Play-Off is a new mobile gameshow where you compete to send in the best video clips and vote to decide who wins.
All the action happens on your Orange mobile phone: Go to Play-Off in the TV and Video section of Orange World to enter, watch or vote in live knockout contests.
You can send video by MMS from your phone or submit a clip from your PC using the web uploader on this site.
There are always a number of live contests ("-Offs") to vote on and upcoming contests to enter.
How it works:
- Send in a 10 to 15-second video clip if you're up for one of the Play-Off challenges.
- The best videos get entered into a series of "play-off" rounds
- Viewers vote for their favourite clip - Contestant No.1 or Contestant No.2.
- Winners progress to the next round and losers drop off.
- After each round you face a new challenger and you compete again until the winner emerges in the final round.
Upload your clips via the web or direct from your phone by MMS to 7469 - start your message with the name of the contest you're entering. Make sure you read the Play-Off Rules before you submit your clip. If your video is chosen for a live contest we'll text you.
For ideas on what to film and to see the contests coming up, check out the web site or go to the 'Get filming' section of Play-Off on your Orange phone.
Play-Off: How far will you go? Get filming!
Making and sending videos
- How do I submit a video clip for Play-Off?
- How long should my clip be?
- What file formats do you accept?
- What's the maximum file size?
- I can't send my clip by MMS
- I tried to upload from my phone but nothing happened
- Can I submit a clip if I'm not an Orange customer?
General
- What is Play-Off?
- Who can take part?
- How does a Play-Off contest work?
- What do you win?
- How do I add a comment?
- My comment hasn't appeared on the site
- My video doesn't fit a contest category - can I still send it?
Registering for Play-Off
- Do I need to register before I can use Play-Off?
- My PIN code didn't arrive
- I've forgotten my web password
- Why do I need a web password?
- Why do you need my phone number?
Your profile/Your clips
- Can I change my username?
- Why can't I see an image of my video clip on the Your clips page?
- I can't play my video on the Your clips page
- Why have you removed my video?
Feedback
Making and sending videos
How do I submit a video clip to Play-Off?
There are different ways to submit a clip depending on how you filmed it. You must read the Play-Off rules first at the top of this page.
By web upload: Best if you've used a video camera or want to edit your clip first. Upload here or go to the Play-Off homepage and click on 'Upload clip' at the top of the page.
By MMS: Best for short clips taken with your mobile phone. Send your clip to 7469 and start your message with the name of the contest you're entering (eg faceoffboys). MMS messages to Play-Off are FREE (for a promotional period).
By email: Best for clips on your PC. Email your clip to entries@play-off.com
By upload from your 3G phone: Best if your clip is stored on your phone. Click on the 'Submit video' link at the foot of any page and follow the 'upload via your phone' links. (This option is only available on some phones)
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How long should my clip be?
Clips need to be short - usually 10 to 20 seconds long - because they will be paired up with another clip and viewed on a mobile phone.
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What file formats do you accept?
Play-Off accepts any type of video that has been taken with a mobile phone and all the main video formats for clips filmed by video camera including .wmv .mov .avi and mpeg.
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What's the maximum file size?
Videos sent by MMS or uploaded direct from your phone should be under 300kb - if they are larger than this your phone may not allow you to send them. You can send larger files via email or web but please limit these to 10MB.
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I can't send my clip by MMS
Your video clip may be too large - check that your clip is under 300kb and try again, or choose another way to send your clip, such as via web upload. If you can't send any MMS messages, check with Orange customer services that MMS has been provisioned on your phone.
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I tried to upload from my phone but nothing happened
Videos can sometimes take a few minutes to load and you won't be able to track how the upload is progressing until it's finished. You will need to leave the wap page open and not navigate away until you get a confirmation message on the page. If you still cannot upload from your phone, try sending it by MMS or transferring it to a PC (by bluetooth, memory card or cable) and uploading from this website.
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Can I submit a clip if I'm not an Orange customer?
No, this service is on Orange World and is exclusively available on Orange. You need an Orange mobile phone to enter, watch and vote in the live contests. When you send us a video clip you will also be asked for your Orange number as part of the submission process.
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General
What is Play-Off?
Play-Off is the mobile video gameshow where you compete to send in the best video clips and vote to decide who wins. The best clips are entered into live knockout contests, voted on by you - see the full list of contests in the Play-Off schedule on Orange World.
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Who can take part?
Anyone with an Orange mobile phone can take part, either by submitting a video clip or watching and voting on the live knockout contests. There's always a new contest on Play-Off to take part in, whether it's Dance-Off, Face-Off or LaughYourSocks-Off - see the full Play-Off schedule on Orange World.
