PlayLater’s DVR for Internet video goes live to the public

If you’ve ever wished that you could have a DVR for online video, read on. PlayLater is about to make your day.

PlayLater lets you record video from just about anywhere online, then you can watch it at your leisure, even offline. For me, it’s been a great way to record things and then catch up with them when I’m on a plane or laying on the couch, because it features an incredibly slick method of interfacing with your Xbox, Wii or Playstation 3.

The service has been in a private beta for a couple of months, getting put through the paces by 10,000 users. Now, it’s ready for public consumption, so you can record the content that you want to see, then play it back where you want.

Now, there are a couple of caveats to PlayLayer, and its companion service called PlayOn. PlayLater only works with Windows PC’s for now. I am told that there are plans to make it available for the Mac, but it doesn’t exist just yet. Beyond the PC-only world, it’s also a subscription service, requiring $5 per month or $50 per year. It can’t record video from everywhere online, but it does have a good starting point including Hulu, ESPN and more.

I mentioned PlayOn before, and it’s something that you’ll want to check out. PlayLater is the recorder, so you’ll need to think of PlayOn as your “TV anywhere”. It’s an app for iOS and Android, as well as being the connector between your computer and your TV.

So there you have it. Mac users, we’ll have to wait a bit before we get a chance to use PlayLater and PlayOn. Windows users, you can start today by downloading the software, queueing up your favorite online shows and then playing them back when the time is right for you.

It’s a little bit like Boxxee, a little bit like Apple TV but a whole lot like something you’ve been waiting to have.