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[Dawnbuster]

I dunno how people can have such cheap broadband subscriptions to make these streaming TV packages worthwhile.

I spend $110/month for both Internet and TV from Comcast, including all premiums except for Starz.

If I were to drop TV my internet alone would cost me $76 (last time I checked, I call back once a year to complain and get a reduced bundle price). So I'm getting all TV channels for $34 which is less than Sony charges for the very basic service.

Played around with PS Vue at the Playstation Experience in SF last year and was kinda unimpressed. The picture quality was meh and it took ages to buffer and change channels. Could have just been the venue's crap connection, but it didn't make for a good demo.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

That's funny, my plan was the opposite. Cheap(ish) internet, super expensive TV. And I've heard great things about Vue so I'm guessing it was an issue with the location. Can't say the same for SlingTV, that was a disaster.

 

[harSon]

- Fast forward/rewind is borderline unusable which makes it painful to fast forward through commercials or jump to a specific point in a show.

- Inability to time shift with a program in progress

- Unable to extend or adjust recording time for a show that may run over the normal time slot

The DVR definitely leaves a lot to be desired, but the fast forward/rewind is pretty much what you'd find with a typical online video service (Netflix, Hulu, etc) from my usage.

 

[Marty Chinn]

I'm talking sports I watch sports all the time both look perfect smooth. And I can always tell when frame rate is off. It's why i'm still pissed off about PSTV remote play perfomance.

My Tv is calibrated with none of the BS settings on game mode and everything runs thru it's HDMI 5 port which has a known 18.5ms input lag .

Who tested it? where?

I tested it on my 9th Gen Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro Plasma that's calibrated with everything funneling through my Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver. I tried a PS4, Fire TV Gen 1, Fire TV Gen 2, and Fire TV Stick. I also tried a 2nd Gen iPad Mini w/ Retina. The PS4, Fire TV Gen 1, and Fire TV Gen 2 are wired while the Fire TV Stick, and iPad Mini 2 are through WiFi. I tried CNN, Comcast Sports Bay Area (specifically NHL games), and local broadcast news. This was back in December.

There was a clear discrepancy in framerate between the Fire TV Gen 1, Fire TV Gen 2, and Fire TV Stick compared to the PS4 and iPad Mini 2. It was consistent too no matter the source. It was also the biggest disappointment because I was hoping to route all media through the Fire TV Gen 2 but right now I'm splintered with having to use the PS4 for PS Vue. Watching hockey that isn't 60 fps is an eye sore to me and I can spot it instantly.

The DVR definitely leaves a lot to be desired, but the fast forward/rewind is pretty much what you'd find with a typical online video service (Netflix, Hulu, etc) from my usage.

Can't speak for Hulu, but Netflix's is way better. They give you a timeline with previewed frames to tell where you are in the show. Plus Netflix you don't have to deal with commercials and Hulu you can't fast forward through commercials so there's never a constant usage of trying to skip ahead to continue on in the show. I'm in firm belief that they either need a lot more data showing you in preview of where you are and where you're going, or buffer enough for smoother transport controls. It's insanely worse than TiVo or DirecTV.

 

[psychotron]

Would switch today if I could get an HD antenna to get me CBS, NBC and Fox. I'm an hour and a half north of NYC and the sites that tell you what channels you can get all say I can't get shit. Vue was awesome when I did the trial. Better quality than Cablevision.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

What's your zip code? That's surprising, usually at least one type of antenna will work.

 

[psychotron]

What's your zip code? That's surprising, usually at least one type of antenna will work.

12538

 

[MrBenchmark]

I tested it on my 9th Gen Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro Plasma that's calibrated with everything funneling through my Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver. I tried a PS4, Fire TV Gen 1, Fire TV Gen 2, and Fire TV Stick. I also tried a 2nd Gen iPad Mini w/ Retina. The PS4, Fire TV Gen 1, and Fire TV Gen 2 are wired while the Fire TV Stick, and iPad Mini 2 are through WiFi. I tried CNN, Comcast Sports Bay Area (specifically NHL games), and local broadcast news. This was back in December.

