PlayOn's web app brings Hulu and Netflix to iPod touch, iPhone
By Darren Murph 
posted August 4th 2010 3:29PM
posted August 4th 2010 3:29PM
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posted August 4th 2010 3:29PM
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Apple feels threatened by moves like these, I can see it being cut out in one way or another. This is the way it should be however.
@BlackedOut
Unless they specifically block their website (which I don't think will be legal) Apple can't do sh*t.
@Bozster I'm sure explicitly blocking that access is illegal in some way. That would only result in spectacularly bad PR for Apple that would exceed Antennagate. They don't block porn sites in Safari? So why something like that? But really, you're right. Apple can't do anything about it.
@BlackedOut I agree, on both terms. They will be sour grapes, but it's Apple's own fault for supporting HTML5 and pushing content this way. But without rules and restrictions, all we'd have is either Windows or Linux.
@BlackedOut Apple has been telling people to make web apps right from the beginning.
@Ben64 native Netflix app will be on iPhone/iPod touch anyway..
@BlackedOut
netflix have their own iPhone app coming out in days..... who needs a browser streaming service with fees?
@Ben64 Um... when? It was announced months ago. I though we'd maybe see it with the release of ios4, but no. What's taking them so long?
@BlackedOut
I'm missing something.
Netflix and Hulu (and most others) use the encrypted streams capability of Flash to play their stuff on the web.
HTML5 doesn't support any sort of DRM.
What is PlayOn doing? If they are stripping the DRM then I would think that Netflix and Hulu would shut them down.
Can someone explain what is happening here?
@BlackedOut Apple doesn't care. HULU cares. 3rd party streaming of Hulu has been blocked over and over, by insistence not even of Hulu, but of Hulu's content partners. Play-on's app violates Hulu's terms of service, and is potentially questionable by law. Apple has been playiong it safe working with all concerned parties on the app. As for streaming it over HTML5, Apple could care less.
MANY people argue that apple won't allow apps that conflict with their iTunes store, but there are not only dozens of examples (like Orb Live), but they've approved many other streaming apps (over WiFi only in most cases, at AT&Ts insistence). There are also dozens of sites on the net other than this one to see TV programs that already work on the iPhone, including some sponsored by the very same content partners apple makes money off hosting on iTunes. They'd also not even be discussing Hulu and Netflix streaming under that false logic.
It probably won't ever come to OSX because it requires Internet Explorer to work. Ain't Windows grand! ;)
About Time...
I've been having great success running PlayOn on a Windows XP virtual machine courtesy of Parallels 5.
@nulab71 yup, crossover here
I can see more and more people releasing web apps like this as HTML5 matures, it's interesting how this brings Applications on iOS full-circle back to the bad-old-days of the original web apps, this at least looks better (not that it matters as I own a Mac and live in the UK).
ANOTHER server i have to install on my computer to use the iPad? I already have MobileMouse, AirVideo, Wifi Sync and DropBox installed to solve something that the iPad should have been able to do natively. Fuck Apple is annoying. Android tablets can't get here soon enough.
@muyoso
nelson_HA_HA.png
@muyoso You're going to be really pissed off when you find out it isn't on the iPad yet...oops...
@muyoso
What makes you think you won't require servers using Android too? These processes (or "servers") have to be running on your native box to communicate with devices. How do you copy files wirelessly? an SSH server. How do you remotely control your computer? A VNC server. Don't be ridiculous...
@muyoso this has nothing to do with apple. you always needed a server on your computer to access playON on your xbox/PS3.
@LinksAwakener
What are you even talking about? It is absolutely an Apple limitation.
I don't need this play on server on Android because it has Flash and can play Hulu.
I don't need Mobile Mouse server on Android or Windows Mobile because you can actually use bluetooth to natively tether with your computer.
I don't need Wifi Sync on Android because it sync wirelessly, especially when Gingerbread comes out with the tablets.
I don't need an Air Video server because you can actually access NETWORK SHARES over SMB. WTF Apple???
@muyoso
"What are you even talking about? It is absolutely an Apple limitation."
No, it's a network limitation. Servers are required for communication.
"I don't need this play on server on Android because it has Flash and can play Hulu."
First, that was practically just implemented. Second, You go ahead and support Flash, I find it a gawd awful platform and have run browsers *without flash* since before the iPhone.
"I don't need Mobile Mouse server on Android or Windows Mobile because you can actually use bluetooth to natively tether with your computer."
So you use bluetooth...which connects over a wireless connection...via a SERVER. You're point?
"I don't need Wifi Sync on Android because it sync wirelessly, especially when Gingerbread comes out with the tablets."
Does it sync over wifi? Currently? How? Obviously you don't have any background services running in order to accommodate for this, that would just be a waste. O.o
"I don't need an Air Video server because you can actually access NETWORK SHARES over SMB."
