Sony will launch a cloud-based TV service in the US this year, combining live broadcasts, DVR, and an on-demand library of films and shows.
TV is currently “fundamentally outdated and flawed,” president of Sony Entertainment Andrew House said at CES 2014, claiming Sony had the ability to “elegantly” combine live TV with on-demand, letting users visit one place for TV, movies, and sports.
As with other streaming services, the Sony version will learn your preferences and adapt to your habits, House said, and you’ll be able to watch and resume viewing across connected devices. “Our goal is to transform the user experience so finding live TV and discovering on-demand shows is intuitive and immediate.”
The cloud-TV system will arrive later this year. It wasn’t immediately clear if or when it the service would expand internationally.
House also revealed that Playstation games will be able to be streamed for the first time via a new system set to arrive in the summer. “Soon playing your Playstation on a tablet will be a reality,” House said.
Pricing for the two systems wasn’t announced, but Sony said it would be “cost effective”.
TV revolution
House said that Sony is well placed to capture the living room market, as it already has 70 million internet-connected devices in the US, notably the different versions of the Playstation – with that device the top way of accessing Netflix in the US.
Plus, it has the content partnerships largely in place, as well as the technological skill, he claimed. “No other company is better posed to lead the TV revolution than Sony,” he said.
That “revolution” will also come with hardware, as Sony unveiled an Ultra Short Form Projector, that will allow users to watch 4K video up to 147in across on their walls.
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