PlayStation Vue Online TV Review: Smarter than Cable

[seancaptain]

Thanks to its intuitive interface, superior discovery features and powerful DVR, Sony PlayStation Vue is very close to being a cable killer.

PlayStation Vue Online TV Review: Smarter than Cable : Read more

 

[supercaliber64]

Need to add Sony's "small" print. A Vue account will only work on ONE PS4 or TWO PS3's. That means if you have 2 or 3 TV, you have to have multiple accounts. Also there's no support for the Sony TV box, which doesn't make any since. You would think the Sony TV box would be an extension of the PS4 and allow you to watch TV.

 

[rstewart]

It's a poor product for cord cutters and the price is a bit much. You'll still be paying for Netflix, Hulu, etc. You can't use a remote control, so no integration with the rest of your system. No mobile solution. The account thing mentioned in the first comment. No on demand library, so the pricing doesn't make sense (cable pricing without the extras). Can't play games and watch TV at the same time, with Time Warner I'd use the iPad if I wanted to do both at once. At the core, the issue is that this replaces a cable box when it needs to be a headend that can stream to other gear, or it's not really solving modern TV problems.

 

[Matty-fatty-bo-batty]

I agree, this isn't for cord cutters. This is just another Cable/satellite service. the interface looks incredible, definitely a leg-up on crappy cable boxes, and the cloud DVR feature is great. But you can't extend to multiple rooms, and I didn't see an option to view current programming in the recognizable grid format. Plus, this isn't saving money either. My month-to-month Dish service Is $50 a month and I get roughly the same channels. Oh, and I can also move my Dish network service with me while I move from city to city (military). But I still give sony props for this great idea, I just hope they put more development into it and bring support to more cities and devices.

 

[Bye2]

I'd like to add that PSV has worked a deal with NBC such that you can use your PSV login credentials to log in to NBC's "Sports App" also known as "NBC Sports Live Extra" or "Extra Time", whereas you cannot do this with Sling.

 

[carlsteve]

You can do this with many other channels, not just NBC. The PS Vue walkthrough video embedded in this review focused on too few features. To give people a better feel for the service, it should have covered more topics. It also should have explained that the platform being demonstrated was the PlayStation game console. The demonstrator should have closed his windows during the recording, as the noise from outside drown out his narrative.

 

[bloodriver]

I have this service. It's downsides are enough to discourage recommending it. The worst is the 'ghost devices' their system believes exists. This impairment has locked me out numerous times. Their customer service was impotent, and seemly unappreciative of the difficulty and frustration this caused. Have had issues w/jitters, and poor performing streams, too. Also have other vexations w/their web site from logging in to not being able to access paid service because the site omitted the connecting link. In comparison, Netflix is so much better, from ease of use to the freedom of viewing any time, any where - makes Vue appear clunky and poorly designed.

If this the best streaming service, then suspect all others are abysmal.

 

[carlsteve]

I have this service. It's downsides are enough to discourage recommending it. The worst is the 'ghost devices' their system believes exists. This impairment has locked me out numerous times. Their customer service was impotent, and seemly unappreciative of the difficulty and frustration this caused. Have had issues w/jitters, and poor performing streams, too. Also have other vexations w/their web site from logging in to not being able to access paid service because the site omitted the connecting link. In comparison, Netflix is so much better, from ease of use to the freedom of viewing any time, any where - makes Vue appear clunky and poorly designed.

If this the best streaming service, then suspect all others are abysmal.

There are a couple statements in your post that I don't understand:

"The worst is the 'ghost devices' their system believes exists. This impairment has locked me out numerous times."

"Also have other vexations w/their web site from logging in to not being able to access paid service because the site omitted the connecting link."

What do you mean by "ghost devices?" I've never heard of that term, nor do I know what you mean by being "locked out." I'm guessing the second puzzling statement has to do with device support issues. What type of device are you using to watch Vue?

As for the rest of your post, HD streaming in my experience has never worked well with a wireless Internet connection, no matter which streaming service or device I was using. My wired service is 12 Mbps DSL which handles Vue, Netflix, and the other services without issue. Even with wired service, you can experience lag if you have several household members using your Internet connection all at the same time.

I use Vue primarily on the PS3 and PS4 game consoles, computer (Windows and iMac), Roku 2, and Amazon Fire TV. The Roku is acceptable, but Vue really shines on the other platforms in terms of performance, ease of use, features, etc.

I have no experience using Vue on mobile devices, but I've heard the handheld devices support "anytime, anywhere" viewing.

 

[carlsteve]

I have this service. It's downsides are enough to discourage recommending it. The worst is the 'ghost devices' their system believes exists. This impairment has locked me out numerous times. Their customer service was impotent, and seemly unappreciative of the difficulty and frustration this caused. Have had issues w/jitters, and poor performing streams, too. Also have other vexations w/their web site from logging in to not being able to access paid service because the site omitted the connecting link. In comparison, Netflix is so much better, from ease of use to the freedom of viewing any time, any where - makes Vue appear clunky and poorly designed.

If this the best streaming service, then suspect all others are abysmal.

There are a couple statements in your post that I don't understand:

"The worst is the 'ghost devices' their system believes exists. This impairment has locked me out numerous times."

