A subscription has two numbers, and they are easy to mix up. The difference is simple, but it is behind the most common question we get: «why is it not playing, I pay for three devices».
The player licence is about installation
The ClouDDy player licence says how many devices the app can be installed on. A licence for three means the player sits on your TV, on the set-top box in the bedroom and on a tablet. All three are set up and ready.
The subscription is about watching at the same time
Your channel package says how many screens can watch simultaneously. A one-screen subscription means one stream at any given moment.
The smaller of the two applies
This is the key point. If the player is installed on three devices but the subscription covers one screen, you watch one at a time. The app opens everywhere, the channel list appears on all three, but a stream will only start on one device at once.
That is by design: installing and watching are different things. The licence saves you from setting up again; how many screens run at once is set by the subscription.
What it looks like when the limit is reached
Usually like this: the app opens, the channel list is there, but the channel will not start. Many people take this for a fault — in fact the line is simply busy with another of your devices.
It is easy to check: stop playback on the other devices and try again.
One more condition, separate from those two
All devices on one subscription must reach the internet through the same router. A device at a relative's house, on mobile data or behind a VPN counts as a different address and will not play — even if you have screens to spare. See «Media library or channels do not work on the second device».
The exception: Globus TV packages
For Globus TV packages the single-network requirement does not apply. Devices may be in different homes, cities and countries and connect from different addresses — viewing will still work.
One limit remains: the number of simultaneous screens on your subscription. With a two-screen subscription, two people can watch at the same time wherever they are.
If you need more screens
There are two routes and we will help you choose: increase the number of screens on your current subscription, or take a separate subscription for a device at another address. The second is what you need for another house or city — one package cannot cover both.
Write to us and we will work out the cost and re-calculate your current subscription so that you do not pay twice for the same period.