PlayStation Vue, the television streaming service for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, is now broadcasting to consoles in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The basic package will set you back $49.99 per month, and will provide you with access to up to 60 channels, including CBS, Fox, NBC, Comedy Central, and many more. You'll be able to pay $59.99 for the 'Core' step-up, which will unlock the Golf Channel and other regional sports stations, while the 'Elite' option for $69.99 will come with around 26 extra channels on top.
The big downside is that the platform holder's missing ABC, ESPN, and the Disney channel, which is going to be a problem until it can get them onboard. Fortunately, it sounds like it's nailed the interface, which is packed with programme sorting, favouriting, and filtering options. Remember, you'll be able to record shows to the cloud and watch them at any time, as well as pause live TV and much, much more. There are also tons of discovery options built into the service, too, so it'll find things relevant to your tastes.
The amount of features, frankly, is quite dizzying, so we're best off directing you to The Verge's excellent coverage for more. Before you leave us, though, we'd love to know what you think of the pricing, and whether this is enough to convince you to cut your cable cord. There's a seven day trial available if you're a resident in one of the above cities, with a full nationwide rollout due before the end of the year. Will you be tuning in to PlayStation Vue? Change the channel in the comments section below.
[source blog.us.playstation.com, via theverge.com]
Comments 14
ahh, guess you were busy typing all of this up then huh?
Just wrote 2 paragraphs on the PS blog but to summarize - $50 is too much. Cable companies charge that and they have to run and maintain all the wires. And no channel 7 or 11? I'm sure a couple of people will like it and sign up, but I doubt the cables or satellite companies are sweating this.
Mainstream news coverage:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102515843
this just doesn't seem like my cup of tea really
If it were $30, MAYBE even $40, I was on board. But $50 and up? That's just not a value past what I'd get with cable. Bummer, I was really looking forward to this.
$50.....whoa
50?! Sony. Arrogant.
I am a cord cutter and Sony is not even in the ball park to bring me back to paying for TV.
I agree with the pricing. The pricing doesn't seem to hit the sweet spot to channel value. I think a little cheaper would make this a good value.
Maybe even some custom setups based on pricing, e.g. 50 = custom 30 channels/60 = custom 40 channels, etc. the 50$ plus the channels available just seem to high.
Also, the commercials. I'm big on netflix so it's almost hard to ho back.
Cutting the TV (and DVR rental) out of my TV/Internet package a few months back has been saving me about $100/month - it's really more than a lot of people give it credit for, when you factor in all the sneaky little details. Assuming Sony can deliver comparable service and selection, $50/month with DVR effectively included is a very competitive price.
Comcast only ever advertises their new customer promotional prices, and gets away with not mentioning that those rates pretty much double after a year. On their website right now, they're offering a $40/month "digital starter TV" deal for new customers in my area - but click through to the fine print, and you see that the price jumps up to $66-76/mo after a year, and that's for a single outlet, all equipment and installation extra, so I'm guessing another $15/mo for a DVR, and it's anyone's guess how much they'll ding you for installation.
Suddenly that $40/month steal becomes theft of a different sort at $90/month.
That said, personally, cutting the cord was as much for symbolic reasons as economic for me, so this is something I'd still resist if it came to my area. If I was to consider picking service back up again, though, this pricing would put Sony's service at the top of my list of providers to consider.
So this is basically paying for cable? But without the hassle of paying any actual cable company? Sounds like a great idea to me! That price though...
I wish the had an Ala care option. Like 2.99 per channel or something like that. My biggest problem with services like this is that I only watch a few of the channels in a package deal.
Although I'm not cool with the price, I understand it, some of you guys have to realize that its not Sony primarily dictating the price. Just like the cable companies and satellite companies, the price comes to what the networks are charging Sony to present their broadcasts. I'd much rather prefer a lower monthly flat rate for "a la carte". Kinda like pizza, get 20 Toppings (channels) for 10 bucks! Yay!
I'll be passing on this service, if I want to watch a show I just download it and play on my PS3 or PC.
Does this operate outside of a cable box or dish? Because if it does, the price is too high for the missing channels. If I could use my PS4 to replace my cable/dish receiver, that'd be cool, but it needs to be competitive in offerings and price.
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