Here's what Sony's PlayStation Vue cloud TV service looks like

There are still a lot of questions surrounding Sony's just-revealed PlayStation Vue cloud TV initiative — pricing, a wider release date, and whether it'll actually convince anyone to cut the cord, to name but three.

But there's no doubt that it's a fascinating move from the Japanese giant, representing a more aggressive assault on the cable-box monopoly than many others have been able to muster. PlayStation Vue will deliver live and catch-up TV programming together with on-demand content through a PlayStation 3 or 4 console (or iPad, later); present partners include CBS, Discovery, Fox, NBCUniversal, Viacom, and Scripps, with Sony saying more will come in the future.

There are some notable omissions, of course, like ABC, ESPN, and Disney, meaning fans who keep their cable box around for live sports coverage probably won't find much new here. But if you watch a lot of Comedy Central or MTV, or generally engage in a ton of aimless channel surfing, PlayStation Vue may be worth a look.

Below we have the first shots of PlayStation Vue's user interface. The service will roll out in beta to invited users in the New York region later this month, with Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles joining in on the preview before a commercial launch in early 2015.