Details on PlayStation Vue, comparison with Sling TV
By Associated Press
Mar 25, 2015 2:10 AM CDT
FILE - This file screen shot image provided by Sony Computer Entertainment America shows the "You're Watching" section of the Sony PlayStation Vue interface. Launched Wednesday, March 18, 2015 in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, Sony’s PlayStation Vue service is the latest Internet-only offering,...   (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Sony's new PlayStation Vue online TV service launched in three cities last week with more than 50 channels starting at $50. Additional channels can be had for $10 to $20 more, and the service comes with some on-demand apps for remote viewings.

Here's a look at the packages and how they compare with Dish's $20-a-month Sling TV offering. Neither requires any long-term commitment.

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PLAYSTATION VUE:

— AVAILABILITY:

Only in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, excluding their suburbs. Three people can watch programs simultaneously — if each has a separate PlayStation 3 or 4 (only one can be a PS4). Works only in the home. An iPad app is coming, though there will be restrictions on shows available on it, especially outside the home.

— LIVE TV

For $50 subscribers get:

— Broadcast: Local stations for CBS, CBS Plus, Cozi TV, Exitos, FOX, MyNetwork, NBC, Telemundo. No ABC, PBS or CW.

— Cable: Animal Planet, BET, Bravo, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, CBS, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, DIY, E!, Esquire, Food Network, Fox Business, Fox News Networks, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FX, FXX, HGTV, HLN, Investigation Discovery, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic, NBC Sports Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, OWN, Oxygen, Science, Spike, Syfy, TBS, TLC, TNT, TruTV, Travel Channel, TV Land, USA Network and VH1. AMC is coming in April.

For $10 more, you can add BTN, Golf Channel, Turner Classic Movies and either Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet Chicago or YES Network (New York).

For $20 more than the basic package ($70 total), the Elite package offers all of the above plus American Heroes, BET Gospel, Boomerang, Centric, Chiller, Cloo, CMT Pure Country, CNBC World, Cooking Channel, Discovery Fit & Health, FOX College Sports Atlantic, FOX College Sports Central, FOX College Sports Pacific, FXM, LOGO, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, mtvU, Nat Geo Wild, PALLADIA, Sprout, TeenNick, Universal, Velocity, VH1 Classic and VH1 Soul.

— ON-DEMAND APPS

These mobile apps typically require a password from a cable or satellite TV provider for full access, including viewing on the go. You'll be able to use the PlayStation Vue password.

Available now:

— Turner: NCAA March Madness, TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim, The Cartoon Network.

— Fox: Fox Business Channel, Fox News Channel.

Coming soon:

— Fox: BTN2Go (Big Ten Network), FX Now (includes FX, FXX, FXM — Fox Movies), Fox, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild

— NBCUniversal: NBC Sports Live Extra, Golf Channel, NBC, CNBC, NBC News, MSNBC, USA Now, Sprout, Esquire TV Now, SyFy Now, Bravo Now, E! Now, Oxygen Now

— Viacom: MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT, LogoTV, BET Now, Spike TV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr (does not include Noggin subscription service), Comedy Central, TV Land, Palladia

— Scripps: HGTV Watch, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel, Food Network In the Kitchen, DIY Watch

For all packages, Sony is including original series such as "Powers." A $50-a-year PlayStation Plus subscription is normally needed.

— RECORDINGS

Unlimited DVR storage, but can't archive more than 28 days. Pausing and rewinding for live TV. Many shows from the past three days are automatically available for viewing, but only through the PlayStation, not on mobile.

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DISH'S SLING TV:

— AVAILABILITY:

Nationwide. One stream at a time on a variety of devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox One for big-screen TVs.

— LIVE TV:

For $20 all subscribers get ABC Family, AMC, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, CNN, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, El Rey, Food Network, Galavision, HGTV, IFC, TBS, TNT and Travel Channel. A&E, History, H2 and Lifetime are coming. No over-the-air channels.

Add-on packages for $5 each, or $45 for the complete lineup:

— Sports: beIN Sports, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Goal Line, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, SEC Network, Universal Sports and Univision Deportes.

— Hollywood: Epix, Epix2, Epix3, Epix Drive-In and Sundance TV.

— Kids: Baby TV, Boomerang, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Duck TV.

— Lifestyle: Cooking Channel, DIY, truTV and WE tv. FYI and LMN coming soon.

— World News: Bloomberg TV, Euro News, France 24, HLN, NDTV 24/7, News 18 and Russia Today.

— ON-DEMAND APPS

Use the Sling TV password to view on-demand video on the WatchESPN app. Others are coming.

— RECORDINGS

No DVR to schedule recordings. Pausing and rewinding of live TV is available only on selected channels, primarily Scripps, Univision, Epix and news channels (except CNN), Baby TV and Duck TV. For those channels, some shows from the past few days are available for automatic playback.