Sony PlayStation Vue TV service: No cable, no contract, few compromises
Media Streamers
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If you're looking for a way to ditch cable TV but don't want to give up too many channels or the ability to record stuff to watch later, Sony has a great option.
The PlayStation Vue TV service has been available in a few cities for the last year, but it just went nationwide.
It also costs less than before and you don't even need a Playstation to use it.
Let's take a look.
The first thing to know about Vue is that just like Sling TV and Netflix, it streams TV shows over the internet so it requires a fast connection.
Sony specifies at least 10 megabits per second The second is that it costs different amounts depending on where you live in the U.S. If you're in one of seven major metropolitan areas, including New York, San Francisco, and Miami, it starts at $40 per month and offers live local channels, namely ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.
If you live somewhere else, it starts at $30 But those local channels are on demand only.
Beyond locals, View's channel selection is very robust.
With most of the channels you're used to, plenty of on demand and catch up shows, and even some regional sports networks on some packages.
The third thing to know is that View works just like a full service cable TV package complete with a Cloud DVR.
And the ability to watch a bunch of different tvs in the house simultaneously.
It's easy to tag shows to record later which basically sets up a season pass to record every show that airs.
You can pause and rewind live tv, and fast forward past commercials on recorded shows.
Although it's not quite as responsive as on a standard DVR.
I also love Vue's innovative menu system, which prioritizes individual shows over channels, just like Netflix.
You can even create up to five profiles for different family members.
You can watch via any Playstation 3 or Playstation 4 console, but if you don't have one, you can also sign up and use Vue with an Amazon Fire TV box or Fire TV stick.
In fact I actually prefered using the fireTV box in many ways especially cuz it's remote is easier to use than the Playstation controller.
There's also an app for iPad and iPhone which can also work for Chromecast.
In my experience Playstation [UNKNOWN] Work very well with good video and audio quality and no major delays or buffering issues on my fast internet connection.
It's definitely more expensive than alternatives, like Sling TV, but its excellent features and channel access go a long way to ease the pain of cord cutting.
And the fact there's no contract or hidden fees and you can try it or cancel anytime is icing on the cake.
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