There was a clear discrepancy in framerate between the Fire TV Gen 1, Fire TV Gen 2, and Fire TV Stick compared to the PS4 and iPad Mini 2. It was consistent too no matter the source. It was also the biggest disappointment because I was hoping to route all media through the Fire TV Gen 2 but right now I'm splintered with having to use the PS4 for PS Vue. Watching hockey that isn't 60 fps is an eye sore to me and I can spot it instantly.

they must have updated because I watch my Blackhawks games all the time and its super smooth on my 2015 Firetv and the ps4. I have experienced that judder you speak of on Chromecast and also on the PS3.

i run all my stuff into my P55 thru a pioneer VSX-1130-K

 

[Chalupa Batman]

12538

According to Mohu, the Sky 60 should get you the channels. It's worth a shot--buy it from Best Buy and you have a free 14-day return policy.

http://www.gomohu.com/zip-code/?mh=271

 

[LordofPwn]

So this will come to Des Moines in like 2060 right? Maybe I should contact some people and do the leg work for Sony. I own an antenna and I can't get my abc affiliate over the air and ESPN would be nice for some sports. I'm jealous of those that live in like the 5 markets it's available in.

 

[Xenus]

Only thing really missing now that I watch a lot of is the the History channel and H2

 

[megalowho]

Man, still no NBA TV. Lots of Turner channels, hopefully it gets worked out eventually.

 

[Tanolen]

I changed my zip code in the playstation network and now vue is working for me, however it is currently only giving me 39 channels, and several of the channels are from the most expensive package. Any one know if the trial vue is a preset package until it switches to your actual plan.

 

[psychotron]

According to Mohu, the Sky 60 should get you the channels. It's worth a shot--buy it from Best Buy and you have a free 14-day return policy.

http://www.gomohu.com/zip-code/?mh=271

Thank you!

 

[Wagram]

Pretty sure every channel I watch is in the Access category. I would switch to this if it was in my area.

 

[U2NUMB]

Bring it to my damn city and I will sub instantly!

 

[Hoho for breakfast]

It's only a matter of time before Comcast kills this for people. You just wait. I would really like to ditch directtv for this.

My first thought. I wonder how it's going to play out.

 

[Brad Grenz]

PS Vue has the opportunity to be huge as the first mover in over the top television delivery. The savings in equipment fees alone can be enormous, and without any contracts or promotional pricing or installation hassles. They just need to continue expanding their coverage area and add a few more devices like Roku and Android.

 

[geomon]

I dunno how people can have such cheap broadband subscriptions to make these streaming TV packages worthwhile.

I spend $110/month for both Internet and TV from Comcast, including all premiums except for Starz.

If I were to drop TV my internet alone would cost me $76 (last time I checked, I call back once a year to complain and get a reduced bundle price). So I'm getting all TV channels for $34 which is less than Sony charges for the very basic service.

Played around with PS Vue at the Playstation Experience in SF last year and was kinda unimpressed. The picture quality was meh and it took ages to buffer and change channels. Could have just been the venue's crap connection, but it didn't make for a good demo.

I pay Comcast about $70 for internet plus the lowest basic tv possible (basically local channels only). So I'm definitely interested in the Access deal.

 

[Marty Chinn]

I came home to try out ABC, tune in to what is supposed to be local news but all I see is a Watch ABC logo and something that says "We'll be right back". What the heck is up with that?

they must have updated because I watch my Blackhawks games all the time and its super smooth on my 2015 Firetv and the ps4. I have experienced that judder you speak of on Chromecast and also on the PS3.

i run all my stuff into my P55 thru a pioneer VSX-1130-K

I came home, hooked it back up, updated to the latest version of the app and it's still definitely not 60 fps. I tried Comcast Sports Bay Area and CNN.

 

[KyleCross]

Alright now sony release it in Nashville so i can drop cable and save 110 a month

I'm in Nashville as well and the only reason I have cable is because of another party under the roof. I'd have cut the cord years ago otherwise. I just keep waiting for a cheaper alternative.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Okay, seriously, what's with this "We'll be right back" crap on ABC?

 

[DeepEnigma]

After re-reading the terms, etc.

Can't anyone in the States subscribe, but only the local channels will not have Live Viewing (ABC, etc). Meaning you can still watch ESPN, Disney, Showtime, etc?

 

[Jazzy Network]

Between Sling and an HD antenna this isn't that appealing.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

Okay, seriously, what's with this "We'll be right back" crap on ABC?

