Sony Network Entertainment announced that they will start testing their new cloud-based television service, PlayStation Vue, this month to let consumers enjoy their favorite show without the need to subscribe into cable or satellite service.
In a press release, Sony announced that they will start inviting selected PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 users to try the new cloud-based television service this month. PlayStation Vue will also be available for non-Sony devices, and will be released commercially during the first quarter of 2015.
The new PlayStation Vue service aims to remove the barriers between television viewers and their favorite show. According to Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment President and Group CEO, the new cloud-based TV service will "reinvent" the traditional viewing experience.
"PlayStation Vue reinvents the traditional viewing experience so your programming effortlessly finds you, enabling you to watch much more of what you want and search a lot less," House said in a statement. "PlayStation Vue brings the best of live TV and a robust catalog of the latest content, always keeping you connected to what's popular, new and trending."
There will be at least 75 channels for each market during the invite-only beta phase. Sony has already inked a deal with network partners like CBS, Discovery Communications, Fox, NBC Universal, Scripps Networks Interactive and Viacom. More network partners will be announced before the official commercial release.
Sony Entertainment did not give specific details about subscription fee, but they said that viewers will only pay for the shows that they have watched without hidden fees, and without contracts or installation charges.
While most PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 owners are getting excited about the release of the new cloud-based TV service, Lewis Ward, a trusted insider from International Data Corporation, said that they should take the announcement with a grain of salt until Sony Entertainment announces full details about the service.
"There's a clear trend toward over-the-top or 'virtual cable' TV services, but a 75 channel line-up in a handful of markets at a TBD price point isn't exactly a clear and present danger to the status quo," Ward told Fortune. "The key questions will be how much people will be willing to pay for a service that offers a quarter or one-fifth of the typical number of cable and satellite channels, and whether Sony's pricing is going to be in line with that perceived trade-off."
