Playstation Vue

[Tempest]

Anyone use Playstation Vue? If so, how is it? I'm thinking about telling my cable company to take a hike and get Vue instead.

[cimerians]

Anyone use Playstation Vue? If so, how is it? I'm thinking about telling my cable company to take a hike and get Vue instead.

 

Whew........I have planned to kill cable for years, there's a cord cutting thread here on Atariage somewhere thats very helpful but here's my observation:

 

I have tested Vue out a lot. Its CERTAINLY an option for me but the only problem is my wife wants a local channel (called WGN in Chicago) that's not on there. I offered to get a couple of HD antenna's in the house but she coudn't pull the trigger to cut cable...yet..... but I think I can convince her soon by getting one of those.

 

I tested with wireless and wired (seems to make no difference in my home), I have Comcast with a higher bandwidth payment tier and a 55 inch 1080p primary TV.

 

Anyway, the quality is not 100% as good as Cable. Its almost like comparing 720p to 1080p. Its just slightly less good if that makes sense. At first glance you may not notice but if you switch back and forth between cable and Vue (like I did) I definitely noticed it was not as clear and slightly more grainy. It still looks great and of course you get used to it and the cost savings are huge. I had no lag or any stuttering and I used it for about 6 days before cancelling which is incredibly easy.....basically login to your PS4/account and turn it off.

 

Its very tempting because all the channels I want are now there (ESPN), I have two PS3's and a PS4 in the house and I think it works on tablets now. So I may take the plunge next year if I can convince the wife etc. because HBO is also coming to it (Game of Thrones etc).

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Vue/

 

 

Important: Make sure you have a mid to high range Internet speeds. Not cheap DSL crap in your home.

 

Showtime and HBO etc: These channels are add-ons where you pay a little extra for.

Example HBO:

"If you already subscribe to HBO NOW, you can use the HBO NOW app when it launches on PS4 and PS3.

If you don’t already have a HBO NOW subscription, and subscribe to HBO through PlayStation Vue, you can access HBO on both PlayStation Vue and HBO NOW."

Important #2: Unless Sony in their idiocy has changed their login rules.....Vue is not worth it for those households who want to game and watch Vue under one account. If I'm playing a game upstairs on my PS4 and my wife wants to watch vue she can't do it if Vue is tied to my account.

[Tempest]

I believe I have 60 mbps internet, I'll have to check.

 

The part that worries me is our cable modem and router are in the basement since that's where 95% of the computers that use it are (my game room). I've streamed stuff up to the second floor before, but nothing as demanding as live TV (just a movie or two to my PS3). My other concern is that I hear the PS3 is a terrible playback device for Vue and I was planning on using that and something else (maybe a Roku or FireTv) for the two TV's upstairs (I'll use my PS4 in the gameroom).

 

Since they offer a free 7 day trial for Vue, maybe I'll set the PS3 upstairs this weekend and try it out before telling my cable company to pound sand. My wife is really the only one of us that regularly watches TV, I watch one or two shows and football in the fall (nice to see they have ESPN). I'd also have to get an OTA antenna for local stuff.

 

 

Important #2: Unless Sony in their idiocy has changed their login rules.....Vue is not worth it for those households who want to game and watch Vue under one account. If I'm playing a game upstairs on my PS4 and my wife wants to watch vue she can't do it if Vue is tied to my account.

 

I thought you could do up to 5 devices at once? Or do they need 5 different accounts? Are accounts free?

[cimerians]

I believe I have 60 mbps internet, I'll have to check.

 

The part that worries me is our cable modem and router are in the basement since that's where 95% of the computers that use it are (my game room). I've streamed stuff up to the second floor before, but nothing as demanding as live TV (just a movie or two to my PS3). My other concern is that I hear the PS3 is a terrible playback device for Vue and I was planning on using that and something else (maybe a Roku or FireTv) for the two TV's upstairs (I'll use my PS4 in the gameroom). Since they offer a free 7 day trial for Vue, maybe I'll set the PS3 upstairs this weekend and try it out before telling my cable company to pound sand.

 

 

 

I thought you could do up to 5 devices at once? Or do they need 5 different accounts? Are accounts free?

 

Your right, I should have mentioned only 1 login for ps4's and ps3's.

 

I guess getting a couple of Roku's will help for other rooms. Just don't know why they can't allow at least one extra login for PS4's or PS3's.

 

I would try it for a week and then turn it off. Also, I didn't care for the dumb menu system, its clunky but if I recall you can make favorite lists or something. I just didn't like navigating a lot, just seemed like it was made for touch screens and not a console etc,

[Tempest]

So if I'm playing a game on my PS4 and my wife wants to watch Vue on the PS3 upstairs, we can't do it at the same time? What if she makes her own account or something?

