Sony today unveiled PlayStation Vue, a cloud-based TV service that will allow customers to watch live TV without a cable subscription.
PlayStation Vue will arrive this month as an invite-only beta preview for select PS3 and PS4 owners. A phased rollout starts in New York followed later by Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
A commercial launch is expected in the first quarter of 2015, at which time it will also be available on iPad and other Sony and non-Sony devices.
During beta testing, PlayStation Vue will offer around 75 channels per market, including CBS, Discovery Communications affiliates, Fox Networks Group, NBCUniversal, Scripps Networks Interactive (HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel), and Viacom (BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon).
Pricing and packaging details will be revealed at a later date. But Sony promised a "what you see is what you pay" format, with no contracts and no equipment or installation charges.
What do you get? In addition to live TV, Vue recommends new programs based on viewing habits and what's trending.
Vue also serves as a DVR, offering the past three days of popular programming for free. Users can also save their favorite shows to the cloud for 28 days without storage restrictions or scheduling conflicts.
A smart search feature also helps to narrow results quickly and intuitively, while the "Explore" function lets you filter all live and on-demand content by type, genre, ratings, popularity, length, and other criteria.
"Everyday TV is about to become extraordinary," Andrew House, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, said in a statement. "PlayStation Vue reinvents the traditional viewing experience so your programming effortlessly finds you, enabling you to watch much more of what you want and search a lot less."
The announcement comes several weeks after the Federal Communications Commission floated the idea of giving Internet-based video services access to cable and broadcast channels. The move could open up the possibility of a la carte programming, or only paying for the TV channels you want.
Major cable and pay TV services have long resisted an "a la carte" approach. For about a decade, they have argued that a la carte would result in increased pricing and less channel diversity.
But watching content online has become increasingly popular - from apps developed by major cable providers to services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Some companies have softened their stance on a la carte; Verizon is looking to roll out an Internet-based option in 2015.
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