back to article Sony SPILLS GUTS on OTT service, so far for PlayStations only

Sony has unveiled its widely expected PlayStation Vue OTT TV service, telling us everything we need to know except the most important part: the price. At present it is just a US phenomenon, which makes sense – if it can make it there it can make it anywhere. It is referred to as a cloud-based TV service and claims to reinvent …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If it can make it there it can make it anywhere.

    Didn't Netflix find this isn't the case. They can make it there, then find the studios all have exclusive deals with other providers here.

    1. TheVogon

      Re: If it can make it there it can make it anywhere.

      Hopefully Sky and Virgin will now provide similar full service options in the UK on Xbox One and PS4 without having to rent one of their STBs...

  2. MJI Silver badge

    Lots of people own consoles

    Quick poll here

    6 households.

    1 has a Roku

    3 have a PS3 (one of those a PS4 as well)

    1. Greg J Preece

      Re: Lots of people own consoles

      I was going to say - "have to own a PS3 or PS4" means a potential install base of, what, 80 million?

  3. Filippo Silver badge

    Low bandwidth?

    I already have a PS3, so the idea of not having to buy anything appeals to me. However, I get 250 KB/s top speed, and even that is fairly unreliable. I can't reliably stream anything at any reasonable resolution.

    Nevertheless, I want to be able to choose, within the set of my favorite shows, what I want to watch, and watch it immediately. Given my bandwidth restrictions, this implies downloading or purchasing the media I'm interested in well in advance - at least a day, and frequently weeks.

    If this service allows me to do that, I'll consider it. I can even accept DRM, including online DRM - I'd consider this a cached streaming, not a download, so I'm fine with not really owning the media, provided the price is appropriate. However, inability to fully cache lots and lots of content would be a showstopper for me.

    1. P. Lee

      Re: Low bandwidth?

      Low, unreliable bandwidth?

      There's an app for that. *cough*torrent*cough*

      I've found Mythtv has revolutionised my TV viewing. I record what I want to see and now I watch a whole lot less. Not even free content of dubious origin tempts me.

      Interesting, the ability to skip adverts has resulted in lower TV consumption.

  4. DrXym

    A $25 stick could implement this

    If Sony have any sense they'll produce a plugin stick which can provide this service, or implement an app which allows it to be streamed via chromecast.

    It doesn't need any storage, it doesn't need much by way of a UI - it just has to be able to authenticate a user and connect to content on demand. The content could be a livestream, VOD or a "recording" which is basically just a timeshifted stream marked by a start / end timestamp.

  5. Tom 35

    Sony

    I'm sure the media arms of sony (record label / movie studio) will be sticking an ore into this, and will find some way to cock it up just like the not-MP3 players (nice hardware made useless by DRM and crap software).

    1. MJI Silver badge

      Re: Sony

      I already have my suggestions for the media bosses and they would not like it.

      seppuku

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Root kit. That is all.

    1. Greg J Preece

      And it's as tiresome as ever.

      Yes, yes, I am sure Sony will bother to install root kits on Sony consoles already running Sony software that talks to Sony servers. Do you have anything relevant to add?

      1. MJI Silver badge

        We have 6 Sony games devices connected to the internet, I don't think it will reach a PSP, nor all the Vitas*. But the 2 consoles will be.

        * Teenage boys 2, me 1

        ** Hmm some mobile telephone game (then on a N8), or Killzone Mercenary and Tearaway, easy choice.

        And PS4 BBC Iplayer is horrid!

    2. Anonymoist Cowyard
      FAIL

      your loss

      Breaking bad. That is all.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    OTT

    Chris Tarrant, your time has come......big bag of sue-balls on standby, sir.

  8. JustNiz

    I just hope they support us Formula1 and UK Top Gear fans.

    As an Englishman now living in the US, I've been very depressed about the complete lack of affordable ways to watch Formula1 and Top gear UK here.

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