Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before you start.
Product
What exactly am I buying? +
A license to self-host our streaming CMS script. You install it on your own server and use it to host your own videos. We give you the software + a license key.
Do you host my videos? +
No — you self-host. We give you the software and a license. Your videos live on your server, under your control.
Is it open source? +
No. A free tier exists, but the code is licensed, not open source. The license phones home to validate.
Can I use it for courses, fitness, church, films, or adult content? +
Yes, if you own or have the rights to the content and it's legal in your jurisdiction. You are solely responsible for the content you host.
Content protection
Can viewers download my videos? +
No. Videos are delivered as HLS — split into AES-128 encrypted segments. The decryption key is served only to authenticated viewers via a signed, expiring URL. No raw MP4 is ever exposed.
Can someone hotlink or embed my player elsewhere? +
No. Embed tokens are domain-bound, and Nginx blocks segment access from unauthorized referers. The player also uses CSP frame-ancestors to prevent unauthorized iframing.
Is it DRM-protected? +
Enterprise tier supports Widevine, FairPlay, and PlayReady. Lower tiers use AES-128 HLS + token authentication — strong enough to stop casual ripping.
What stops a paid user from screen-recording? +
Nothing fully can — that's the honest answer. We add visible watermarking with the viewer's account id to deter it, but screen capture is ultimately impossible to prevent. We focus on making digital ripping impossible.
Pricing & licensing
What's the difference between Free and paid? +
Free: 10 videos, 720p, watermark, no paywall, no custom domain, community support. Paid unlocks more videos, higher resolution, the paywall, custom domain, and no watermark. See the pricing page for the full matrix.
Do you take a cut of my sales? +
No — 0%. You connect your own Stripe or PayPal. The money goes directly to your account.
Can I move to a new domain or server? +
Yes. Use the rebind feature in your dashboard. It's rate-limited (3 per month) to discourage key sharing.
What happens if I stop paying? +
The script keeps running until the end of your paid period, then locks until you renew or it drops to Free entitlements. Your content stays yours — we never delete it.
Refund policy? +
30-day, no-questions-asked refund on your first paid purchase. No refunds on renewals or after the refund window.
Technical & install
Server requirements? +
Linux VPS, 2 vCPU / 4GB RAM minimum (4 vCPU / 8GB for 4K), Docker, and a domain. We provide a one-command installer.
Do I need technical skills? +
Basic — we provide a one-command installer + full docs. Or use a recommended host partner who can set it up for you.
Can I customize the design? +
Paid tiers: full theming + branding. Free: default theme only.
Updates? +
Paid subscribers get all updates while their subscription is active. Free tier gets security updates.
Trust & safety
Why does the script phone home? +
License validation, entitlement delivery, and revocation. The CMS verifies a signed token from our server every 12–24h. We never see or store your videos — only anonymous install metadata (install id, domain, fingerprint hash, usage counts).
What if your license server goes down? +
A 7-day offline grace keeps your site running. After that, playback locks until the server is reachable again. We run a status page and back up the license server.
Will you deplatform me? +
No — you self-host. We only revoke for EULA violation (piracy of our script, or rights-infringing content per our DMCA policy). Your content and audience are on your server, not ours.
Still have questions?
support@privateplayhub.com