Anybody Using PlayStation Vue Streaming TV?

[Jagosaurus]

Curious if we have any members using the PS Vue streaming TV service? Here's the link to the channel listing tiers ($35 plan is what I'm considering). Includes most network channels I watch (including sports), local channels (minus CBS & CW, see solution below), & a Cloud DVR.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/channels/

Caveats:
- Need a separate $5-6 monthly sub for CBS through their app. I'd activate during college football season.
- Watch CW through their free app.
- There can be sports blackouts in weird situations if it's broadcast locally on a cable network (ie, Root sports in Houston) and then also nationally (say, on ESPN). There were zero blackouts for Aggie football last year which is really all I care about.
- Cloud DVR last 28 days.
- Consider your ISP data caps. Not an issue for me with just over 1TB of available data monthly.

Regarding number of streams & supported devices:

About TV-Connected Devices

As the name suggests, TV-connected devices are used in your home, with playback through a TV. These include the following devices:

PlayStation®4 console
PlayStation®3 console
Apple TV®®
Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
Roku® streaming devices
Android TV
Google Chromecast

A single PlayStation Vue account can simultaneously stream PlayStation Vue on up to five of these devices in the same home.
Note: While five devices are supported, only one PS4™ console and one PS3™ console in the same home can stream simultaneously (at this time, you cannot stream on two PS4 consoles or two PS3 consoles at any given time). As part of the five total streams, three simultaneous streams are supported on iOS devices, Android devices, and a web browser

I don't necessarily consider this "cord cutting" as I'd just be switching to an "over the top" internet based TV service but it is considerably cheaper than traditional cable or satellite with few trade offs. It would save me $500-$600 a year. Nothing crazy but definitely not anything to ignore either for a comparable service.

I think I'm going to try the 7 day trial. Anybody else using this or considering it?

[Tanooki]

I am, don't really care about over the air TV anyway as I don't watch it. The pisser for us would be the 1mo~ DVR and it erases which is a problem as we save kids programming among a few other things.

I was looking at Sling, PSV, and also ATT Uverse now has DirectTV Online.

I need to get on their case as they raised my rate $40 this month and I'm kind of pissed about it because they're also sticking me with shit quality internet (18mbps) while the newbies sign up, pay less, and get 50.

[Jagosaurus]

I am, don't really care about over the air TV anyway as I don't watch it. The pisser for us would be the 1mo~ DVR and it erases which is a problem as we save kids programming among a few other things.

I was looking at Sling, PSV, and also ATT Uverse now has DirectTV Online.

I need to get on their case as they raised my rate $40 this month and I'm kind of pissed about it because they're also sticking me with shit quality internet (18mbps) while the newbies sign up, pay less, and get 50.

Yeah call them. I call every 6 months and get Comcast to lower my bill from $91 to $83 (taxes included). Hey, it all adds up. I think that's a decent price for 250 mbps connection with 1.04TB data cap.

I set my parents up with Sling TV about 2 years ago when it was the best option. Overall it works well for them. Too many trade offs for me personally. No local channels (have use OTA). No DVR at all. A few channels have on demand. A few channels have rewind. Many don't. Keep in mind Sling Media is owned by Dish satellite's parent company. I doubt they'll ever add too many high level features as they'd rather you sign up for their satellite offering.

It's my understanding the Direct TV Now streaming option has no DVR & no rewind. They also want you to buy their satellite tier if you're hunting those features.

That is what makes PS Vue stand out in the feature department. They're not competing against a more expensive offering they have. No other business to cannablize. They're all in.

We also save kids programming right now (via Dish DVR) but I have something like 75 kids movies on my HDD and then with Netflix adds more on demand kids shows than we could ever watch. Those coupled with all the kids channels on Vue... that's way more content than I had as a kiddo. My stack of 15-20 VHS tapes got worn out .

Mrs. Jago watches several TV shows that come on local channels here (mainly CW, ABC). My OTA signal is spotty (esp ABC) which makes the local channel option with Vue very attractive for us.

I'd try the Chromecast interface for Vue first as my new 4K set has one built in and gets great wifi connectivity. I like that on an Android TV box, I could have a real remote. Maybe that's the old man coming out in me. I know my phone can be the remote too.

[Tanooki]

Your research so far lines up with mine. I was all about sling but saw where they got choked off and they fell to 3rd on my list of possibilities to threaten ATT with.

