PlayOn Minimum Requirements

Here are the minimum requirements needed to run PlayOn on a PC. You'll also need a supported device like a PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, or Roku to stream content from your PlayOn PC to your TV.

  • Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Windows Server 2003/Windows Home Server (Service Pack 1 or later). 64-bit versions of Windows are also supported.
  • Windows Internet Explorer 7 or later
  • 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
  • A home network
» Need more information? Take a look at the detailed requirements

Detailed requirements

  • Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Windows Server 2003/Windows Home Server (Service Pack 1 or later). 64-bit versions of Windows are also supported.
  • Windows Internet Explorer 7 or later
  • 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
  • Windows Media Player 9 or later
  • "Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration" is recommended to be disabled on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Home Server Installations; click here for details
  • Pentium 4 3.2+ GHz, Pentium M 2.0+ GHz, or any multi-core x86 processor1
  • 100 MB of available disk space for installation, plus recommended 4-5 GB extra space on the same drive where Windows is installed; click here for details on using a different drive
  • Internet broadband connection of at least 1.5 Mbps, and home network with wired, powerline, or 802.11n connections (for wireless home networks with 802.11g, it is highly recommended that either the PC or device be on a wired connection)2
  • Both the PlayOn PC and device should be connected directly to the same router (on the same IP "subnet"). Advanced networking setups using additional network interfaces such as virtual adapters (VPNs) or Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) may work, but are not officially supported
  • Third-party security software must be configured to allow full local and online network access to: C:Program FilesMediaMallMediaMallServer.exe3

1 For minimum playback quality, your CPU score must be around 500 or higher from PassMark. A score of 1000 or better is highly recommended. If your PC is at or just above the minimum specifications for CPU and RAM, you may have trouble streaming videos, unless your PC is used as a dedicated PlayOn server. Make sure you first try out PlayOn to verify that your PC is capable of real-time transcoding without maxing out your processor or causing playback buffering.

2 Wireless home networks are often unreliable. Make sure that you adequately test PlayOn through your wireless setup before committing to purchase a license. We highly recommend wired connections to avoid potential video streaming interruptions.

3 The path to C:Program Files > MediaMall may vary, depending on international versions of Windows, or which drive partition PlayOn is installed on.

Top FAQs

What is PlayOn?
PlayOn is software that you install on your Windows PC. It allows you to use your Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Roku, iPhone, Android phone or another supported device to access movies and shows from content providers like Hulu, Netflix, Comedy Central, CBS, YouTube, MLB.tv, your personal media, and many more. PlayOn is both browser and media server software, built into one. It browses content from various online providers, and displays that content directly on your TV, iPhone or Android phone.
How does it work?
PlayOn runs in the background on your PC over your home network. It uses standards called UPnP and DLNA to communicate with networked gaming consoles,TVs, and mobile phones working both as an internet browser to access online media and as a UPnP media server to serve videos to UPnP compliant devices. Learn more
How can I buy PlayOn?
Simply visit our buy page for our current pricing.