PlayOn bringing Aereo to game consoles, Android and Google TV in three cities on July 10 (update)
Aereo's streaming television service is coming to your game console of choice as well as Google TV and Android devices starting on July 10th. The service kicks off in New York City, Boston and Atlanta on July 10th, with 20 more cities planned for expansion this year (including major locations like Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia). It won't arrive in the form of a standalone app, however -- the service is launching through an existing channel: PlayOn. Live TV fans who want to cut their cable cord can access Aereo with PlayOn by using their PC to get things set up; you'll also need an $8-a-month Aereo subscription to access the 60-plus live TV channels available. Oh, and a PlayOn subscription ($50 for life or $25 / year). Nothing quite says "simplicity" like a puzzle of subscription plans!
Update: Aereo emailed us to say, "Aereo has no business relationship with PlayOn." Apparently PlayOn's announcement this morning came without any heads up to the folks at Aereo, and it's unclear just how well Aereo's service will work using PlayOn. We've reached out to PlayOn for a statement as well, though we've yet to hear back.
Update 2: PlayOn got back to us with the following statement: "PlayOn does not have an official relationship with Aereo, just as we don't have official relationships with most of the channels we support. PlayOn is an award-winning software product that runs in the background on your PC and allows you to then stream content from supported sites to your set-top boxes (such as Roku), gaming consoles, and/or mobile devices. It is a solution that does not require a relationship with content providers as all PlayOn does is shift which screen you are using to watch content which is, for free or via a subscription, already made available to you through your PC Browser. To utilize PlayOn's Aereo channel users still need an Aereo subscription and to live in one of Aereo's coverage areas."
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PlayOn Brings Aereo Content to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Android Devices and More
Software gives New York, Boston and Atlanta Aereo users access to more than 60 additional channels on their TV and mobile devices
Seattle, WA – July 9, 2013 – PlayOn, the media server software from MediaMall Technologies that streams online videos from a Windows PC to TV and mobile devices, today announced the availability of its Aereo Channel. PlayOn is now the only way Aereo subscribers can use gaming and streaming devices, such as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Google TV, Wii, Wii U and most other DLNA-compatible devices. The software also brings Aereo to Android mobile devices. When coupled with Aereo, PlayOn provides New York, Boston and Atlanta users (starting July 10) a complete cable cutting solution. In addition to the local, live TV that Aereo customers can now access, PlayOn supports more than 60 channels of online content including Hulu, Netflix, and HBO GO.
"PlayOn already gives users a simple, easy, and accessible way to watch on-demand movies, TV shows and personal media through their TV and mobile devices," said Jeff Lawrence, CEO of MediaMall Technologies. "Now, with our new Aereo channel, we can bring users in New York, Boston and Atlanta live local content as well. With Aereo, PlayOn is an even more powerful and comprehensive cable-replacement solution - making it easier than ever for users to cut the cable cord."
Users must subscribe to Aereo in order to access the content via PlayOn's Aereo channel. Aereo's $8-a-month service is currently available in New York and Boston and is expected to expand to Atlanta on July 10 and 20 additional cities in 2013 including Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Madison, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, RI, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Tampa and Washington, DC. Interested Aereo subscribers can try PlayOn risk-free with the software's 30-day money back guarantee. A lifetime subscription to PlayOn can be purchased for $49.99. Annual subscriptions are $24.99.
