly not.

I had the same problem, but it was just a bug. Download the latest update and it should start working fine.

[Naylia]

PlayOn Lite is only Pandora plus streaming of your own local content

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

I had the same problem, but it was just a bug. Download the latest update and it should start working fine.

Well, I already paid my $40 for life.