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How does a Play-Off contest work?
The best clips submitted are chosen by the Play-Off judges to go into Round 1 of each contest and then the live voting begins. Each clip goes into a head-to-head with another. You watch a video of both clips and vote for your favourite to go through to the next round. At the end of the round the clips with the most votes go into new pairings and the ones with the least votes drop out. Clips progress through the rounds of voting until there is a final winner. You can only vote once on each pairing, but if you have a favourite clip make sure you come back at the start of each new round to see if it's still in and to vote for it again.
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What do you win?
All Play-Off winners get the glory and kudos of going into the Play-Off Hall of Fame! Some contests also have prizes - look out for them in the 'Get filming' section of the site. Prize contests will usually be marked 'WIN'.
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How do I add a comment?
You can comment on clips in a live contest by going to the 'watch and vote' page for each pairing and clicking 'Add a comment'. If you're new to Play-Off we'll ask you to choose a username before you can add your comment. For general comments about the service you can send feedback by text to 7469.
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My comment hasn't appeared on the site
All comments are moderated before they can appear on Play-Off, so there may be a slight delay. Comments will not be published if they breach the Play-Off terms and conditions or include unsuitable or offensive content such as:
- Bad language or sexually explicit content
- Anything abusive, threatening or harassing
- Anything libellous or defamatory
- Anything derogatory to groups of people
- Anything likely to cause contempt of court
My video doesn't fit a contest category - can I still send it?
Of course. Just mark your clip with the letters 'PLAY' instead of the contest name. We'll publish the best of them in the Just Play section on the home page. Your video clip may also inspire a whole new competition.
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Registering for Play-Off
Do I need to register before I can use Play-Off?
You don't need to register to watch and vote on clips on Play-Off. You only need a username if you want to submit a video clip or to add comments. If you are registering on the web you will need to provide your Orange phone number and create a username and password; if you're trying to upload a clip or add a comment on your phone you will just need a username as your phone number acts as your password.
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My PIN code didn't arrive
When you log-in to Play-Off on the web for the first time, or change your password details, we will send you an automatic text message as part of the log-in process containing a code. This text message is automatically generated and should arrive within a few minutes. If it doesn't, please try again by clicking on the 'I didn't get my PIN code link' and we'll cancel the first code and send another. Please use the latest code you receive in this case. We send PIN codes as a security check to make sure you own the phone you're trying to register.
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I've forgotten my web password
You only need a web password if you want to upload a clip from the website. Click on 'Upload clip' at the top of the Play-Off homepage; go to the 'New to Play-Off or forgotten your log-in details?' section and enter your Orange phone number. If you already have a Play-Off username we'll ask you to choose a new password; if you don't we'll ask you to create a username and password. You don't need a password to access Play-Off on your phone.
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Why do I need a web password?
You only need a web password to upload clips from web. If you’re accessing Play-Off on your mobile phone then your Orange phone number will act as your password.
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Why do you need my phone number?
We only need your phone number to text you as part of the registration process and to inform you if your clip is entered in to a Play-Off contest. We will not use it for marketing purposes.
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Your profile/Your clips
Can I change my username?
Once you've chosen your username you can't change it unless we ask you to. All information, including usernames, are moderated on Play-Off to avoid the publlication of anything offensive or illegal, so there may be a slight delay in seeing your new username on Your profile pages.
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Why can't I see an image of my video clip on the Your clips page?
When you upload a video clip it will appear on the Your clips page after it has been moderated. When videos are submitted to Play-Off we automatically create an image from the third second of your clip. Sometimes this may appear blank, or dark depending on what is in that particular frame. If your video clip is chosen for a Play-Off contest we may select a different image from the clip.
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I can't play my video on the Your clips page
Once you've uploaded a video it should appear on Your clips page. However, all videos are checked and moderated before they're published so there may be a slight delay before you can play it. We will change the status of your clip from 'received' to 'public' once it has been moderated. We will remove videos that contain unsuitable content or do not comply with the Play-Off rules.
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Why have you removed my video?
All video clips and information submitted to Play-Off is moderated before it is published. Some videos submitted may not meet the content guidelines in our Play-Off rules.
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Feedback
I need a video clip removing
If you are unhappy with any of the video clips on the site, please contact us and we will look into it as quickly as possible. If we find that a clip breaches the Play-Off rules we will remove it.
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I need a comment removing
If you are unhappy with a particular comment on the site, or would like to remove one of your own comments, please contact us and we will look into it.
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