That screen comes on during commercials if you're not viewing a local channel. If it's always on that screen and never shows the program, then you have a problem that needs fixing.

After re-reading the terms, etc.

Can't anyone in the States subscribe, but only the local channels will not have Live Viewing (ABC, etc). Meaning you can still watch ESPN, Disney, Showtime, etc?

I didn't read the T&C but Tanolen just mentioned that he changed his zip code and he has access now, so maybe you can spoof it.

Between Sling and an HD antenna this isn't that appealing.

I had that exact setup for a month and SlingTV was awful. I got it for ESPN and TNT, and the quality was terrible; I'm talking sub-480p and constant stuttering (if it worked at all) during peak viewing times/popular games. It's a widespread complaint, which is a shame because if it was reliable, I would stay with Sling for life.

 

[rambis]

I dunno how people can have such cheap broadband subscriptions to make these streaming TV packages worthwhile.

I spend $110/month for both Internet and TV from Comcast, including all premiums except for Starz.

If I were to drop TV my internet alone would cost me $76 (last time I checked, I call back once a year to complain and get a reduced bundle price). So I'm getting all TV channels for $34 which is less than Sony charges for the very basic service.

Played around with PS Vue at the Playstation Experience in SF last year and was kinda unimpressed. The picture quality was meh and it took ages to buffer and change channels. Could have just been the venue's crap connection, but it didn't make for a good demo.

This is mostly my stance. Its like im just handing my money over to a different company with a lesser return and experience at this point.

 

[Tigress]

After re-reading the terms, etc.

Can't anyone in the States subscribe, but only the local channels will not have Live Viewing (ABC, etc). Meaning you can still watch ESPN, Disney, Showtime, etc?

What exactly is Live Viewing?

 

[TheBoss1]

Is there any current work around to use Vue from other locations than the ones they are readily accessible in? I would love to try it out but they are taking forever to exand elsewhere. At the rate they're going, it will be in all states by 2026 the earliest.

 

[commish]

I dunno how people can have such cheap broadband subscriptions to make these streaming TV packages worthwhile.

I spend $110/month for both Internet and TV from Comcast, including all premiums except for Starz.

If I were to drop TV my internet alone would cost me $76 (last time I checked, I call back once a year to complain and get a reduced bundle price). So I'm getting all TV channels for $34 which is less than Sony charges for the very basic service.

Played around with PS Vue at the Playstation Experience in SF last year and was kinda unimpressed. The picture quality was meh and it took ages to buffer and change channels. Could have just been the venue's crap connection, but it didn't make for a good demo.

If you can get all the channels, including all premium, plus the cable box rentals, DVR, and all the regulatory bs fees, for $34, then I would do that too. I'm pretty sure 99.999999999% of the population cannot get that deal though.

 

[DeepEnigma]

What exactly is Live Viewing?

I am trying to figure that out. They only put the asterisk next to ABC, so I assume meaning the live viewing of the local channels. Like ABC local news, whatever tonight show, etc. Those are all time slotted for live local viewing.

The asterisk was not next to Disney or ESPN, since those are national I suppose.

Is there any current work around to use Vue from other locations than the ones they are readily accessible in? I would love to try it out but they are taking forever to exand elsewhere. At the rate they're going, it will be in all states by 2026 the earliest.

I will have to research more. But some have said you can sign up, then just change your zip code to the closest city with service and everything works.

If you can get all the channels, including all premium, plus the cable box rentals, DVR, and all the regulatory bs fees, for $34, then I would do that too. I'm pretty sure 99.999999999% of the population cannot get that deal though.

Fuck no they can't, lol.

 

[Ludist210]

I had that exact setup for a month and SlingTV was awful. I got it for ESPN and TNT, and the quality was terrible; I'm talking sub-480p and constant stuttering (if it worked at all) during peak viewing times/popular games. It's a widespread complaint, which is a shame because if it was reliable, I would stay with Sling for life.

I've been a Sling subscriber for a year now, and the only real issues I had with it were during the NCAAs last year. Now it works great, but probably because my Nexus Player is directly connected to my router.

My problem with Sling is the channel selection. It's decent, but I want more variety...channels like FS1 to compete with ESPN (which isn't great anymore), Discovery, Animal Planet, ID, etc...if Vue ever gets locals in my area, I might make the switch. $39.99 for locals and a lot more channels is a much better deal.