[cimerians]

So if I'm playing a game on my PS4 and my wife wants to watch Vue on the PS3 upstairs, we can't do it at the same time? What if she makes her own account or something?

 

I think you can do one PS4 and one PS3 but I didn't test it so I'm not 100% sure. I did try and use two PS4's and it didn't let me.

 

I have a feeling its kind of sluggish on PS3, let me know if you try it and if its good.

[Tempest]

 

I have a feeling its kind of sluggish on PS3, let me know if you try it and if its good.

 

I've heard the same thing, which makes me wonder if it's worth doing on a PS3. I'd have to get my other PS3 fixed and it's not like a Roku or FireTV is expensive.

[+thanatos]

I went with Sling TV for the cable channel replacement. Works fine on our Rokus and wireless. Currently at day 16 after telling DirecTV to stick it!

[+GoldLeader]

I see ads for things like this and have to admit I was curious...But for me, I have DISH and it's one luxury I don't think I'll ever give up, even if I'm probably paying too much. I even used to work for them (Well Echostar, the Technical arm of DISH), but that has nothing to do with it. I see people streaming stuff on devices or going to great lengths to save money (which I understand, believe me), and it's never as good. I never even had cable growing up (had it in College, but DISH blows it away)...So I still love flipping through channels.

 

Maybe I'm just too set in my ways....But I want to watch the Daily Show at 9 O'clock in HD, and FOX on Sundays and get Walking Dead on my DVR and I want to see Game of Thrones as soon as it airs (all the while recording everything else, because everyone puts all of their good shows on at the exact same time), or Bloomberg and CNBC in the middle of the night so I know what to expect from the Market and Adult Swim... and it goes on and on LOL...Personally, I like things the way they are right now.

 

But that said, I'm glad someone on here asked the question and I'm glad someone answered it...

 

I won't be cutting the cord unless they raise prices...

Edited September 15, 2016 by GoldLeader

[+thanatos]

I see ads for things like this and have to admit I was curious...But for me, I have DISH and it's one luxury I don't think I'll ever give up, even if I'm probably paying too much. I even used to work for them (Well Echostar, the Technical arm of DISH), but that has nothing to do with it. I see people streaming stuff on devices or going to great lengths to save money (which I understand, believe me), and it's never as good. I never even had cable growing up (had it in College, but DISH blows it away)...So I still love flipping through channels.

 

Maybe I'm just too set in my ways....But I want to watch the Daily Show at 9 O'clock in HD, and FOX on Sundays and get Walking Dead on my DVR and I want to see Game of Thrones as soon as it airs (all the while recording everything else, because everyone puts all of their good shows on at the exact same time), or Bloomberg and CNBC in the middle of the night so I know what to expect from the Market and Adult Swim... and it goes on and on LOL...Personally, I like things the way they are right now.

 

But that said, I'm glad someone on here asked the question and I'm glad someone answered it...

 

I won't be cutting the cord unless they raise prices...

 

'Until' they raise prices? I was a 17 year long DirecTV subscriber. I used to get every movie channel included and originally paid about $80 a month.

When I cancelled last month I was down to a regular package with no premiums and the bill was $130, $30 of that just being DVR and equipment fees. With every February came the "we're raising prices by a couple bucks because we feel like it" message on the bill.

 

NFL Sunday Ticket was about $130 a season back then. It's $360 if you want Red Zone included now.

 

SlingTV has AMC and Comedy central.

 

HBO Now for Game of Thrones works great, it goes live as soon as the broadcast does.

[+GoldLeader]

 

'Until' they raise prices? I was a 17 year long DirecTV subscriber. I used to get every movie channel included and originally paid about $80 a month.

When I cancelled last month I was down to a regular package with no premiums and the bill was $130, $30 of that just being DVR and equipment fees. With every February came the "we're raising prices by a couple bucks because we feel like it" message on the bill.

 

NFL Sunday Ticket was about $130 a season back then. It's $360 if you want Red Zone included now.

 

SlingTV has AMC and Comedy central.

 

HBO Now for Game of Thrones works great, it goes live as soon as the broadcast does.

 

Thanks for the info!...I have used HBOGO on my Kindle Fire, but otherwise...Not done much.

 

And I wouldn't lump DISH in with Direct. They may both be satellite but price and quality will keep me with DISH (Or at least pit them against one another haha) And when DISH raises prices, it's not because they feel like it, but because content providers have raised prices on them...Shouldn't content providers be lowering prices to them as they gain more subscribers in different arenas?

 

Right now I'm at about $116 a month...It's a lot I know...