For $142 (now $185) I have a 14mbps fios connection, uverse box with 2 receivers on a 2nd and 3rd tv, and a landline. Right now if I had that and was starting fresh I could pay less than the $142 for the next 2 years and have a 50mbps connect which has me pretty pissed off. I have problems using my net at times if the wife is home using her pc for video streaming, my work connection is up and another device is going things start to show for it and that's unacceptable paying MORE for crap quality.

I'm not seeing what you saw with the directv/att streaming package but I should dig further into the tiny print maybe. PS Vue what you did say about the 1mo dvr and the other good features on that do line up with what I came across so they shot to the #1 spot.

As I dug into it with ATT or Sony it was maybe $45-50/mo for addon features to get the ala carte channels I do need and then another $50/mo alone from ATT to get that 50meg connection with that 1TB cap on it a month. I'd save 42-85 a month (504-1080/yr.)

We currently keep both Netflix but because of my Amazon account for the shipping, discounts, and the music package there's also their own Video too. I'm solid on choices on that end. My problem is the loss of the live cable tv channels, the few we do bother with and the DVR to back it up.

Reading into it I don't think there's even a solid home buy DVR option I could just get online and have at home to lock down stuff too which sucks.

[Jagosaurus]

I'm lucky with my Comcast service. It's rock solid probably 99% of the time. I get around 237 mbps down on average hard wired in. Obviously lower over wifi. I work from my house as my home base as your wife does.

Yeah another big strike on Sling is one stream at a time. If I'm upstairs watching Watch ESPN on my phone, Mrs. Jago can't turn on any Sling channel downstairs as I understand it because I'm already using my 1 screen.

When I researched ATT/DTV options a few months ago, there were 2 tiers. Option 1 is traditional Direct TV satellite with ATT data. This also gives you unlimited TV streaming and no data cap tied to it. Option 2 is a streaming TV only option (I can run it over my Comcast data) called Direct TV Now and it has stripped down features. No satellite dish or traditional Direct TV, but no record or rewind.

Now that could've changed since. It's all moving quickly, but the ISP Charter even runs commercials making fun of Direct TV Now's no record or rewind features. Saw that TV ad still running yesterday.

I'll be interested to see what ATT does as they want to scrap Uverse TV altogether and have Direct TV meet their FCC competitive TV offering requirements.

My savings come out between $426 to $616 annually. Depending on which Vue tier I choose. That is with my paying for CBS app 4 months of the year.

My problem is the loss of the live cable tv channels, the few we do bother with and the DVR to back it up.

As of right now, looks like Vue is your best bet. The streaming world seems to changing pretty quickly. Stick around and it'll change like Houston weather . That's why no contract is a plus! Month to month.

Reading into it I don't think there's even a solid home buy DVR option I could just get online and have at home to lock down stuff too which sucks

There are some nice OTA DVR options. I think you can even use stock Media Player's record functions. It seems all the streaming TV services are DRM locked or encrypted regarding recordings. I used TiVo back when that was popular. It worked with OTA & traditional cable.

We use Netflix again as of a few months ago. I was a very early Netflix streaming adopter in 2007. I canceled it around 2012 and WOW, did it come a long way since I left. We'll keep it. It's worth the $120 a year for the kids library alone. I'm currently addicted to Daredevil and have a list of movies to check out.

Also, the vast amount of free kids content on YouTube is crazy. We've been watching TMNT cartoon & Veggie Tales lately on YT.

Randomly, about 5 years ago Amazon had a promo where you could add family members to your prime account. I still benefit from that. My sister renews each year and it gives me prime free shipping... but no streaming . The price for me would be streaming only so I don't bite. I see the appeal for the shipping alone though.

My end set up would be:
Comcast 250 mbps data only: $83
PS Vue: $35
Netflix: $10
Hulu: No go for me
Amazon Streaming: No go for me
Total: $128

Edit: The $83 Comcast above includes taxes/fees. Other prices do not.

That would be ~$143 if I jumped up a PS Vue tier and added CBS app for college football season. I wouldn't do CBS year around so ~$138 max most months. Either way ~$128 to ~$143 for fast intetnet and "cable" with local TV with a Cloud DVR is a nice price.

I'm tempted to go with the $45 Vue tier for FX Movies & Chiller. Chiller is usually a high tier channel for satellite, only on the stupid expensive package. They play some great horror, both cheesy B and AAA, along with classics.

[Jagosaurus]

Okay, did the math with projected taxes and Vue will save me $520 per year and allow me to access the channel feeds on 5 devices/TVs simultaneously, versus my single Dish box now on one TV now. That savings does include $5.99 CBS app for college football for 4 months. I am hoping Houston market eventually adds CBS as we currently get Fox, NBC, & ABC live on Vue. Major ESPN networks included for my college football fix as well.