SMB, my friend, is a SERVER. You don't get it at all, do you?
"WTF Apple???"
WTF for people talking about things they don't understand. Amirite?
@LinksAwakener
I can transfer files wirelessly from my windows rig to my unjailbroken iPhone with no server installed on my windows rig. I use FTP (already built into windows) and Hian Zin Jong's Downloads app.
I can also use RDP (also already built into windows) to remotely control my windows rig from my iPhone.
These features should be built into ios just like they are built into windows.
@LinksAwakener You may find flash god awful, but when iphone javascript performance is poor, you are already limited on rich internet media with or without flash. On android, both are supported at extremely fast performance. I'd rather the choice to have both than not at all.
@LinksAwakener Oh ok, so the iPad or any Apple device can use all of those servers? Oh, wait, they can't? They require you to install additional software on a host machine to accomplish any basic task? You cannot just take your iPhone or iPad and decide to connect to a network share of a friends computer without installing software on his computer? You know damn well what I am talking about. Apple devices ignore all standards and require you to circumvent these standards by installing additional software on your computer. That is garbage.
@gonzomanandme
For these features to be "built in", what you need is a computer, not a mobile phone or tablet PC. And both RDP and FTP are servers.
@muyoso
Apple devices ignore these standards? No, friend. My MacBook Pro follows the standards quite well. It's Windows that doesn't. As an example, from what you said earlier, SMB. It's also called a "Microsoft Windows Network" for a reason. You're entirely missing the point of these apps. The apps, and consequentially the servers, are built for specific tasks to be more efficient. Specifically made to be quick, light, and no-nonsense. Unlike you're so-called "standards", which were put in place to accommodate as much as physically possible.
@muyoso
PlayOn isn't just for the iPhone, it's much more than that.
It's a slick server that fetches content off the Net and acts as a media server. A "media server" is a repository of music, pictures, movies which then allows said media to be consumed by OTHER devices. The protocol was created by Microsoft years ago as a way to pull down content to devices like the XBox360. Nowadays it's called DLNA:
http://www.dlna.org/home
The creators of PlayOn got creative and went further. Where PlayOn adds value is by is pulling down content over the Net (based on your Hulu account, Netflix account, RSS feeds that point to video sources, etc., etc.) and then transcoding said content ON THE FLY so that it is consumable by things like the XBox360, iPhone, Playstation3, iPad, etc., etc.
With PlayOn I can conveniently watch Hulu in my living room, it's not just something "for the PC". As far as Hulu is concerned, they just think they're streaming to a PC but in actuality I'm watching it on something ELSE. It's a super fancy PROXY. Get it?
When is the Netflix app going to be released for the iPhone? It was supposed to out this summer. The summer is almost over and I have heard nothing.
Speaking of netflix, where is their iPhone app? It's been almost 2 months since it was announced at wwdc. I hope it's not stuck in review limbo, which it most likely is.
@npa189 i highly doubt that. apple gave them their own 5 minute presentation during the unveil of the new iPhone and it was available the day the iPad was released so apple has a pretty tight relationship with netflix.
speaking of which where in the HELL is the netflix iphone app? these guys cant be serious. its not like they took the time to give the iphone its own interface its just a port of their website. i wonder whats taking so long...
Sadly, this will probably never support Linux... :(
i'm running the playon server, running the web app, same ip range, latest play on but says no playon pc's found. :-(
@Rwilson NVM I thought the software auto-checked for updates, it doesn't. I updated, now working. super cool! I like to bring my ipad into a back room that has no tv, this will be great!
I see that its not doing its thing in 3g. Didnt they say wifi and 3g when announced?
Is there a way of watching hulu on an Android device (we have Flash!)?
TIA.
@unwired
Hulu detects that the Flash plugin is running on Android platform.
I read somewhere that you can root your device and patch the flash plugin to make every website think that you are running on flash plugin on Windows. (Not sure if this hack still works.)
Aww, too bad for mac f4gs no mac client.
@DoctarPeppar
you mean Mac server ? Yeah, they said they would never develop the Playon server on Mac.
I was so excited, until I read the "subscription" part... NETFLIX APP PLEASE!!!!
I tried streaming over 3G. It works fine sometimes. At times it would only stream audio (I'm guessing it's due to AT&T's bandwidth fluctuations).
Over Wifi, the video quality is good. But why would I want to do that instead of watching it on my TV.
You know using the HULU app, you need to be a premium member, that's $10 a month for HULU. Using PlayOn, i's FREE. Your not using HULU's app, and your actually streaming HULU to your PC where it's converted and sent out to the IPHONE using it's video format. Same can and I believe will also be done for the Android at some point. Netflix, well I've been waiting for that APP for a while now, yet I can watch Netflix movies NOW on my Iphone. Yes over Wifi and 3G. Works for me!
