Online subscription services have made it easier than ever for average consumers to enjoy media online. I bet, with a quick search, you could find tens of subscription services other than Playster providing online access to books, music, movies and games. If you are subscribed to more than one of these services, you are not alone!
Until recently, I was paying a sizable amount between my various subscriptions. Although I was not happy shelling out that much money, I didn’t really have any other options. I had to keep one service for books, one for music and yet another one for movies.
Well, it all changed when I came across a new service called Playster. At its core, it is a multimedia subscription service, but with a clever twist! Rather than having to pay for different services for different forms of media, Playster bundles them all together. Whether you enjoy reading (or listening!) to books, watching movies, playing games or streaming music, Playster has you covered!
Now, so that you can see how it’s going to become your one-stop solution for all of your entertainment needs, let me give you some more information about Playster.
As I said earlier, Playster is essentially a multimedia streaming service. Operated by a reputable Canada-based company, Playster is quickly making a name for itself as sort of an ‘all-in-one’ entertainment service. The service offers a wide gamut of content, including e-books, audiobooks, movies, music, and games.
You can access the content on up to three different devices simultaneously with a single subscription, which is just great! The service is accessible using an app for both iOS and Android as well as through any web browser. So, whether you are lounging at home, or on the go, you will have access to all your media.
Signing up for Playster is as easy as it can get. There are a couple of ways to sign up. You can use your Facebook or Google+ account to log in, or you can use your e-mail. It took me less than a minute to get signed up and browsing content. No complaints here whatsoever.
[pullquote]One of the things about Playster that just blew my mind was the price. You can access all of their e-books, audiobooks, music, movies and games for only $24.95 a month![/pullquote] Furthermore, the pricing model is flexible. Just want one service rather than the bundle? No worries! Playster also offers the option to subscribe to each service individually at very competitive prices. Interested in just music or books? You can subscribe to them individually at $9.95 a month. Games and movie subscriptions are available at just $4.95 and $3.95 a month respectively.
There are also a couple of sweet deals being offered by Playster right now. First off, there is a free 30-day trial for all new users, no strings attached, and you can cancel anytime. Although you will need to enter your credit card information to get started on the free trial, the card will be billed only after the 30-day trial period ends. This means you can test drive Playster at no cost whatsoever!
Another great offer that they have is for people who have decided that Playster is right for them and they are ready to commitment. Anyone who subscribes to the bundled service at $24.95 a month for 12 months will get a ‘Playster Combo Box’ for free. The contents of this box are pretty amazing: they include an 8-inch Android tablet and a pair of high-definition headphones. All you need to do is pay the shipping cost of $9.95 and the Combo Box will be sent right to your door! You’ll find more info on the Combo Box in the sections below.
If you sign up for the trial period, you will get the bundled service with no restrictions. If you don’t like Playster, you can cancel at any time. If you don’t, the service will automatically renew after the trial period is over. You can cancel the membership at any time online or by calling Playster’s customer service. If you have opted for the 12-month plan with the free Combo Box, you will have to call to cancel the subscription. There is no option to cancel online for this plan.
As I said earlier, if you subscribe to the 12-month plan, you will get a Combo Box (valued at $250) at no additional cost. The box contains the following items:
The overall build and quality of both the tablet and the headphones feels premium. Let me break down some details about the tablet and the headphones:
Playster8 Tablet
The Playster tablet runs Android 5.1. Under the hood, the tablet is powered by Intel Baytrail-T processor clocking in at 1.33 GHz to 1.83 GHz. It is a quad-core processor for a smooth experience.
The tablet also has a generous 2GB onboard RAM, which makes the Android 5.1 experience smooth and flawless. The 16GB of internal storage and SD expansion slots mean you will never run out of space.
The bright and crisp screen has a resolution of 1280 x 800, making everything look sharp. The tablet also has a dual camera system. The rear-facing camera can take pictures at 5MP resolution while the front-facing camera can do so at 2MP. The picture quality is quite good, and you can video chat quite comfortably.
All of this is powered by a powerful 4000mAh lithium-ion polymer battery. You will be able to run this tablet for the whole day without having to recharge it.
Overall, the build quality is great, and it is comparable to some of the more premium Android tablets out there. I really liked it a lot. To be honest, I did not have much of an expectation for a ‘free’ tablet, but it did outperform my highest expectations. I found myself reaching for the tablet whenever I wanted to watch, read or listen to something!
I am a big fan of over-the-ear headphones, so when I got the Playster headphones in the Combo Box, I was quite excited. The first thing that I noticed was that they are super comfortable. The cushioned ear protection makes wearing the headphones for hours a dream.
