Sony is looking to turn its PlayStation console into an entertainment hub with Thursday's introduction of its online TV service dubbed PlayStation Vue.
Those with a cable or satellite subscription will have access to around 75 channels, which include National Geographic, Syfy, Food Network, Animal Planet, Nickelodeon and MTV, according to CNET. The channels will come from six different conglomerates, which are Fox, CBS, NBCUniversal, Scripps Networks, Discovery Communications and Viacom.
Serving as an alternative to cable, satellite and other traditional paid-TV services, PlayStation Vue provides users with live and on-demand content based on genre and popularity, and will use viewing history to recommend movies and shows.
Users will be able to save shows and movies, and they will have 28 days to watch content stored on the cloud, CNET reported. Setting the DVR won't be necessary, as users will have access to on-demand content for up to three days.
Sony is initially releasing a beta preview of PlayStation Vue during November on an invite-only basis for PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 owners, with plans for a phased rollout in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles.
PlayStation Vue has been teased for almost a year, with Sony Computer Entertainment Group CEO Andrew House saying at the CES in January that the company will launch a new cloud-based service that will feature the "most popular live TV programs combined with a large library of VOD content," Deadline reported. No specific details were provided about the service at the time.
House said on Thursday that PlayStation Vue's unveiling "builds on the historic success of PlayStation 4 and demonstrates what our company is capable of when we embrace disruption and stay true to gamers."
Sony is the latest gaming company to get involved in entertainment, with previous attempts including Microsoft letting Xbox One owners connect their cable feed directly to the device to watch shows and movies and Nintendo trying to integrate its TVii service with its Wii U Console, CNET reported. Both companies have since decided to focus less on providing an entertainment hub and more on providing good games.
Sony has yet to announce PlayStation Vue's price, but it did say it will reveal more during its commercial launch, which is scheduled for early 2015.
