Since its launch, Sony’s PlayStation Vue live-TV streaming service has provided cord-cutters the closest thing to a replacement for cable. One thing Vue has lacked is premium services, with Showtime currently the marquee add-on offering. Now both HBO and Cinemax are coming to Vue, but not cheaply.
HBO announced this morning that both its flagship premium channel and Cinemax will launch on Vue ahead of the Oct. 2 premiere of Westworld. Additionally, Vue users who subscribe to HBO will get online on-demand access to HBO Now.
For Cinemax, this is a big step, as it was the one piece of the HBO pie that had not yet been available online without a cable subscription. The channel has long offered a Max Go streaming app, but that requires that you login through a participating pay-TV provider.
So what’s the catch? First, there’s the price. While a number of pay-TV providers bundle HBO and Cinemax together, or offer a discount for subscribing to both networks, Vue subscribers will have to pay $15 each for HBO or Cinemax.
Thus, subscribing to both will run you an additional $30. For Vue users subscribing to the most basic tier of service, you’re doubling your monthly bill but only adding two channels.
Compare that to the $11/month rate ($9/month for PlayStation Plus members) that Vue charges for Showtime. Yes, HBO has won a lot more awards than Showtime (which still has a lot of Dexter-related atoning to do), but Cinemax has only recently begun offering well-regarded original content and may have trouble convincing Vue users that it’s worth $15/month.
Additionally, it looks like the $15/month rate for Cinemax only gets you access to the live feed of the network. You can record shows using Vue’s cloud-based DVR, but there doesn’t appear to be any on-demand options, nor does the announcement make any mention of Max Go being included. We’ve asked HBO to confirm this and will update if we hear back.
by Chris Morran via Consumerist
No comments:
Post a Comment