PlayStation Vue is Sony’s attempt at internet TV. While the service was only available to a select group of users who got in through invitation, Sony has announced a release window for the service.
It has been announced that PlayStation Vue will release during the first quarter of 2015. The announcement came from Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show. Sony will first launch the cloud-based PlayStation Vue on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 before expanding over to non-Sony devices, such as the iPad. Sony has managed to get some big networks to stream on the service, including NBCUniversal, CBS, Fox, Viacom, and more. PlayStation Vue will be a monthly subscription service, though Sony has not yet confirmed how much the service will set consumers back.
When PlayStation Vue releases, the service should have around 75 channels. Some of these channels include Animal Planet, National Geographic, Oxygen, Food Network, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon. Vue was originally available in an invite-only beta for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 users. Users of the service will be able to search for TV shows and movies and explore live and on-demand TV based on genre, popularity, and other factors. Vue will recommend shows and movies based on a consumers viewing history. On-demand content will be available for up to three days, meaning watchers will not have to necessarily set their DVRs to watch the content. They can also save shows and movies on the cloud without storage limitations. Users will have up to 28 days to watch any content that they have saved to the cloud.
The announcement of PlayStation Vue’s release comes along with the announcement of subscription options for Sony’s other cloud based service, PlayStation Now. Though PlayStation Now will be subscription based, the service will also allow players to rent titles as well. It is unknown at the moment what it will cost to subscribe to PlayStation Vue.