After holding a closed beta in limited markets over the last few months, Sony is rolling out its PlayStation Vue live television service to to three major markets. It's a streaming television system similar to Sling TV and NimbleTV, offering live feeds of broadcast and cable channels over an Internet connection on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. 

PlayStation Vue offers over 85 live channels, depending on market, to PlayStation users in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Sony has made partnerships with eight major network providers, including CBS, FOX, NBCUniversal, Turner, and Viacom. Most major general interest, news, and sport cable networks are available through Vue, along with terrestrial NBC, CBS, and FOX stations for each market. Disney is notably absent from Sony's list of partners, and neither ABC stations nor Disney channels are currently available.

Because the service is completely Internet-based, no equipment installation is required; if you live in one of the three cities currently served by PlayStation Vue and own a PS3 or PS4 (iPad support is planned), you can sign up for it. Besides live television, the service features an all-encompassing 28-day cloud-based DVR; anything aired in the last four weeks on any of the channels will be available to watch. It also includes extensive on-demand content from several networks. However, because it is cloud-based, storage is limited to 28 days and users cannot save programming past that point. The service also allows simultaneous streaming for up to three devices at a time, but only one PS4. Support for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV has not been announced.

<p>Subscriptions start at $49.99 for the Access package, which includes over 50 channels like CBS, FOX, NBC, and Telemundo broadcast channels and several dozen cable channels. The Core package is $59.99 per month and adds BTN, TCM, and the Golf Channel, plus local sports channels for each market (YES for New York, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia for Phildalphia, and Comcast SportsNet Chicago for Chicago). The Elite package is $69.99 per month and adds specialized cable channels like CMT, FOX College Sports, LOGO, and VH1 Classic. No contract beyond the monthly subscription is required.

Keep an eye on PCMag.com for our review of PlayStation Vue, to see how well it stands up as a cable-cutting solution.