PlayStation TV Does Not Do... TV.

[stolenxnametag]

This week, Sony laid the ultimate middle finger to cable companies by offering a new content service similar to cable that has a DVR with cloud storage, PlayStation Vue. That is where the good news ends for some people.

For those who bought Sony's faux portable device, the PlayStation TV, the extended finger also goes out to the customer. Despite being a labeled with the name "TV," it seems that Sony forgot to implement one feature in this device - the capacity to watch TV. Last year, Gizmodo pointed out in their PS TV review that you could download Netflix and Hulu can be downloaded on the device, which is a set-top box that allows you to play Vita games on the television. However, streaming services seemed to not be compatible at the time of that review.

Oh, you want some TV on your TV-branded device? Too bad.​

To complicate matters even more, Sony has also neglected to mention the PlayStation TV as a compatible device for PlayStation Vue on their official page. That's right: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 are the only two compatible devices for PlayStation Vue at launch. What are they even thinking?

Not pictured: PlayStation TV​

Sources: Gizmodo, PlayStation Vue Devices Page

 

[Jacky]

In sony's defense, they did say that ps tv was meant to be used for the vita. And they did me tion what it CAN DO. Nobody asked what it couldn't do, and if it wasn't listed on their list of things it can do then it's safe to assume that it can't do it.

Almost brings to mind apple tv, but i can't say much about that because i don't really know anything about the device.

 

[stolenxnametag]

In sony's defense, they did say that ps tv was meant to be used for the vita. And they did me tion what it CAN DO. Nobody asked what it couldn't do, and if it wasn't listed on their list of things it can do then it's safe to assume that it can't do it.

Yeah, it's just really misleading that since all PS consoles use a display, usually a TV, it would make sense that the one that is labeled "TV" would do something more like a conventional set-top box like a Roku or something. With Sony introducing a new TV service, it would seem like the PS TV would be the obvious choice for entry-level usage, like subscribing to the basic cable package with Comcast that comes with a non-HD cable box or something. It's just plain bad marketing to have a device labeled as "TV" that cannot stream any TV content.

 

[Lifewish]

In sony's defense, they did say that ps tv was meant to be used for the vita. And they did me tion what it CAN DO. Nobody asked what it couldn't do, and if it wasn't listed on their list of things it can do then it's safe to assume that it can't do it.

Almost brings to mind apple tv, but i can't say much about that because i don't really know anything about the device.

The one thing I would say to refute that is, if it's really meant to be used just with the Vita, why rename it to PlayStation TV? Why not let it continue to be called Vita TV?

 

[MakaiOokami]

The one thing I would say to refute that is, if it's really meant to be used just with the Vita, why rename it to PlayStation TV? Why not let it continue to be called Vita TV?

Because marketers are retarded.

"Oh the Vita isn't doing as well as we thought. Maybe we should just drop Vita and call it Playstation T.V."

What REALLY pisses me off is that at Target they call it a MEDIA Box. It's not a fucking media box you dumb ass fucking marketer.

The PS T.V. is for people who say "I don't want a portable, I want something I can play with a real controller on my real screen"

Sony gave those people just that. I don't get why they want the box to be an all in 1 epic sauce machine that fits in your back pocket. Sony wasn't competing with Apple, they are giving a segment of their fanbase what they asked for.

 

[MakaiOokami]

Yeah, it's just really misleading that since all PS consoles use a display, usually a TV, it would make sense that the one that is labeled "TV" would do something more like a conventional set-top box like a Roku or something. With Sony introducing a new TV service, it would seem like the PS TV would be the obvious choice for entry-level usage, like subscribing to the basic cable package with Comcast that comes with a non-HD cable box or something. It's just plain bad marketing to have a device labeled as "TV" that cannot stream any TV content.

The problem is people don't want to be happy.

"I want the Vita to have exclusives"
*doesn't buy the exclusives*
"Don't make us pay for a game twice!"
*Cross-buy games don't do well, and then people cite cross-buy as a negative on the Vita cause not enough exclusives
"The Vita doesn't have games"
*point to a list of awesome games
"The Vita doesn't have enough Must-Plays"
*point to a list of the exclusives
"The Vita Memory cards are too expensive"
*point to PS Plus free games, super sales, and explain how piracy killed the PSP and is why the mem cards are proprietary as well as the fact that Sony allows companies to undercut retail by 10% digitally, and that brick and mortar stores would refuse to carry it because then they have reduced profitability options

The problem the Vita has, that the Vita TV has inherited is that people don't want it, because Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and Monster Hunter aren't on it.

You go to a retail outlet and what games are there for kids to buy? Parents see the 3DS has Mario, and Frozen, and Donkey Kong and Zelda... The Vita has Soul Sacrifice, Ragnarok Odyssey, Killzone, Sly Cooper is there, but the title has Thieves in it, Uncharted Golden Abyss doesn't sound to child like, and then it's rated M... Then every Vita ended up coming with Borderlands 2 for a good while, which while it's a great game, it showed that Sony wasn't thinking about the kids. They should have had a Little Big Planet + Minecraft bundle.

I thought Minecraft would save it. Maybe it still will...

But because the Vita doesn't do well enough, Sony isn't concerned about working hard on it. We don't know what the streaming quality would be like on the Vita TV because we don't know how it upscales video streaming content, and if it would look right without having the back end support it properly, because the Vita is 500p, and we don't know how well the Vita TV at 720p would look, and the app might have to be different...

It might be all fine, but it might be more resources required than what the companies want to do for a couple million devices.

