Sony is finally about to debut its over the top (OTT) video service. The service is called Vue, and will be delivered at first through PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles.
The company will start with a free beta test with a limited number of people residing in New York. Sony will gradually extend the beta to small groups of people in other major markets, and then intends to offer the service commercially starting early next year.
Sony starts with an installed base of 35 million PS3s and PS4s. Eventually, the company expects to offer Vue through any device, probably starting with iPads and other tablets. The company also recently introduced a stripped-down version of the PlayStation designed for OTT TV.
The company anticipates starting with about 75 channels. According to reports that will include CBS, NBC and Fox (in some regions), plus a slate of cable channels that will include USA, FX, Discovery, Bravo, MTV, Comedy Central and the Food Network.
Notably missing in the channel lineup are ABC and its Disney properties (including ESPN), and Time Warner’s channels (including HBO).
Vue does not include OTT providers such as Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube, but they are already available as apps on most Sony devices, including the PS3, PS4, and its OTT boxes.
Sony has not revealed a subscription price, but Sony executives say they want it to be less expensive than the average cable package. Speculation across the media is that Sony will end up charging about $60 a month.
The company is claiming it will be easier to use –the same rationale quite literally everyone is making as they roll out new guides and user interfaces.
Television is “an area that has been crying out for innovation,” Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., told The Wall Street Journal.