 

[Glix]

Oh shit if I can get the Mets on that $45 core plan and they have the wifeys stupid channels (cooking stuff, and ID and E, lol) I may finally cut the cord.

 

[Glix]

If you can get all the channels, including all premium, plus the cable box rentals, DVR, and all the regulatory bs fees, for $34, then I would do that too. I'm pretty sure 99.999999999% of the population cannot get that deal though.

Well thats not really what is going on tho.

It is here in New York with Optimum as well. They know people want to cut the cord, so the prices for standalone internet are insane. But lately everything is insane with them.

We have a huge package with HBO and stuff, but ONE box and a Cable Modem is our only equipment rental and its like 180 a month or something insane for TV and internet.

 

[commish]

Well thats not really what is going on tho.

It is here in New York with Optimum as well. They know people want to cut the cord, so the prices for standalone internet are insane. But lately everything is insane with them.

We have a huge package with HBO and stuff, but ONE box and a Cable Modem is our only equipment rental and its like 180 a month or something insane for TV and internet.

Optimum has a pretty good internet-only package. They sent me about 20000 flyers when I moved, talking about how I should cut the cord and just go with internet. I forget the exact deal details, but it was cheaper than what Fios first offered me.

 

[Kuno]

I signed up for the trial yesterday and played around with it a while. Overall, I really liked it but the deal breaker for me is No 5.1 channel sound. I'm so used to surround sound with my current setup that losing it is a big deal.

My impressions:

+ Interface is nice/modern.
+ Adding shows to record is quick and intuitive.
+ Video quality is very good. 60fps support.
+ Really cheap subscription for what you get.
+ Can "record" unlimited shows simultaneously.
+ Can watch a live show from the beginning as it's being recorded.

– 2-CHANNEL STEREO ONLY.
– Very choppy preview when fast forwarding. Sometimes, there are no preview frames and you just have to look at the time counter to judge when to stop.
– No skip forward or skip back controls.
– "Live" TV was actually about 40 seconds behind what I was seeing via my Cable TV.
– No CW network.
– NBC/Universal-owned channels' programs can't be streamed on mobile.

 

[HStallion]

- Fast forward/rewind is borderline unusable which makes it painful to fast forward through commercials or jump to a specific point in a show.

- Inability to time shift with a program in progress

- Unable to extend or adjust recording time for a show that may run over the normal time slot

It definitely needs work, but I don't think it's terrible per se. There are some really frustrating things about it though.

Live content is different than the DVR of live content. If you are watching live, you have about a 5 minute buffer but it won't let you rewind past that. If you want to watch something from the beginning (let's say...a Warriors game and want to skip the commercials), you have to start from the beginning to use the DVR function.

Which then leads to the second problem, the live DVR function is shit. I don't know if it's a resource issue or what, but regularly during NFL and NBA games if I try to watch something from the DVR while it's still live, it will either not work at all, or will be SUPER buggy. Just last night I was about 10 minutes behind the Warriors game and for some reason it kept jumping up more and more in time until I was live.

They also desperately need better fast forward options. 30 second skip or do what Netflix does with preview panes so you don't have to rely on hitting play at the exact right moment.

These problems don't bother me too much, given the fact that it's still very much a beta product and will continue to get better (and apparently cheaper too). Love that they are adding channels while reducing my price by $10/month. I'm not sure there's another cable provider out there that can make a similar claim.

I guess I've had such bad experiences with DVR on cable boxes that the DVR on Vue seems like a breeze. I can see the issues you are all talking about but I guess they don't bother me as much. It could definitely be a lot better working but I'm actually not too bothered by it, more than serviceable for myself especially for the price.

 

[Brad Grenz]

If anyone is worried about the price of going unbundled with their cable internet, keep in mind those prices are pretty negotiable as well. When our Comcast internet's promo pricing ended and went up to $85/mo for 105Mbps it was really easy to get a new promo price of $59/mo for 150Mbps. And buy your own modem. They're only like $50 these days and Comcast charges $12/mo extra to rent theirs.

 

[MrBenchmark]

I came home to try out ABC, tune in to what is supposed to be local news but all I see is a Watch ABC logo and something that says "We'll be right back". What the heck is up with that?


