Sony is trying its hand broadcast television with a new cloud-based service called PlayStation Vue, the company announced Thursday. The platform will offer about 75 channels and on-demand viewings.
PlayStation Vue is a sort of update to the cable box. The system operates over an Internet connection and has a searchable function to find out what’s broadcasting live and what you can watch on demand.
You can also save episodes in the cloud, though they’re only available for 28 days.
The company will test out the platform this month, starting with a beta version in New York City to some lucky PlayStation owners.
After that, it will eventually roll out to Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. At first, Vue will work only PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
Sony hopes to also expand the service beyond its own devices, with plans already in the works to incorporate the TV service on the iPad, for starters.
PlayStation Vue will launch to the general public in the first quarter of 2015, Sony said.
But you might be wondering, do we really need another way to watch TV? There are already plenty of ways to watch television, be it a basic cable package or Netflix account.
Many people (sometimes called “cord cutters“) are shifting away from cable connections to streaming services, and PlayStation Vue seems to land somewhere in between. And it has some notable partnerships for programming, like CBS, Fox, NBCUniversal, Scripps and Viacom.
Two big companies absent from the channel lineup, though, are Disney (so no ESPN) and Time Warner (no HBO or CNN, either).
While 75 channels is fewer than what’s typically offered by cable and satellite services, PlayStation Vue could set itself apart by offering a cheaper price, though it’s unclear how much PlayStation Vue will cost.
Sony does not elaborate on fees in its news release, other than to say that prices will be “fair and competitive.” A bonus is that there’s no contract: You’ll pay for PlayStation Vue in much the same way you do for Netflix: month-by-month, and you can opt out whenever you feel like it.
The New York Times reports that media executives believe the monthly price will fall somewhere around $60 — obviously much more than the $10 it costs for to stream from Netflix but substantially cheaper than cable services that average out at about $90 per month.
Source: mashable.com