"Also have other vexations w/their web site from logging in to not being able to access paid service because the site omitted the connecting link."

What do you mean by "ghost devices?" I've never heard of that term, nor do I know what you mean by being "locked out." I'm guessing the second puzzling statement has to do with device support issues. What type of device are you using to watch Vue?

As for the rest of your post, HD streaming in my experience has never worked well with a wireless Internet connection, no matter which streaming service or device I was using. My wired service is 12 Mbps DSL which handles Vue, Netflix, and the other services without issue. Even with wired service, you can experience lag if you have several household members using your Internet connection all at the same time.

I use Vue primarily on the PS3 and PS4 game consoles, computer (Windows and iMac), Roku 2, and Amazon Fire TV. The Roku is acceptable, but Vue really shines on the other platforms in terms of performance, ease of use, features, etc.

I have no experience using Vue on mobile devices, but I've heard the handheld devices support "anytime, anywhere" viewing.

If you were trying to reply to my reply, your message didn't come through.

 

[bloodriver]

As I understand it, when I start Vue, in a browser, on my desktop, any other tabs that are open, Sony's system sees them as other devices accessing the service ("Ghost tabs" or something to that effect). Thus, one action uses up all allowed streams. It is a known flaw. Usually, this then freezes the browser, and trying to reset it (also a no-no), a message will appear saying that I exceeded the number of streams allowable and can not return (locked out). Or least not for another three (3) hours.

Customer service could/would/will not over ride this error. Only solution offered, was to make certain all additional tabs were closed and to always log out to allow other devices to access the service. ("But if my browser freezes, I can't log out" and I hear the agent go silent)

Pretty much all your other experiences were the opposite of mine. Wired desktop was troublesome, but wireless phone and Roku worked well. *shrug* Had thought it might have been my desktop but after cleaning, adjusting, virus/malware sweeping and testing the computer for psychical defects - it was in top form - the service froze on Firefox but jittered on Edge. A number of times after entering into the web site, the 'start viewing' button remains at 'try free' registration.

My internet service exceeds the streaming requirements and my desktop is formidable. All other services like Netflix and former cable-on-the-go services preform flawlessly on the same unit. Instead of ferreting out any issue that may be between my system and Sony's service, I've been reduced to Roku and phone.

The 'any where, any time' pops up any other time trying to access Vue for other devices outside of the home. Will be informed I am outside of the home network and additional steps are needed to access my paid service.

I stand by my belief. Netflix and cable-on-the-go works flawlessly yet Vue suggles. Sony, in this regard, appears years behind in technology ability. In addition the service, streams and customer help, are vexing.

I can not recommend Vue.

 

[carlsteve]

As I understand it, when I start Vue, in a browser, on my desktop, any other tabs that are open, Sony's system sees them as other devices accessing the service ("Ghost tabs" or something to that effect). Thus, one action uses up all allowed streams. It is a known flaw. Usually, this then freezes the browser, and trying to reset it (also a no-no), a message will appear saying that I exceeded the number of streams allowable and can not return (locked out). Or least not for another three (3) hours.

Customer service could/would/will not over ride this error. Only solution offered, was to make certain all additional tabs were closed and to always log out to allow other devices to access the service. ("But if my browser freezes, I can't log out" and I hear the agent go silent)

Pretty much all your other experiences were the opposite of mine. Wired desktop was troublesome, but wireless phone and Roku worked well. *shrug* Had thought it might have been my desktop but after cleaning, adjusting, virus/malware sweeping and testing the computer for psychical defects - it was in top form - the service froze on Firefox but jittered on Edge. A number of times after entering into the web site, the 'start viewing' button remains at 'try free' registration.

My internet service exceeds the streaming requirements and my desktop is formidable. All other services like Netflix and former cable-on-the-go services preform flawlessly on the same unit. Instead of ferreting out any issue that may be between my system and Sony's service, I've been reduced to Roku and phone.

The 'any where, any time' pops up any other time trying to access Vue for other devices outside of the home. Will be informed I am outside of the home network and additional steps are needed to access my paid service.

I stand by my belief. Netflix and cable-on-the-go works flawlessly yet Vue suggles. Sony, in this regard, appears years behind in technology ability. In addition the service, streams and customer help, are vexing.

I can not recommend Vue.

This is very perplexing. I've used Vue on Windows 7 and 8.1 as well as Mac OSX El Capitan without issue. Firefox and Safari handle the service just fine, regardless of how many tabs are open. However, if you are trying to run multiple streaming services across several open windows or tabs, I wonder if that's the cause. In that case, you might be exceeding the bandwidth capacity of your network. Have you discussed this problem with your ISP?

Since you mentioned Edge, that tells me you're using Windows 10. I have no experience with running Vue under that operating system, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are compatibility issues. Have you checked the Microsoft troubleshooting website for conflicts with streaming TV?

I subscribe to several cord cutter newsletters and forums, and I never to cease to be amazed at the technical glitches some users have reported. What works well for one user is a nightmare for someone else. Those difficulties aren't limited to any particular streaming service or device or type of Internet connection. Hopefully things will settle down when Internet TV moves beyond its infancy.

I've been with Vue since it went national in March 2016, and I've never regretted that choice. It's been such a pleasant change compared to the experiences I had with the local cable provider. I regret your situation has been so different.