Cutting the cord to cable tv, Sony Vue may be your answer

Discussion in 'New Roundtable' started by islstl, May 30, 2016.

  1. islstl

    islstl Playoff committee is a group of great football men Staff Member

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    I'm finally doing it.

    Tired of paying cable box fees (how much do they end up getting per box, $5,000, $6,000 by the time the box goes out?) and overall high cable rates.

    Sony Vue Highlights:
    70 channels for $35 a month (also has other options: 55 channels for $30 or 100 channels for $45)
    Streaming cable, all HD channels (no lag, no interruption with quality internet provider, I'd recommend at least 30 MB)
    Works well with a PS3 or PS4, but also with an iPad or Amazon Fire TV/Stick, no Android or PC support as of yet
    Has DVR capability with most channels allowing 30 minutes of pause, others only about 5 minutes (e.g., ESPN)
    Has Cloud storage for your saved programs, essentially unlimited, with 28 day max time storage
    Surround Sound Audio
    All major channels are there except A&E family (e.g., History), NFL Network, HBO
    Can Add Showtime for $12 a month
    No hidden fees, no equipment charges
    You can stream up to 5 devices simultaneously, the only caveat is not on two PS3s or PS4s, but one PS3 and one PS4 is allowed
    Machinima channel is available for gamers
    No contract, you can quit on a dime

    I'm currently doing a 7 day trial before going all in next week. I've got AT&T Uverse 18 MB for internet and for the most part the service was really good (Again, I'd recommend going higher than this and preferably someone other than UVerse probably). I'm also switching to Time Warner for internet with 50 MB plan.

    The picture quality is very good HD. The response with the PS3 is adequate as far as changing channels. It probably takes about 2-3 seconds to change channels. I'd highly recommend buying a remote for the PS3 as this will make navigation much easier. The guide and interface is probably the biggest thing to get used to. There is no support for direct channel input (e.g., enter 235 to get to ESPN). You basically navigate through an x-y channel guide grid. It's also backwards from a standard guide with the channels going across and the time going down. You can set your favorite channels and it will put these first in your guide in alphabetical order (no way to change this and make it totally customizable), and then it will place the rest of your channels starting again in alphabetical order after your preferred list. Also, I can't seem to figure out a way to go to the previous channel so I can switch back and forth between two shows. I suspect major upgrades to the guide will be done in the future to make it easier for people to give up cable.

    Pause, rewind and ff are decent but not quite as smooth as on my uverse. Still, it works and does the job.

    Here is a link to their packages (Core for $35 is the one I'm going with):
    https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/#5

    Some big markets have live local channels (except for CBS which is not on board with Sony Vue as of this writing). Other markets have local channels (again, except CBS) but have a 24 hour delay on demand service setup. I'm getting indoor antennas for my TVs so that's not that big of a deal if I want to watch golf on the weekend on CBS/NBC.

    For you sports enthusiasts, the following sports channels are available:
    ESPN
    ESPN 2
    ESPN News
    ESPN U
    SEC Network (Alternate channels not available)
    Fox Sports 1
    Fox Sports 2
    NBS Sports
    Fox Regional Channels
    BTN (Big 10 Network)
    beIN Sports
    Golf Channel

    NFL Network, NFL Redzone, NBA TV, MLB Network, Tennis Channel, Gol, ESPN Classics, CBS Sports, SEC Alternate are not yet available. Interestingly enough, 3 Big 10 Alternate channels are available, so I suspect the SEC Alternate channels are coming at some point. I think they'll probably end up with an add on package for $5 or $10 for a lot of these channels.

    For News Hounds:
    Fox News
    MSNBC
    CNN
    CNBC
    Fox Business
    HLN

    What's missing is BBC America, Bloomberg, One America News.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2016
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  2. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    Can a mod delete this spam thread. Must be another robot.
     
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  3. islstl

    islstl Playoff committee is a group of great football men Staff Member

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    rofl

    nicely done
     
  4. Tiger in NC

    Tiger in NC There's a sucker born everyday...

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    I did the same thing about 4-5 months ago except I went with Netflix, Hulu Plus and SlingTV. SlingTV is the most like real TV and it has all of the sports channels. Took some getting used to because it is a different way to watch TV but at this point we've adjusted. Saves me about $100 a month. I was paying DirecTV about $140 a month and now my subscriptions to the aforementioned are about $45.
     
  5. bhelmLSU

    bhelmLSU Founding Member Staff Member

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    Good review... As of now I am covered on all channels I watch except Cinimax so wouldn't need Vue at this time but that could change.

    This app is a must for all Cord Cutters, Next Episode. I finally found something to keep me on track on the shows I am watching to replace my cable guide. This app is very easy and I check off shows as I watch them.
     
  6. islstl

    islstl Playoff committee is a group of great football men Staff Member

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    what service do you have?
     
  7. bhelmLSU

    bhelmLSU Founding Member Staff Member

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    I just have Roku3 on two TVs and some Chromecast around the house. I have a PS4 on guesthouse tv to stream HBO, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix. Roku 3 has all that and much more.

    Currently I only pay for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Showtime and Starz through Prime.

    I run the cable accounts for my grandmother and parents. So I have access for most channels through that to stream to my devices at home. No DVR needed becasue everything is on demand when I want to watch.

    Cinemax and AMC are the only 2 channels I have issue with. Cinemax will likely offer service per month like HBO, Starz, and Showtime soon. I just want to watch the final season of Banshee but I can wait. AMC doesn't have a ROku channel yet so I have to watch that through a CPU or Tablet. Then I can mirror it to TV if needed.

    Also have HD Antennas for local channels.

    Thinking of upgrading to the Nvida Android Box to replace the Roku3 one day.
     
  8. bhelmLSU

    bhelmLSU Founding Member Staff Member

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  9. LSUTiga

    LSUTiga TF Pubic Relations

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    Man I wish I could but all that shit is greek to me. We get our net through our cable. How would that work for me?
     
  10. islstl

    islstl Playoff committee is a group of great football men Staff Member

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    you drop your cable, you keep your internet because Sony Vue is cable tv via internet stream. You need a decent speed (preferably above 20 MB).

    I assume you have internet with your cable provider. You can always just cancel the cable portion. I would suggest you have a PS3 or PS4 for the best interface for Sony Vue streaming cable. I'm going to try out the Amazon Fire TV interface later tonight on the bedroom tv to see how it compares.

    You can also navigate your cable guide via an ipad or iphone. I've tried the ipad and it works fine but not as easy as on the PS3 in which you get a real guide. Although I must admit I loved the touch screen capability on the iPad and probably can end up switching channels faster than I can the PS3, So scratch that.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2016
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