Earlier today Sony announced plans to take a leap into live TV, offering up a cable alternative with a cloud-based TV service called PlayStation Vue. The service should be available in the United States on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in the first quarter of 2015, with other devices like iPads to follow.
Sony didn't divulge pricing details, but did promise a "competitive" fee with no hidden charges. PlayStation Vue won't require additional items like a set-top box, and will allow users to tag their favorite shows and save them to the cloud without storage restrictions. Once a show is tagged, its episodes can be accessed for 28 days, and users will also be able to go back and watch shows from the past three days of "popular programming."
PlayStation Vue will kick off with an invite-only beta, offering around 75 channels per market from a variety of programmers. Here's the current list of partners, with more to be announced later:
CBS – At launch, PlayStation®Vue will offer the live linear signal from CBS Television Network's owned-and-operated TV stations in select leading markets in addition to on-demand prime-time programming.
Discovery Communications – Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, Discovery Family Channel and 11 more brands.
Fox – Fox Networks Group's portfolio of national entertainment programming services, including - FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD. Additionally FOX Sports' national and regional programming services - FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, BTN, Fox's regional sports networks, including YES Network and Prime Ticket. The agreement also covers Fox's owned and operated television stations.
NBCUniversal – All local offerings from NBC, Telemundo and regional sports networks as well as Bravo, CNBC, E!, NBCSN, Oxygen, Sprout, Syfy, USA Network and more.
Scripps Networks Interactive – HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Cooking Channel.
Viacom – BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, PALLADIA, Spike, VH1 and more.
While the commercial launch is set for Q1 2015, the beta preview will roll out to select PS3 and PS4 owners this month, with a phased rollout to follow, starting with New York, then Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. iPad and other Sony and non-Sony devices to follow.
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. He also likes to draw comics. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.
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