So the work around, works without a App. Save the link as a PlayOn Icon, so it's almost like a App. Follow the Simple Instructions, and forward 1 port on your Router, Link up on your OWN home network FIRST before using some other Wifi network or 3G!!!
Really, Apple might as well go ahead and just release the APP because they can't stop what PlayON is already now doing. Something Apple wanted to control.
@JBDragon
Unless I am misunderstanding you playon isn't free they just started charging for their services.
On a related ntoe, how pointless is it that you have to be on the same network as the playon server. I know that does make sense but why would I play hulu on my ipad/iphone when I'm in the same house as my computer that has a much bigger screen. This would be so much more useful if they could make it work over the internet similar to they way slingbox works.
@JBDragon
PLayon is also not free. And Hulu will be a one time fee to get the app on an iOS device, you do not have to subscribe to Hulu Plus to use the iPhione app (only to access plus content)., once the trial period ends.
@ryonavin
Did you even read what JBDragon said. You can watch PLayon videos over 3G. You have to forward a port in your router and visit m.playon.tv. That's about it. It'll will work on *any* Wi-fi network (Starbucks or Work Wi-fi for example) and AT&T's 3G network.
Yeah there is no point using it on your own Wifi network. Might as well watch Playon using PS3/Xbox on your TV.
@zelannii
I agree with you playon costs and I think it's a subscription. But really hulu plus only costs a subscription during the preview period..where are your sources?
@ryonavin
PlayOn does charge a Subscription FEE, BUT, you can pay a little more and have Lifetime PREMIUM content, which is what I did. It wasn't that much already being a Lifetime Basic User. A new person I think it's $79. I think I paid $34 or some such and I'm done, or at least until there's a Super Premium service a few years from now. The IPHONE service right now is FREE. Not sure if they have plans to charge anything for the APP if Apple ever allows it to go though or not.
Also as I SAID, when you first setup PlayOn for your IPHONE, you need to be on YOUR network, that's so everything gets setup correctly. The only other thing is forwarding 1 port on your router. Once those 2 things are done, your Iphone can connect on ANY WIFI network. Home, sure, but really why, but at Work, Starbucks, etc, AND to the 3G network, you know AT&T!!!
Again, the content is sent from HULU, Netflix, whatever to your PC that's running your PlayON PC software. It converts that Video on the fly and sends in back OUT to your IPHONE (where ever you happen to be anyplace in the WORLD!!! As far as HULU and the others are concerned, they are connected to a PC, and a PC that's in the U.S.!!! Same with the other stuff it gets. ALL can be streamed ANYWHERE you happen to be!!! There's no, I'm in Canada and I can't watch Netflix on my IPhone or even your Laptop because you CAN though PlayOn!!!
At home I don't need to use my Iphone for Video, I use my Xbox 360 and I can get all the content though that. Yes HULU already on my Xbox 360 along with Youtube, and CBS, and ESPN, Amazon VOD, Netflix with only a Silver Account, Etc... Also can do it on a PS3 and Wii!!!
@zelannii
Oh by the way, I just looked at the Iphone App for Hulu. Do you know it's caled HULU Plus? That's because it's almost WORTHLESS unless you have a PAID Subscription!!! I just a few minutes ago checked it out. At this time you can click on the Free Gallery button on the bottom left where you get to pick from like 11 different full shows. That's it!!! You can search and find all the different programs, but they ALL show hulu+ and if you go and hit one of them, it's asking for username and password and it says 'You must be a Plus Subscriber to watch this Video'. That means unless your paying the $10 a month for Hulu, you can't access 99.99999 of the content on HULU. It's not the same as when you access Hulu on your PC!!! There at least you get like the last 5 shows of each program or some such thing. THIS is why PlayOn is a plus also!!! Again, HULU thinks your PC is accessing the content, in fact Internet Explorer is what's used, this allows you to get ALL of the content you see on you PC on your Iphone, without using HULU's App and having to pay the $10 each and every month!!! It's a run around. Until HULU just pretty much block everything on the PC to NON-Paying users, I have access to it all on my IPHONE where ever in the world I happen to be. Maybe just at Lunch break watching a episode of South Park or something. See I can do that with PlayON, You CAN'T unless you pay the $10 per month. I paid my Lifetime Premium PlayOn service, that's less then 4 months of paying HULU alone, and without the Limitations such as leaving the U.S. Once your out of the U.S. and try logging in without a IP address in this the country, your out of luck, paying that subscription or not. I on the other hand have no problem. My Home PC is still there at Home in the U.S. That's all that matters.
Ne1 even get this to work?? Update to new playon software.. Always says no pc found.. But the service is up and running.. Can find in on other devices..
Hmm, I just checked my gmail account and what do you know. I got a email from Hulu telling me that I have been accepted to preview their Hulu Plus service. Too late.