I came home, hooked it back up, updated to the latest version of the app and it's still definitely not 60 fps. I tried Comcast Sports Bay Area and CNN.

that's weird. i saw what you're talking about during tonights hawks game on my firetv stick on another tv. but swiching between my 2015 firetv and PS4 that both run thru my receiver into my P55 they looked the same nice smooth playback. And i have no motion enhancement settings in use. And i always see it isn't smooth on the firetv stick and PS3 and Chromecast. Could it be the HDMI speed? Just guessing. Your receiver is HDMI 1.3 mine is 2.0 as is my tv. I'm just trying to see what could be different. I run 4K movies on my 2015 Firetv and you have to have HDMI 2.0 for that.

I don't think your crazy but i can't be either.

 

[Marty Chinn]

that's weird. i saw what you're talking about during tonights hawks game on my firetv stick on another tv. but swiching between my 2015 firetv and PS4 that both run thru my receiver into my P55 they looked the same nice smooth playback. And i have no motion enhancement settings in use. And i always see it isn't smooth on the firetv stick and PS3 and Chromecast. Could it be the HDMI speed? Just guessing. Your receiver is HDMI 1.3 mine is 2.0 as is my tv. I'm just trying to see what could be different. I run 4K movies on my 2015 Firetv and you have to have HDMI 2.0 for that.

I don't think your crazy but i can't be either.

Nah, the HDMI version shouldn't be a factor since HDMI 1.3 supports 1080p60. Plus if that was the case, I wouldn't see 1080p60 out of the PS4. Honestly, I think you just can't see the difference as well as you think you can because I found out Sony officially says the Fire TV app is capped at 30fps.

Our apologies for the trouble you’ve been running into. At this time, PlayStation Vue on Amazon Fire TV devices is limited to 30FPS.

 

[EdReedFan20]

The only Disney channels missing are the ones where they partnered with Hearst. The channels I'm speaking of are the A&E Networks*, which include A&E (and its related channels), History (and its related channels), and Lifetime (and its related channels), among others. Of all the channels PS Vue offers, History is the only major channel missing for me. Also, I'd like PS Vue to come to Baltimore so I'd be able to get the regional sports network MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network). Then I'd have everything I need/want on PS Vue.

*ESPN is also a joint venture between Disney and Hearst, however in that case, Disney owns 80% of the channel, whereas with the A&E Networks, it's split halfway.

 

[HStallion]

So I tried screwing around with the DVR functionality last night in PS Vue. I know some people mentioned it being really sub par and having a variety of issues but it worked pretty well for me. For one I'm not sure what the difference is but when I was fast forwarding and rewinding DVR'ed through Better Call Saul, it gave me a plethora of preview images through the different speeds. Even during live viewing I didn't have an issue so I'm not sure what's different for me but it was responsive, easy to see where I needed to stop even on the 16x times speed and higher and easily matched what I get from Amazon Prime or Netflix.

 

[The Jackdog]

hows this compare to sling tv, for anyone who has both?

for me, sling tv has been nothing but a buggy mess.

im starting to like the direction this is going more than that.

 

[AmuroChan]

Still only available in like 5 cities though.

It's 7 now.

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area, and Miami.

 

[outunderthestars]

If you can get all the channels, including all premium, plus the cable box rentals, DVR, and all the regulatory bs fees, for $34, then I would do that too. I'm pretty sure 99.999999999% of the population cannot get that deal though.

This right here. My internet is only $35 a month. Adding tv would be absurdly expensive though.

 

[Bgamer90]

I dunno how people can have such cheap broadband subscriptions to make these streaming TV packages worthwhile.

I spend $110/month for both Internet and TV from Comcast, including all premiums except for Starz.

If I were to drop TV my internet alone would cost me $76 (last time I checked, I call back once a year to complain and get a reduced bundle price). So I'm getting all TV channels for $34 which is less than Sony charges for the very basic service.

There's many who live in areas in which they can't get all-in-one packages.

There's also other people who would rather have faster internet + streaming services -vs.- an all-in-one package that has slower internet for the same price.

 

[AmuroChan]

If you can get all the channels, including all premium, plus the cable box rentals, DVR, and all the regulatory bs fees, for $34, then I would do that too. I'm pretty sure 99.999999999% of the population cannot get that deal though.

I think I was paying $34 in taxes and fees alone when I had DirecTV. So glad I cut the cord.