The headphones have a deep bass and crisp high tones. They are equally great for both listening to music, as well as listen to audiobooks. I was also impressed by the noise isolation. Even at high volumes, the headphones did a great job at isolating my music. They also feature an in-line control for volume and skipping through tracks, which was very handy.
The best feature, though, is how comfortable they are. The headphones are light and fold into a compact size for storage. I must say, I was thoroughly impressed by them. I have used many so-called high-end headphones, and these come darn close in both quality and comfort.
The content is arguably the most important aspect of any online subscription service. If the content is crappy, any amount of money is too much for the service. I have seen some services that look very attractive at the price point but offer abysmal quality content. So, in all fairness, I was a little skeptical of Playster at the start. But, surprisingly, the content offered by Playster is nothing short of fantastic, both in quality and quantity. What’s more, their content is growing almost every month. Let’s take a look at the content offered:
1. Books
As far as books are concerned, there is no shortage of options. I was able to find books in all the usual categories and genres, including the New York Times Best Sellers. I especially like the layout of the books section. It is laid out well and allows you to discover great new content.
Playster has signed deals with a number of very well-known and reputable publishers to provide users with quality content. Some of the publishers you can find on Playster include HarperCollins, Harlequin, Findaway and Simon & Schuster.
I will admit that I was not able to find some bestselling books, namely the ‘Harry Potter’ series, but that being said, there is a huge collection to choose from. The collection of children’s books and educational books is quite good as well, and there are many self-help books too if you are into that sort of thing.
As far as the reading experience goes, the Playster app has a polished feel and allows you to adjust brightness and font size and place bookmarks throughout, all with the press of a button. I was able to enjoy the fantastic novel ‘The Pearl That Broke Its Shell’ by Nadia Hashimi and give the experience four stars out of five.
2. Audiobooks
As far as the audiobooks go, I found some interesting titles. As with books, there is a wide selection available, and you can listen to some of today’s biggest bestsellers, as well as indie releases. For example, you will find popular titles like 50 Shades of Grey!
As for the listening experience, I have a bit of a complaint. Once you exit out of the browser, you will have to manually select the chapter you were listening to before you left once you return. That is a bit of a bummer if you ask me. Although, the pricing is unbeatable, so I was willing to put up with this minor flaw.
3. Movies and TV
Playster has a decent collection of both TV shows and movies. There is a great collection of documentaries, as well content for the whole family.
The playback was good on the various browsers that I checked, including Chrome and Safari. The best experience, however, was on iOS devices. The movie seemed to run a lot smoother. The latest Android update for the app also improved the video quality.
The only slight complaint that I have is the fact that there is no option for closed captioning. Although, it may not be an issue for the majority of people, for others, not having it is not an option.
4. Music
There is a lot to pick from here as well. Playster’s collection features millions of songs and is one of the most exhaustive collections out there. There is a good mix of contemporary albums and classics, and I especially enjoyed the selection of old country albums.
You will also find a good collection of hip-hop, pop, blues, and jazz. If you are a fan of timeless classics, you will not be disappointed by Playster. Although I don’t listen to much old school music, Playster has one of the biggest collections I have seen. All the greats, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and The Beatles, are there.
Playster shines in the music listening experience. The audio is really high quality, the controls are easily accessible, and the player looks sleek and modern. Playster has deals with Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, and Warner Music Group, to name a few. This translates to a lot of content, trust me!
5. Games
Playster offers you games on Windows, as well as on iOS. The gaming experience on Android depends on your device. If you have a good device with fast graphics, the games run perfectly. I was able to play many puzzle games on my fairly basic Android phone without any problems.
On the PC side, you will have to install the Playster game player on your computer to play. Although it is not a hassle at all, it still is an additional step.
If you are a casual gamer who likes to play a game here and there, you should be okay. If you have kids, the gaming subscription makes the most sense. There are a ton of kid-friendly games and, as part of the bundled service, gaming is a nice addition, in my opinion. As a standalone service, though, it is a tougher sell.
Playster is a great subscription service. The best thing about Playster is the fact that you can access all your content in one place and at a fraction of the cost being charged by competitors. There is a lot of content in every category, and there is literally something for everyone in the family.
I really loved my experience using Playster. It was a joy to have a single place for all my media. The Combo Box is also a great incentive to sign up for 12 months. The contents of the box, which are otherwise priced at $250, are available to you for FREE! So, if you factor that in, you will be paying less than $50 for your entire year of media consumption. It doesn’t get any sweeter than that!
If you want to take your time and test drive Playster, you can do just that for free! In my candid opinion, it is a great service that you must check out. All in all, I think that the price point is reasonable and the fact that they offer a risk-free 30-day trial makes it trying Playster out totally worthwhile.
Head to play.playster.com and sign up for your 30-day trial now!
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