 

But that gives me every channel plus locals and HBO Plus other movie channels...(Technically I'm signed up for HBO but there's a lot of movie channels there...Like TMC and Encore channels, plus sometimes they give freebies including once they gave me either STARZ or MAX (?) channels for a whole year...I don't know how they did it, but they did). They also have free on demand stuff...And they worked with me to get the bill down and gave me credit when my DVR broke (and sent me a new one etc)...I don't mean to sound like some guy shilling for them, but I just dig it...and it goes through my multi speaker set up in the living room...

 

I also like to flip through channels at all hours...Like I'll be watching CNBC to get the Futures in the middle of the night...But might also be watching old Twilight Zone episodes, or Adult Swim or weird ghost stories on AMERI or WWII docs on AHC, or horror movies (Well any movie I want to see really)...Like I say I have weird tastes...And I want it on my TV, not my computer...Sometimes I'm also on the computer chatting on AtariAge at the same time...

 

At any rate it works for me, But I will keep my options open for future reference...

[Tempest]

I compared Sling TV to Vue and Vue had a better channel line up, plus it works on my PS3 and PS4 so I think I'll try them first.

[frank_c]

I had Sling but I found the picture would go to lower quality and get pixelated. Tried Vue when it first hit the area and I think the picture is much better. That and they had the local FOX sports channel, I could watch Cavs games instead of having to listen on Sirius. Vue also works great on my Fire TV's, even wireless and with DSL.

 

And yeah, if you're anywhere close to your local antenna farm get an antenna for the house. Tivo has a DVR that is made for over the air channels, I may get one of those next.

[+thanatos]

I had Sling but I found the picture would go to lower quality and get pixelated. Tried Vue when it first hit the area and I think the picture is much better. That and they had the local FOX sports channel, I could watch Cavs games instead of having to listen on Sirius. Vue also works great on my Fire TV's, even wireless and with DSL.

 

And yeah, if you're anywhere close to your local antenna farm get an antenna for the house. Tivo has a DVR that is made for over the air channels, I may get one of those next.

 

That's what I bought for local channels, the TiVo Roamio OTA. Works very well so far, but it's spendy. Also has a bunch of the apps built in (Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Plex, Youtube)

[cimerians]

Ok we decided we are going to cut the cord soon but........ I've been looking at Sling and now Hulu is brewing up their own service:

 

http://www.fiercecable.com/cable/hulu-s-live-tv-service-reportedly-will-start-at-35-month-more-than-both-sling-tv-and

[Hydro Thunder]

I don't have cable (have a Liger antenna, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime), but am considering Playstation VUE for the NBA season. Biggest plus for me is that IIRC, it's month-to-month and not a 2 year contract. Not to mention it's cheaper than the cable companies by far, or my local Co-Op (who I'd love to support, but the cheapest HD tv they offer is well over $100/ month).

Downside to VUE if I understand right is there's no way to record shows, there's no DVR service available, so it's live and live only. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Planning to do the 7-day free trial of Vue in the future when I've time to really run it through its paces.

[MCHufnagel]

I don't have cable (have a Liger antenna, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime), but am considering Playstation VUE for the NBA season. Biggest plus for me is that IIRC, it's month-to-month and not a 2 year contract. Not to mention it's cheaper than the cable companies by far, or my local Co-Op (who I'd love to support, but the cheapest HD tv they offer is well over $100/ month).

Downside to VUE if I understand right is there's no way to record shows, there's no DVR service available, so it's live and live only. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Planning to do the 7-day free trial of Vue in the future when I've time to really run it through its paces.

No, Vue does offer a dvr service. Recordings are on the cloud and are kept for 28 days. SlingTV does not offer a dvr service.

[Hydro Thunder]

Sweet! That definitely tilts the scales. Is the cloud DVR part of the package price or extra?

[Jess Ragan]

Last time I tried it, Playstation Vue's menu was PAINFULLY slow on a PS3. You'd press the D-pad and get no response; you'd hold it down out of frustration and it'd skip over eight channels, including the one you wanted. Has this since been fixed?

[frank_c]

I haven't had my PS3 on in months. Works fine on FireTV though.

 

If I get a chance later I'll fire up the 3 and see how Vue runs.

[MCHufnagel]

C

 

Sweet! That definitely tilts the scales. Is the cloud DVR part of the package price or extra?

Cloud DVR is part of the package price. But I read that you need to activate the service from where you will be watching it (i.e. home and not work). Because you can only watch at a different location on a mobile device.

[frank_c]

Okay.

 

Once I got the PS3 system update installed, and the PS Vue update installed, and the controller charged...Vue navigation on the PS3 isn't much different than on my FireTV's. Watched half the Tribe game, then channel surfed for an hour. Works okay.