Sony adds a new twist to the world of streaming TV, arming the PlayStation Vue with a new multi-view feature. This means that folks can watch up to three live channels at the same time in one screen. It somehow comes close to a feature that traditional TV sets carry, particularly the picture-in-picture mode.

The difference between traditional TV sets and the new multi-view feature for the PlayStation Vue is that videos are shown on the side and via smaller thumbnails. The extra videos will not be overlaid on the main window and will only work on the PS4 and no on the Vue’s supported platforms, Tech Crunch reported.

The new PlayStation Vue feature should benefit the ones who love to follow sporting events. With the multi-view feature, they can keep tabs with other sports games – a big reprieve during times they are held simultaneously. Currently enabled, all PS4 owners have to do is press X to start any program. From there, press and hold X on any live program to start a multi-view according to the Sony PlayStation blog.

Once that is set, the next concern is how to switch windows on PlayStation Vue. To do that, press Square. To move a program, highlight the thumbnail of choice and then press square to appear on the main screen. Take note that only the main video selected will have the audio track playing at any time.

While the new feature of the PlayStation Vue seems ingenious, it remains to be seen if it can improve on what Dish’s Sling TV and DirectTV currently offers. YouTube is another potential rival though it has several channels missing such as TBS and TNT. Sony plans to add more features to the PlayStation Vue, one that involves adding real-time sports scores and turning off spoilers for folks waiting for games to be shown.

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Tags Sony, PS4, YouTube