Do I need a PC to use Playon and integrate is with Channels on my WD server?
You can buy Cloud Credits and have them download what you want. It really depends on how much you plan to use it. PlayOn Cloud Recording Credits
Ok. Where is the post to set up play on, on my Channels Server?
There's nothing to do but to sign in with your PlayOn Cloud account. Settings > Sources > Personal Media > Add Source
Could I do the cheapest $4.99 Cloud plan to try it or have to do their credit plan?
That is ok.
If I remember correctly, there is a $3.99/month plan, but it is extremely difficult to find. Also, PlayOn Home is a better long term deal if you care about video quality, and your server can handle the load.
Correction: The $2.99 and $3.99 plans seem to be long gone for new subscribers. Your best bet is to try out the $4.99 plan and if you like it, switch over to PlayOn Home if that suits your needs. If you stick with the Cloud plan, you should know that they are always offering discounts on extra credits as low as $0.10 per credit.
My understanding is with Playon Home, you need a PC or MAC.
That is why I prefer Plaon Cloud ... The recording is done in the cloud and then Channels DVR server downloads when it scans for downloads.
As far as I can tell from PlayOn's website, you get 1080p video with Home, and you can also get 1080p if you use 3 credits with Cloud.
So I'm curious what you meant. Is there anything else that is better with Home vs. Cloud?
The last time (maybe 2~3 years) I used credits with Cloud to get 1080p recordings, I was not very pleased with the video compression. I'm a very technical guy and I will look at a picture very closely to see if I can detect signs of bad video compression or artifacts.
After I saw that, I stopped using it.
Maybe if has improved since then.
@TV_Ken, @Edwin_Perez have you used PlayOn Cloud very recently? What do you think of the video quality?
Quality is great I only do 1080p My FireTV Cube does super Resolution so maybe i can check with that off.. last one I did was Kingdom of the planet of the apes FHD 2.82GB
They use HEVC not H264
And it's VFR (Variable Frame Rate) HEVC where the frame rate is constantly changing.
So it's not CFR (Constant Frame Rate) like 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 48, 50, 59.94, 60 fps
It's not archival quality.
Ok I purchased playon and added it to channels.Now I have to add a source for each movie or show?
Read the Support Article
I read that. I guess my recording hasn't downloaded yet.
You can force a sync, but the recording won't be available until PlayOn Cloud finishes recording it.
If it's a 2 hour movie, it will take PlayOn Cloud 2 hours to record it, once it starts recording it.
From the Support Article you read
https://getchannels.com/docs/channels-dvr-server/how-to/playon-cloud/#how-often-does-channels-fetch-playon-cloud-recordings
https://getchannels.com/docs/channels-dvr-server/how-to/playon-cloud/#manually-sync-recordings
I use both on a regular basis. With PlayOn Cloud, the quality you get for one credit's recording is okay but not great. For 3 credits, you get good quality, but you are paying $0.30 to $0.50 per recording on top of the money you are already spending for the streaming service. I do not consider this a good value. At $40.00 per year, PlayOn Home gives you unlimited 1080 recordings. The more you use it, the less you pay per show. I use it a lot because I hate watching commercials and I'm too cheap to pay extra to the streaming services to get their ad free service. PlayOn Home does require a decent amount of server power and bandwidth. The only reason I continue to PlayOn Cloud is because I bought a lot of download credits before PlayOn Home came out and I have a grandfathered low monthly cost plan. I use it when my server is loaded down with other tasks, or when I am too lazy to walk upstairs to initiate a job on the server. I always use 3 credits per show because I'm trying to use up my banked credits.
This means it can take up to 2 hours AFTER the recording is finished. If you want is sooner and the recording is done (plus a few minutes), you have to force a manual sync.
I have movies that play on Playon. Only one shows up on Channels. I did a manual sync.