In the quest to cut the cord you may come accross a little company called Sony.  Their Playstation Vue cable alternative is a capable service.  But is it worth consideration if your thinking of cutting the cord?

 

When Sony announced their Vue service a few years ago, many of us were pleased to see a major company taking on the cable industry.  To be fair, I’m sure it was groundbreaking at the time.  But with more services offering alternatives, the concept of Vue is starting to wane. Today, the company still provides the same general services.  But with a few channel omissions, Vue isn’t for everyone.

To begin, Vue is basically a cable service without the actual cable service.  You get basic cable channels that should be familiar to anyone that’s ever had pay TV.  Basic channels include Food channel, Disney, TNT, and more.  In many markets you get local channels as well.  And with a starting price of $39.99, it’s not such a bad deal.  If you step up to the next package for only $5 more, you get more channels such as NFL Network. An additional $10 on top of that gets you some movie channels. But the crux is the last package that adds an additional $20 and gives you access to premium networks.  All in, the price you could be paying for everything is $74.99.  Now I won’t judge these packages too harshly, everyone has their preference of channels.  Just don’t go expecting an a la cartè selection.

The downside to Vue is their channel availability.  Don’t expect Viacom channels such as Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, or MTV; you won’t find them here.  You also won’t find many local networks.  In my area, Washington DC, my local ABC affiliate is nowhere to be found.  Apparently Vue and Sinclair had a falling out. But otherwise, almost all the major channels are here.  And if you absolutely must have Viacom, you’ll want to also get Philo, another online TV service.  Generally, the Vue is capable but you’ll want to scrutinize exactly what channels you want before you commit.

Fortunately, everything else PS Vue does is terrific.  The service features unlimited cloud DVR that actually does an okay job of keeping your shows.  You can record as much as you like with little issue.  Recording a show is akin to following it on a social network.  Click the + symbol and you’ll keep the show in your MyDVR tab.  Shows show up as either DVR or OnDemand if you can’t record a show.  OnDemand comes with the same issues that you get with other cable companies including the inability to fast forward through commercials.  DVR is basically like any other DVR but with less functionality than others.  Fast forwarding is a chore as there is nothing displayed, making it a challenge to stop at the right spot.  You literally have to guess.  It’s better than other companies that barely provide a DVR but it’s not a true alternative.

The Vue service does give you several options to watch live TV, however.  You can go to channels and see what is playing live.  And if you want a conventional guide, you can have that as well.  The downside is that the guide is inconsistent from one platform to another.  On Roku and a web browser, for example, you can view going down like a conventional guide.  On an Apple TV, it’s from right to left and rather annoying.  If you’re going to use the service, I would suggest using it on Roku.  We did not test the service on a PS 4.  As for On Demand content, everything there is as expected and OnDemand content is clearly marked.

 

As for picture quality, this is where PS Vue excels.  The service barely dropped a beat and picture quality was great.  Video was clear and sharp and consistent across wifi and a hardwired ethernet connection.  Unfortunately, there is no 4K content available but I’m going to assume that will change over time.  Overall, it’s a great experience watching live TV.

Unfortunately, I’m still not 100% sold on the service.  Using it full-time would drive me crazy.  Sure, the picture quality is great.  But the lack of Viacom channels is a no-go for me.  In addition, the lack of certain local channels has me thinking twice about the service.  Still, if you’re okay with losing a few channels, you’ll be fine with Vue.  It is loaded with features that other companies simply don’t have.  It’s DVR is annoying but at least they give you a DVR.  And the picture quality makes it a worthy alternative.  I would definitely recommend watching Vue on a Roku over an Apple TV any day.  The question is can you live with its eccentricities? If so, you’ll be happy.  If not, look elsewhere.  Fortunately, they will give you a good trial before you commit so I would suggest you put it to the test.