playmoTV Review 2024 — Better for Streaming Than a VPN?

You can use playmoTV’s Smart DNS Technology to access streaming content. The service claims it works better than a VPN to unblock major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. But is a DNS service really as safe as one of the top VPNs?

After my tests, I can’t recommend playmoTV if you’re worried about security. While it offers fast speeds and is great at unblocking, it doesn’t encrypt your connection. It also has a small server network, which limits how many platforms you can access. You can try one of the best VPNs for a similar price and stay safe while you’re streaming more worldwide content.

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I could access most of the streaming services I tried with playmoTV. There were no issues with load times, video quality, or buffering either.

I was genuinely impressed when I saw playmoTV successfully unblock several services with tough geo-blocks. It’s also very easy to set up on most smart TVs. But I had a little trouble unblocking different Netflix libraries.

Lastly, you should be aware it has limited DNS server locations. So, you won’t be able to unblock platforms outside of the US, Australia, and a few European countries.

Unblocked: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, Peacock, HBO Max, and More

The first platform I tried to unblock was Hulu, which I accessed without issues. It worked on the first try, and I streamed an entire episode of The Handmaid's Tale without buffering.

I was also quite skeptical about the speeds, but I didn’t experience any slowdowns at all. It never took longer than 5 to 8 seconds to load videos. That impressed me since the US server is 10,000+ miles away from my location in Nairobi.

In addition to Hulu, I could access Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, and HBO Max while connected to the US server. In fact, I was pretty impressed by how effortlessly playmoTV could unblock all these platforms. When I first tried unblocking Disney+, the page froze for a few seconds. But after I refreshed it, it loaded instantly, and I was able to log in to my account and start streaming in less than 2 minutes.

I also tried its DNS server in Canada and had no problem accessing Crave. Setting up playmoTV on my LG smart TV was a breeze, and I had Westworld streaming in under 10 minutes. The servers in Germany, Hong Kong, and Australia worked just as well during playback.

However, I was disappointed that playmoTV couldn’t unblock the US Netflix library during my tests. This was a little surprising since it did so well with every other service and Netflix is the priority for most VPNs and DNS companies. However, I could still watch my home region on Netflix with playmoTV connected. So, I was never blocked, I just couldn’t watch other libraries.

Other than my Netflix issues, Playmo is excellent for streaming. But, if you want to access more Netflix libraries, you can try one of these VPNs that are all optimized for Netflix.

Speeds are not affected by playmoTV, so you’ll retain your base connection rate while it’s connected. This is because it doesn’t change your IP address. So, depending on your base speeds, it’s easier to stream in the highest quality.

We normally use a dedicated speed tester to conduct our tests. This way they’re all done from the same location with the same internet connection. That makes it easier to compare results from different services.

When I followed this process to test playmoTV’s overall speeds, I realized that our speeds did not change across any of playmo’s DNS servers. This was very unusual since it’s normal to experience slower speeds on servers far from your location. This prompted me to check my IP on vpnMentor's IP Checker, and I was surprised to realize that my address didn’t change when I switched servers.

I contacted playmoTV customer support to ask about this, and they confirmed that it doesn’t automatically change your IP address when visiting different sites. When you try to access one of the streaming services listed on playmoTV’s website, your real IP is simply disguised as one from that location. The streaming services see playmoTV’s IP instead of your own, so they will not block you from accessing their libraries.

Although this might sound great, it’s not. This is because playmoTV doesn’t encrypt your data and IP address, leaving you completely vulnerable to hackers and snoops. I recommend you try one of the best VPNs for streaming in this list. They’ll keep you safe and still hardly affect your speeds at all.

While playmoTV is useful for streaming, I wouldn’t recommend it for gaming because it doesn’t offer any security features.

We’ve all heard horror stories about gamers performing DDoS attacks or exposing people’s vital information. That’s the main reason I’d be worried about playing online games without a VPN. In short, it’s best to use an encrypted connection while gaming because you never know who you’re connected to. In addition, playmoTV isn’t optimized to unblock new regions within games.

If you want to stay safe, check out this list of the best VPNs for gaming. They’ll all help you maintain low ping to play lag-free while you stay protected.

This DNS service has a pretty small server network with only 10 locations worldwide. Normally, this would make me concerned about slowdowns from overcrowding. However, this isn’t an issue with playmoTV because it doesn’t affect speeds. But the small network does give you less choices when it comes to which services you can access.

For example, you can’t watch Hotstar since there’s no India location. I was also disappointed that it didn’t have servers in France since I watch a lot of content from there. Plus, it doesn’t have servers in other important regions such as South America and East Asia. This means that your options might be limited if you like streaming programs from these regions.

I couldn’t find any information on playmoTV’s website about whether it uses virtual servers. These are servers that give you an IP in one location, but are physically located somewhere else. Unfortunately, playmoTV support didn’t respond to my question about virtual servers.