If you really need Netflix and Hulu, Chromecast is $35.

 

[stolenxnametag]

Because marketers are retarded.

This is the problem that I am trying to highlight by even having this discussion. The device has the word "TV" in its name. Netflix and Hulu work on Vita, but they do not actually work on the PlayStation TV. It is not a programming problem as you mentioned above. It is both a Sony problem and a marketing problem.

If someone puts "TV" in a device that does not let you watch television programs, then they are misleading the customer. When Sony decided to be a streaming content provider like Netflix, they should have said, "Oh yeah! That's how we can sell these shelf-warming PS TV devices! Let's make the Vue app available on them and pre-load the next batch of them with it!"

Sony did not do that.

 

[MakaiOokami]

This is the problem that I am trying to highlight by even having this discussion. The device has the word "TV" in its name. Netflix and Hulu work on Vita, but they do not actually work on the PlayStation TV. It is not a programming problem as you mentioned above. It is both a Sony problem and a marketing problem.

If someone puts "TV" in a device that does not let you watch television programs, then they are misleading the customer. When Sony decided to be a streaming content provider like Netflix, they should have said, "Oh yeah! That's how we can sell these shelf-warming PS TV devices! Let's make the Vue app available on them and pre-load the next batch of them with it!"

Sony did not do that.

Well right now complaining that the Vita TV does not support the Vue is basically idiotic.

It's in beta, it's in 3 markets. You can't hold them to account for not putting it on a device while it's only available in 3 markets.

The Vue will not sell Vita TVs.

The price is $40 a month. That's not a game changer. Has to go down $10-$15 dollars to be a game changer. Maybe if they let you in at a cheaper rate for paying 12 months in advance... or if they had a free with ads offering. I don't know if the country is ready for Vue though. Especially with data caps. Get 3-4 people watching t.v. in different rooms. Plus it won't work on iPads, or Android yet, etc...

I don't think having TV in the name means it needs to be for Shows and Movies. I mean it's a vita that hooks to a t.v.

I don't think having netflix and hulu at launch would have made the vita tv successful. Someone with iTunes movies isn't going to want a Vita TV. Someone with ultra violet movie collection won't benefit from a Vita t.v. because even if it could use vita movie apps it would not support Vudu because the Vita doesn't support Vudu, therefor no digital HD movie collection.

Really the only good marketing approach would be "Hey you can put this in your kid's bedroom, they won't scratch up discs, they can watch t.v. programming on this, they can play Minecraft, watch Netflix, it's the all in 1 children's device! Even comes with Lego the Movie the Game and Lego the Movie and a controller, and memory card."

Even then you're not guaranteed success.

The Wii U and the Xbox One both do t.v. and Sony is practically trouncing both of them combined with the PS4.

 

[MakaiOokami]

Now one thing you have to remember, is that Sony can't make these apps.

Having a Vita T.V. means that the device can be connected to a t.v. This means it can be connected to a video capture device. Which means it becomes a pirate box using the same apps a Vita would have. I suspect that port at the top of the Vita basically doesn't work as a t.v. output port because of the tv and movie industry being scared to death of piracy. The device supports HDCP so if companies aren't willing to make a new version of the app, the HDCP is going to keep it from functioning.

The only thing that will drastically boost sales of the Vita t.v. is Pewdiepie.

Why? Because kids have to know Freedom Wars exist to want it. He has to want to play it and say how bad he is at shooters for kids to want it. Or play Earth Defense, or play Tales of Hearts R, or play any number of games on the Vita so that kids want it.

 

[stolenxnametag]

The only thing that will drastically boost sales of the Vita t.v. is Pewdiepie.

This is a point where we can both completely agree. Game streamers might be the final hope for the Vita TV. hahahaha

 

[MakaiOokami]

This is a point where we can both completely agree. Game streamers might be the final hope for the Vita TV. hahahaha

They had to reprint Skate 3 because of him.

$400 dollars worth of exclusives to him, would do better than $50k in marketing budgets. People watch Outlast played by Pewdiepie, multiple times, and then they still get excited when they come over and have a chance to play the game, or if they are too scared, have me play it while they watch.

 

[Stephen Bitto]

Has anyone actually tried Vue yet? It's not offered in Cleveland at the moment but I might consider it when it comes.

 

[stolenxnametag]

Has anyone actually tried Vue yet? It's not offered in Cleveland at the moment but I might consider it when it comes.

I live in NJ not far from the NY or Philadelphia metro areas, so I'm wondering if they will let me try it out. I'll let you know if it allows me to sign up for the trial.

 

[Jacky]

I have the free trial a ailable i. My state (maryland), but i refuse to use it because i have no need to and i kinda think it would be a rip off.

 

[Lifewish]

I have not tried Vue but that is simply because I don't really want to right now plus I live in Texas so I don't think I cna.

 

[darkforcegod]

I want to try Vue but I dont think I will buy it. Its expensive I think and I dont think I would be using it that much. BTW I got my PSLS forums bday today!!!

 

[stolenxnametag]

I want to try Vue but I dont think I will buy it. Its expensive I think and I dont think I would be using it that much. BTW I got my PSLS forums bday today!!!

Happy belated PSLS birthday!

 

[sergann]

It's not offered in Cleveland at the moment but I might consider it when it comes.










CCleaner Happy Wheels VLC

 

[nekoprophet]

I suspect that port at the top of the Vita basically doesn't work as a t.v. output port because of the tv and movie industry being scared to death of piracy.