Believe it or not, the term DVR is actually appropriate here. I’ve used the service and it actually records the programming and wraps the video file in a DRM-laced .plv container that’s only playable on approved programs. How does it work? I have no idea, but it does and MediaMall’s breakaway success with PlayOn says this company knows media streaming.

Upon launching the PlayLater, the user is presented with a beautiful UI and a grid of services: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, TV.com, and 26 others. From there you select the service, then the program and finally the episode or clip you want to record. You have the option of either recording now or adding it to the queue.

PlayLater then starts recording, as in it seems to que up the stream and record the video as if it was being played live on your computer screen. For instance, when recording a Hulu program, the site’s onscreen playback controls are included for a few seconds in the produced video file. (see above) The commercials are there as well but since the recorded file is just a plain video container, you’re free to scrub past them.

These files are playable on the PC only through Windows Media Player. VLC and others do not work. The files are portable but only on devices running the PlayOn client although the service is on nearly every platform including Android, iOS, Google TV, every gaming system, Moxi, Roku, and more.

I tried stripping away the DRM with the usual software but was unsuccessful; it will take someone smarter than me to crack that encryption. But it will happen. Someone, probably within a matter of days, will crack whatever lock is holding these files captive.

PlayLater will eventually cost $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, but right now the service is just available as a closed beta. But it’s not closed yet. The first 5,000 users to download the service will be entered into the beta and earn one month of PlayLater. PlayOn itself runs an additional fee and is available for either $4.99 a month, $39.99 a year or as a one-time charge of $79.99.

The details are all here. It still costs money, but hey. The Roku was missing those big networks, and this makes it much more of a complete package.

It looks like it adds some local network playback functionality to older models as well. The only requirement seems to be a networked Roku box, so presumably this will allow you to stream your own library through PlayOn if your Roku model didn’t before.

Oh, and as long as we’re talking about Roku — they added some channels just yesterday: TBS, BET, Nickelodeon and PBS Kids. Nickelodeon isn’t really as awesome as it used to be (no Ren & Stimpy) but hey.

The system requires a computer running the PlayOn server. Once outside of the home, the server sends content over the air in HTML5 format, allowing you to watch almost anything anywhere.

The service costs $39.99 for the first year and then $19.99. I suspect the lifetime subscription of $79 is a bit of overkill, however, considering most services will be HTML5 compatible in the next year.

Microsoft might have scored an exclusive deal to keep Netflix Xbox 360 only and off both the PS3 and Wii. But if you’re willing to forgo the fancy UI on the Xbox, there is still a way to get Netflix on the PS3 and eventually the Wii too.

MediaMall has a software pack called PlayOn that uses the DLNA system built into almost every networked AV device. Right now I use the software on my Xbox 360, Moxi HD DVR, Helios X5000 and Archos Gen 5 hooked up to my bedroom TV with a DVR station.  

The user interface isn’t spectacular as the program uses the device’s DLNA system. The great thing is that the software pack not only supports Netflix, but also Hulu, YouTube, ESPN, CBS, and Revision3. There are some drawbacks like the $39.99 cost after a 14-day trial ends, and the YouTube support isn’t exactly stellar. In the end though, the software gives you access to a lot of content not official supported by the devices.

But that’s not why I’m excited. I’m stoked that this update finally, finally brings .avi and .mkv support to the Moxi HD DVR. If you’ve followed my coverage of the TiVo-competitor, you should know that the lack of support of those file extensions was one of my biggest complaints against the DVR. But MediaMall has stepped up where Digeo dropped the ball.

So far I have played around with the updated feature – that also happens to be in beta mode – for a few minutes on the Moxi HD DVR and it seems to work as advertised – both .avi and .mkv files play. I have always ran DLNA services including TVersity and the previous version of PlayOn off of a Windows Home Server, but this time around, the Intel Atom-powered CPU didn’t have enough juice to transcode and stream the files without lagging a bit. I’ve chalked the performance issues up to the software still being in beta for now. The service ran just fine on my quad core desktop though. I didn’t have any issues at all.

What’s so strange about this feature suddenly being available on the Moxi HD DVR is that I tried almost every DLNA software listed here before chatting with Digeo only to find out that it couldn’t be done. The first couple of techs and reps I spoke with told me it had something to do with the Broadcom chip used in the DVR not liking those file types, and the CEO later explained he personally had choose to focus on other areas of development before fixing that issue.

All that matters now is that the Moxi HD DVR can finally playback all the content stored on a local network, which is a huge step in the right direction. The DVR still has major issues to address, but I finally feel confident enough because of this feature alone to upgrade my recommendation from “Wait until the bugs are worked out” to “Buy if you’re okay with the $799 price and lack of ATSC tuner.”

PlayOn is normally $39.99, but it can be had for only $19.99 until June 31 with the coupon code PLAYON1999. Also, MediaMall is allowing everyone to try the software for 14-days for free – even those that have tried it before.

PlayOn is good piece of software but it also requires Windows Media Player 11 to install. This is a problem on Windows Home Server as I just discovered while reviewing a Moxi HD DVR review. However, it can be installed as one intrepid commenter pointed out.

Side note: See, this is what I’m ranting about. I get a Moxi HD DVR, but to use it properly, I need to follow a wiki entry step-by-step. I hate it.

I just wrapped up my installation of WMP11 and PlayOn on my Windows Home Server so I can confirm that this does indeed work. The installation isn’t hard either, but it’s also something that I wouldn’t have tried. Basically, you need to install the WMP11 components indivually and then restart the Windows service manually to get it going. Once WMP11 installed though, PlayOn loads like its suppose too.

PlayOn is available for $40, and currently compatible with the PS3 and Xbox 360. You just install the server software on your PC, then stream the content over your network back to your console of choice. It’s well known that PlayOn is working on adding Wii compatibility, which ought to make it the dominant force in the console streaming market.

This news comes just days after the announcement that Roku has added Amazon VoD support to their $99 player, and the service has found its way to TiVo boxes and Sony Bravia TVs as well. It’s quickly becoming a must-have feature for anything that plugs in to your TV and has a net connection. If you’ve already got a compatible console and aren’t looking to add a new box to your AV set, PlayOn seems like a fairly solid alternative.

PlayOn has long supported Hulu, CBS.com, ESPN.com, CNN.com, YouTube, and Netflix, and these latest additions are rounding things out nicely. Next up on PlayOn’s plate is ABC.com content, for which they’re currently in talks with ABC. It’s beginning to look more and more like the average joe won’t actually need cable or an antenna in order to stay entertained in their living room.

We’ve just started putting PlayOn through the paces, but we like what we see so far – if you want to check it out for yourself, a 2 week trial is available at their site.

[via Audioholics]