But I like that you can connect to a server and start streaming within a few minutes. When setting it up on your device, you will be presented with a list of the server locations, so you can choose the location of your preference.

You;ll need to replace the DNS code on your device setting to switch servers

It also doesn’t offer features such as optimized servers or dedicated IP addresses. To get a service with a vast network full of features, you can look into this list of VPNs with thousands of servers around the world.

With playmoTV, your online security is at risk. Since it’s a SmartDNS service, it doesn’t offer encryption or any other security feature provided by VPNs. As a result, there is absolutely no enhancement in your general online security.

You might be exposing yourself to hackers and other prying eyes. Premium VPNs use advanced encryption and secure VPN protocols to protect you from cyberattacks and unauthorized access to your personal data.

AES-256 bit encryption is considered nearly unbreakable and all the top VPNs utilize it. It’s the same encryption level used by banks and militaries around the world. OpenVPN is also regarded as the most secure VPN protocol because it is open-source, meaning its source code is publicly available for scrutiny and auditing. This is also a common feature with popular VPNs, along with kill switches that block your connection if it suddenly disconnects.

Unlike playmoTV, most premium VPNs also let you choose from a range of protocols based on your needs. For example, you can use protocols like WireGuard for faster speeds. ExpressVPN even offers its own Lightway protocol, which is great for mobile devices. Most VPNs also offer obfuscation technology, which lets you connect on restricted networks while hiding the fact that you’re using a VPN.

While playmoTV gives you access to the majority of streaming platforms, your connection stays unsecured. Therefore, I recommend you get a VPN with reliable security features to protect you while streaming online.

Ad-blocker

3 of playmoTV’s servers also have ad-blocking capabilities — Germany, Iceland, and India. These servers are designed to give you faster speeds and a better streaming experience by blocking unnecessary clutter. They remove intrusive ads and tracking scripts, which can collect data about your online behavior and browsing habits.

I tested these servers, and I’m happy to report that they blocked all ads and popups. So, I could stream directly from my browser without any annoying ads.

While playmoTV doesn’t record your online activities, it does have access to your IP address. In addition, it’s located in a country that’s not very privacy-friendly. I’m also concerned that its privacy policy has never been proven. Overall, this makes it a service I don’t trust to handle my sensitive information. You can check out our list of the best no-log VPNs to find a service that’s been proven to be trustworthy.

Does playmoTV Keep Logs? Yes

On the account page, you can clearly see playmoTV displays your IP. That’s because you have to register an IP address to use it. While it claims it’s “only used by playmoTV to provide this service,” I have no idea how secure its customer information is. Besides, the top VPNs don’t make you register your IP and don’t even need to access it to encrypt your connection.

It may collect more information depending on the payment method you choose. The site also sometimes redirects you to third-party payment processors, who might have different terms and privacy policies. That’s why I wish playmoTV would allow crypto payments so you could pay anonymously.

You can ask playmoTV to delete your information after you stop using it

It also collects a minimal amount of personal information directly through the site when signing up for an account. It keeps information such as email addresses and payment information to establish your account and directly respond to your support inquiries. Besides that, it thankfully doesn’t track data about how you use the service.

Was playmoTV Audited? No

There is no proof that playmoTV has been audited or verified by any third party. During my research, I didn’t find any information — on its website or in its publicly available information — explicitly mentioning that playmoTV has undergone an independent audit.

Independent audits by third-party security companies frequently evaluate the security and privacy measures of a VPN. I'm always more at ease using a VPN that has undergone external scrutiny of its policies and infrastructure.

Based in the United States

Its headquarters are in the US, which is part of the 14-Eyes Alliance. The 14-Eyes Alliance refers to an agreement between government bodies to share their citizens’ information. This means that it’s under an obligation to supply information if requested. This worries me because playmoTV keeps your IP address, so it’s possible one of these governments could come looking for it.

Does playmoTV Work in China? No

Unfortunately, playmoTV does not work in China. The Chinese government employs extensive internet censorship measures, including the blocking of VPN services. This makes it difficult for playmoTV or any VPN service to bypass these restrictions and provide access to region-restricted content in China.

However, the Chinese government rarely goes after individuals for using VPNs. That said, my team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. If you decide to encrypt your connection there, you can read this list of VPNs verified to work in China.

You shouldn’t use playmoTV for torrenting. It lacks the necessary features and infrastructure required for efficient and secure torrenting. That’s because playmoTV primarily focuses on bypassing region restrictions for streaming content rather than supporting torrenting activities.

Torrenting involves sharing files through a peer-to-peer network, and this connects you to random people. That’s why it’s much safer to torrent while connected to a VPN that offers features like strong encryption, leak protection, and a kill switch.

While torrenting is legal in most countries, downloading copyrighted content isn’t. We recommend you only access torrents in the public domain, so you don’t break any laws. To stay safe while you use P2P networks, read this list of the best VPNs for torrenting.