Gamers may be familiar with a program called PlayOn that takes content from streaming video sites like Hulu and displays them on game consoles such as the Xbox 360 or PS3. Coming soon, PlayOn will be bringing this same functionality to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
PlayOn has had great success bringing streaming video to devices that cannot normally access streaming video sites. It works by installing a program both on the device on which you want to watch videos, as well as your desktop or laptop PC. When you load the application on your iDevice and browse for videos, you are essentially remote-controlling the software on your PC. Once you select a video to watch, the PlayOn software loads the video and transcodes it for your iDevice.
While PlayOn sounds like a great program, there are several limitations. The first limitation was already mentioned; the fact that you must have a PC up and running the companion software. Secondly, it only works if both devices are connected to the same network via Wi-Fi. Finally, the desktop software does have an annual subscription fee, although it is substantially less than the $120/yr cost of Hulu Plus. The dollar amount varies based on your viewing needs.
PlayOn will be available for free in the App Store on July 15th for the iPhone and iPod touch. While the PC app does require an annual subscription, a two-week free trial is available. If you want to know more, and see a demo video, check out the full story on CNET.com.
