So You Want To Cut The Cord With Sony Playstation Vue?
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Cut the Cord With Playstation Vue
I cut the cord with Sony’s Playstation Vue. I’ve been using Sony Playstation Vue as a paid subscriber for the last 4 months. I decided to give it a try after I got a demo from the Playstation Vue team and saw it firsthand at the Sony Playstation Experience 2015 in San Francisco.
There are several ways to cut the (cable) cord out of your life. Sony’s Playstation Vue is now one of the new options. Playstation Vue has now rolled out nationwide. The full service, which includes local broadcast networks, is available in 7 select markets (San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and Philadelphia), whereas the slim version, with no broadcast networks, is available nationwide.
One can have one main Playstation 4 system and up to 3 Playstation 3s in their home to stream Playstation Vue. One can also stream to iPads and iPhones as well as Amazon Fire TV, FireTV Stick, and Chromecast.
Local Broadcast Channels
Many people these days are foregoing live TV relying on apps to stream to their smart devices whenever they want. Most shows are available on Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes, or Netflix on all sorts of smart devices.
One problem with cutting the cord is the loss of Local Channels. This was an old problem because Playstation Vue adds local broadcast channels to the select markets it was original;; being tested in. Recently PS Vue added ABC to complete the top 3 broadcast networks. Along with ABC comes the Disney Channel and ESPN.
Outside of the 7 major markets where full Playstation Vue is available, local channels aren’t available to stream online. One will either have to subscribe to other streaming services or watch live HDTV with the help of an HDTV antenna. The Monoprice Small Paper-Thin HD Antenna is one that I reviewed that gets the job done. You won’t be able to record with an HD Antenna unless you get a recording device such as a TIVO.
Cloud Based DVR
The cloud based DVR keeps your shows for up to 28 days. Being cloud based means that one doesn’t have to worry about hard drive space anymore. One doesn’t have to work about the end of a show getting clipped as most shows are overrun by 1 minute or so in the beginning and the end of a show. It can get a tad bit annoying when you are trying to watch shows back to back as the first and last minutes get replayed. Since the DVR is cloud based, it is virtually unlimited. You are only limited by the time you have to watch what you want to watch whenever you want to watch.
I do sometimes get some streaming errors and I’m not sure if it is because of my cable service or Sony’s network. I have tweeted to Sony with some of the error codes I have gotten and they told me that the codes said it was my bandwidth.
I did get confusing sharing a cable box. There were always show conflicts. Some shows weren’t recorded because two shows were already being recorded at the same time. Although DVR space isn’t a worry anymore, separate user profiles allow users in the same household to keep their favorite networks and show lists apart.
Network App Access
One can also stream broadcast shows from one of the network apps, NBC, Watch ABC, and CBS All Access. CBS All Access unfortunately requires a separate subscription of $5.99 per month. NBC and Watch ABC just require one to login with their Playstation Vue ID and password.
Speaking of apps, a Playstation Vue subscription now acts likes a cable service subscription. Instead of having a Dish TV, Comcast, or Time-Warner Cable subscription to access online apps, one can now login with Playstation Vue as their provider. Since Playstation Vue has a mobile app. The iPad version allows full access while on your home network. The iPhone version of the Playstation Vue Mobile app only offers limited selections while outside of the home network.
As mentioned earlier, Playstation Vue, offers the big broadcast networks alongside many other cable favorites. AMC, Cartoon Network, USA, TBS, Adult Swim, Nickelodeon, Discovery and more. Some of the channels included with Playstation Vue were part of the extra packages that one had to pay extra for with my last cable service. The guide also allows you to arrange to move your favorite channels to the beginning of your personlized guide
Channel Packages
Playstation Vue currently offers three packages. Access offers 60+ channels, Core offers 75+ channels, Elite offer 100+ channels and includes the premium EPIX Hits and Machinima channels.
Playstation Vue wouldn’t be a complete service without premium channels. The selection is limited at the moment. Showtime is a little pricey as an add-on when you don’t have PS Plus. One can get showtime with Hulu Plus for $8.99 normally. I have EPIX as part of my Elite Package and am loving all the recent movies being shown.
Premium Channels and Prices:
- Showtime $10.99 (PS Plus $8.99/mo)
- EPIX/Showtime Combo $13.99/mo (PS Plus $11.99/mo)
- Machinima $3.99/mo (PS Plus $1.99/mo)
- FOX Soccer Plus $14.99/mo ($12.99/mo)
Conclusion
Sony has changed the way that I watch TV with their Playstation Vue service. Watching TV is overall cheaper plus I get unlimited free DVR and HD channels. I even get access to Network TV apps with the Playstation Vue login. My entertainment center how has one less electronic device to plug in and connect. My living room now has one less remote control to keep track of. Paired with Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, I have all of my bases covered. The service may be slow to start at times due to my internet connection and some DVRed episodes may not stream right away, but I can deal with it. Overall, I’ve been very happy since I cut the cord with Playstation Vue.
BONUS
I do have a couple of promo codes that allow you to get the Elite package for 1 year for $39.99/mo. Let me know if you’d like one.