How Well Does PlayOn Work with the IPhone?

iPhone users will probably always find something to complain about, but one of the more consistent complaints has been the lack of a good video streaming service on the device. PlayOn aims to change all of that--sort of.

The PlayOn iPhone app offers a way for iPhone users to stream Hulu, Netflix, and numerous other TV channels and online movie services straight to their phones, even over 3G. It works by turning a desktop computer into a server which broadcasts video to your phone, as well as your Xbox 360 or your PS3.

I tried out PlayOn, not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by the functionality of this streaming video iPhone app. There are a few small issues, however. Here's a look at streaming Hulu and Netflix to your phone with PlayOn.

A PC as a server. As I mentioned above, PlayOn works by turning a desktop computer into a server. There is a problem with this--you'll need some computing power to pull it off, so if your only PCs are a netbook or a light laptop, you might not be able to run PlayOn and stream video to your iPhone without major problems. The good news is that PlayOn offers a free trial of their service, so you can have two weeks to figure out whether your PC will run the software. Most desktop users shouldn't have much of an issue here.

The PlayOn iPhone App. The app itself is basically a web interface, but it's very easy to navigate around and find something to watch. Playback was very clear and video quality was good. I watched videos from Hulu and Netflix, and Netflix worked a bit better--probably because it didn't display ads, which were formatted for computer screens and didn't really display right. This created very minor annoyances--for instance, when Hulu asks if you want to view one ad at the beginning of your video or several ads throughout the video, you can't really answer the question, so you have to wait for the prompt to go away. Still, it's awesome to have Hulu working well on the iPhone, so I'm not complaining.

3G Issues. Streaming over 3G is tough, and it'll eat up your bandwidth if you're not one of the few folks who still have an unlimited data plan for the iPhone. There are numerous little issues that make this feature for technophiles exclusively. Streaming doesn't work extremely well, and it won't work at all in Edge areas. I travel a lot, however, and I was able to stream well enough to watch a show or two in a hotel room.

Overall, the PlayOn iPhone app gets high marks from me. It's a very competent program that works quite well, and I'm sure it will be adapted for better use on the iPhone in coming months. PlayOn has been one of the best companies to work on streaming video for video game consoles, and although they've had their hiccups, they seem like a competent and dedicated group of developers. The PlayOn iPhone app is a must download for anyone who likes watching TV on their phones and outscores similar apps.

What do you think of the PlayOn iPhone app? Post in our comments section below.