I plan on testing out the 7 day Vue trial starting tomorrow.

I decided to go with the $34.99 plan over the $44.99 plan. Here's the notable channel adds for that tier jump to $45 although there are a few more:
Epix
Chiller
Fox Sports College
FX Movies
MGM
National Geo Wild
Outside
Sony Movie Channel
Sprout
Universal HD

For me personally not worth $120 annually although I'll think about adding it for October due to Chiller . Month to month with no contract will be great.

Will report back on my experience. I watched several YouTube reviews, and I'm pretty excited.

[Tanooki]

Smart move.

I did a bit of working on stuff too and took a route I never would have imagined.

AT&T recently bought on DirectTV, well now I have that. Why? $115/mo vs $230 a month with uverse and it's guaranteed for 2 years and I can still remove/add from it without ruining things unlike with cable.

My bill had been 142, then expiration one took it to 185, and this month was to be $230 if I just let it ride. Dealing with them stil would have put it in the higher 100s on retention so I dropped uverse.

Added perk -- 14mbps internet is going to be going up to 50 for no added charge, and a stable 50 since uverse shared the TV/DVR recording with the online which did hammer it some by use (causing video streaming stalls and other annoying garbage.)

Basically going directv vs stock uverse saves me $100/mo ($1200/yr) that's a win.

[Jagosaurus]

Yeah, I read they're eventually phasing out uverse TV. The FCC will require them to carry TV and their option will be DTV. Apparently most ISPs don't make as much from TV vs the net & voice. This is why cable from many ISPs feels tacked on... it is. They meet the minimum FCC requirements to be the competitive carrier in the area. So with this in mind, ATT bought Direct TV as its own dedicated profit center. It's premium TV for townies and really 1 of 2 paid options for rural Americans (which is a large portion of our country). Smart move on their part for an industry that is becoming a commodity vs a necessity for most.

$1,200 is no joke. Good for you guys. I was excited about $520 .

Side note:
I've been pretty interested in Free To Air (FTA) satellite TV for a couple years now. With my Dish network hardware gone... but RG6 coax & satellite mount in my yard, I might get into it. It's more of a hobby interest for telecom nerds like me, but there are some solid channels. It's a 30" motorized satellite (for ku band) that automatically turns when directed to from your receiver, allowing you to turn into another satellite in the sky. Again, it'd be more of a hobbyist interest but there's sports from different unencrypted local channels, 3 HD PBS feeds, NHK, etc. Oh yeah, I might go all out. Probably makes more sense to put an OTA antenna on that free pole to get CBS & CW (not on PS Vue in Houston), but man I want tinker with FTA satellite

[Jagosaurus]

Okay, bit of an update for anyone following. See the CBS Sports section below. With that now in mind:
I would go from $1,000.92 (taxes included) on TV with Dish to $467.51 (taxes estimated)with PS Vue. An annual savings of $533.41

Live Sports on CBS Options:
Seems the CBS Sports App or their website streams sports live for free. Looks like the CBS All Access app is aimed more at their standard programming and VOD. No $5.99 CBS app needed for sports. Wow.

Live Sports General:
Keep in mind Vue local channels changes by market. Houston gets ABC, NBC, & Fox. Go to Sony Vue & check it out. They have CBS in a lot of markets. Of course, these local channels air a lot of sporting events relevant to your area.

Others: ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, ESPN News, SEC Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, NFL Network, FS1, FS2, FSSW, Big 10 Network, Longhorn Network (pain an Aggie to type that one). If you're a basketball fan, TBS & TNT are also there.

Live sports is the barrier for many trying to ditch cable or satellite. Vue has a pretty impressive offering for sports.

Online, Campus Insiders will stream some obscure college football (Mount West, etc) and today is airing Lacrosse.

NHK World News:
I mentioned this above, being available on FTA satellite. Looks like is more and more of a hobbyist set up. NHK streams live world news online. No cast option, but if you have screen mirror or PC to TV options, that will be easiest.

CW App:
Seems this app got much better when they got out from under Hulu. All shows available. No monthly fee, no cable provider authentication needed. Roughly 7 to 9 minutes of ads per 1 hour of showing. Shows are made available as VOD by 11p the night of airing. Good news for Arrow, Flash, & iZombie fans!

[Segata]

Dropped cable 7 years ago. I just use my Roku.