Skip to main content

Deja-Vue: PlayStation Vue is everything you love to hate about cable TV in a game console

Cable networks know they’re in trouble. After years of resistance, content providers are striking deals that break  such coveted channels like HBO, AMC, and ESPN free from the bonds of cable, so they can be streamed right over the Internet.

Dish Network made the first great stride in this direction with the introduction of Sling TV, which offers a handful of popular channels and video on demand over the ‘net. And now Sony has come along with its own take, called PlayStation Vue.

Recommended Videos

Available only through a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 console (for now, anyway) Vue offers a mind-boggling array of cable channels, bundled up in packages that start at $50 and go up to $70. If that sounds a lot like the cable TV service you pay for now, that’s because it is.

Vue does come with a few advantages over traditional cable and satellite services: There are no contracts to sign, no limited-time promotional pricing schemes, no equipment to rent, no hidden fees, and no insulting customer service reps to deal with. But is that enough to convince cable-weary TV fans to cut the cord for good? Having used PlayStation Vue for ourselves over the past few days, we’ve come to the conclusion that the answer is: no.

The biggest problem is that PlayStation Vue simply feels far too much like cable for its own good. The bundles it offers includes a bunch of “filler” channels that make the package look big, but serve no practical value — there are at least a dozen stations we’d just as soon do without … and avoid paying for.

That’s another big problem: Vue is just as expensive as cable. That wouldn’t be such a big deal if Sony provided a user experience that vastly improved on what’s available from cable today, but unfortunately, Vue falls flat there, too.

We appreciate the fact that Sony is offering a sort of cloud-based DVR with its service — you can store any program for up to 28 days — but it doesn’t offer the sort of freedom allowed by conventional DVR systems, and we consider that a barrier to entry.

In the end, we prefer Sling TV for its slimmed-down channel bundles and lower prices, even if it does come with its own list of caveats, and we look forward to seeing what Apple has to unveil in the near future. If Sony wants to be competitive in this new world order of TV delivery, it’s going to have to take a harder look at what’s driving users away from cable to begin with, and do a better job of fixing it.

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Oh hey, GTA 5 is back on PlayStation Plus this month
Michael on the phone in Grand Theft Auto 5.

November's PlayStation Plus lineup is packed with games this month, both in terms of quality and quantity. However, with Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon (hopefully sometime next year), arguably the biggest addition is Grand Theft Auto 5, which is back on the subscription service after leaving earlier this year.

There's not much to say aboutĀ GTA 5 that hasn't already been said. It's one of the bestselling games of all time and still holds up more than 10 years after release. It's likely you already own it on some platform, but if you somehow don't or just want to play it on the PlayStation 5 or 4, you can play it for free with an Extra or Premium subscription.

Read more
The PlayStation 5 just got a discount in time for the holidays
A lit table holds a PS5 Pro, and a PS5 all digital, the former standing noticeably taller.

Play Has No Limits | PS5

PlayStation announced its big holiday deal on Tuesday, discounting the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition by $70 from now until December 24, 2024.

Read more
You can play the new Death Note game for free with PS Plus
L and Kira holding game pieces around a chess board, stacked with other game pieces. The Death Note Killer Within logo is in the center.

Death Note Killer Within - Announcement Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

Bandai Namco announced a game based on the popular anime and manga series Death Note, and if you are a PlayStation Plus member, you'll be able to take part in the investigation for free.

Read more