• PlayOn Cloud and Home: Using data at a time that suits you

    PlayOn Cloud and Home is a legal system allowing you to download movies, TV shows, and clips from standard streaming services to the cloud or your desktop. It is relatively cheap and simple to use, you don’t need a lot of technical knowledge, and it’s an excellent way to use your off-peak data that often goes unused.

    It’s also helpful if you’re experiencing network congestion or slow equipment or like to download movies, clips, and TV shows when you need to watch offline (for example, when travelling).

    Wi Fi

  • Getting & Setting Up PlayOn

    • 1 First steps
      • 01

        Set up your PlayOn account.

        You can also download the PlayOn Cloud app through iOS or Android – this is where you control your downloads. The app is free. If you want to use it through your Mac or PC, you can also use PlayOn Home.

        This allows you to download your recordings to a folder on your computer, instead of your device. This is different software to the Windows-only PlayOn Home software.

      • 02

        Check the settings.

        This is where you set up your recording times in PlayOn Cloud. This is the vital part of the app for using off-peak data. Tap Settings and then Download options. Make sure the settings look like this:

        • Auto-download on Wi-Fi. Leave this on to have recordings automatically download from the cloud to that device during the hours you specify. Turn it off to start downloads manually or to use another device or computer to download the content.
        • Allow downloads on cellular data and Auto-download on cellular data need to be off if you just want to use your satellite data.
        • Restrict Downloads to off-peak is on.
        • Set the Begin and End times appropriately. The default is 2am and 8am – change this to match the off-peak times on your internet connection. PlayOn Cloud works in your local time.
        • Tap Video Quality and change it depending on whether you need High Definition for a large screen (uses more data) or Standard Definition for mobile devices and less data.
      • 03

        Free trial option.

        There may be a free trial available for you to test the service. After that, you’ll need to buy recording credits to use with PlayOn Cloud, or upgrade to a paid account to use PlayOn Home.

        One PlayOn Cloud credit equals one whole movie or TV show, regardless of length. You buy credits through the app.

    • 2 How to download using PlayOn
      • 01

        Tap “Channels”. This displays your main page.

      • 02

        Select a service – for e.g. Netflix.

      • 03

        Sign in as needed. You’ll need to know your service username and password. (This is where a Password Manager is very helpful).

        • You can’t access services you don’t have an account with.
        • If you want to access content from a service you’re not signed up to, visit that service on its own website or app to create an account, then go back to PlayOn Cloud to log in.
      • 04

        Search for the content you want to record.

      • 05

        Tap on your desired content. There will be an “Add to queue” button against individual movies or TV episodes, or “Record all” against whole TV series.

      • 06

        Tap “Add to queue”. PlayOn Cloud records your content into your PlayOn Cloud server immediately, using its own data, This uses none of your internet data. The recording time takes as long as the movie or TV episode takes.

      • 07

        You then schedule your content to download to your own device or computer at a time that suits you – such as off-peak times for your internet connection. This is when you use your internet data. It happens automatically, during the times you’ve specified in your device or the PlayOn Cloud Downloader software.

      • 08

        Watch your downloaded movies or tv shows at a time that suits you on any device including Roku, Chromecast, FireTV or Apple TV. This uses no internet data. PlayOn Home lets you download content directly onto your computer. You will still need the cloud app to schedule recordings.

    • 3 How to watch your downloads
        • Directly from your device or computer.
        • Cast them from your device or computer to your TV, using a streaming device (such as Chromecast or AppleTV).
        • Upload the files onto a USB or hard drive and plug that straight into your TV.
        • If you have downloaded onto a laptop you can also use an HDMI to plug your computer directly into your TV.
        • Mirroring apps (try Googling one that is compatible with your TV and device) are also an easy way to watch.
    • 4 Some troubleshooting tips for PlayOn
        • Make sure your device has enough storage space. One movie typically requires about 1GB of space.
        • Keep PlayOn Cloud open on your device.
        • Connect your device to the satellite connection via Wi-Fi.
        • Ensure your device is plugged into power.
        • If Auto-download on Wi-Fi is enabled, recordings will automatically download during specified hours.
        • If Auto-download is disabled or you want to download outside of those hours, go to the “Recordings” section and start the download manually.
        • Once the download is complete, you can find the recording under the “Recordings” tab in the app or in the “PlayOn Cloud Recordings” folder on your computer.
        • If a recording or download fails, you can usually retry by adding it back to the queue.
        • If you encounter persistent issues, submit a support request through the Settings menu.
    • 5 Helpful information and links
        • Consider your recording and storage needs, as well as streaming provider account costs when choosing a plan.
        • Recordings are done in real-time, meaning a three-hour movie takes three hours to record.
        • Cloud recordings are stored for seven days; download them before the expiry date.
        • PlayOn Cloud also downloads during peak times. If you have leftover peak data at the end of your billing period, use PlayOn Cloud to record content for later.
        • Check available download options and suggest new channels via email to support@playon.tv
        • Visit this page for more information on PlayOn Home, and this page for PlayOn Cloud.
        • Sync your recordings across all devices by logging in with the same PlayOn Cloud account.
        • Adjust recording quality to reduce data usage: Low Definition (up to 300MB/hr), Medium Definition (up to 700MB/hr), High Definition (up to 3GB/hr).
        • In case of recording failure, you’ll receive a replacement credit automatically. Contact support@playon.tv for further assistance.
        • Although PlayOn generally works well, occasional glitches or outages may occur. Failed recordings are flagged overnight for reattempting later.

        More PlayOn support:

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