Sony have confirmed that Play TV - the rather nifty Freeview TV tuner for the PS3 - will be released in the UK on Sept 19th 2008.Play TV which will cost £69.99 will allow users to record Freeview TV onto their PS3 and will offer most of the standard PVR facilities that users of Sky + and Freeview equivalents from the likes of Humax will be used to. Think pausing, scheduling etc.
PlayTV has two tuners, meaning you can record one channel while watching another, and games can apparently be played at the same time. Of course you have to think that most people who have a PS3 are early-ish adopters who are likely to already have a digital TV service of some sort. For me the clincher is the ability to easily transfer your recordings onto PSP.
Anyone who tried this with standard PVRs will know how fiddly this can be. So PlayTV should make the morning commute a little more bearable. Expect more details from Sony at next week's Leipzig Game Convention.
The functionality will come thanks to an add-on, rather than a redesigned console, it will be called "PlayTV" and will launch early next year in Europe. The PlayTV gadget will boast dual TV tuners, so all current Freeview channels will be available, and offer a 7-day EPG.
Programmes will be recorded to on the PS3's hard drive to be watched back when suits you but could also be watched on your PSP. PSP connectivity will let owners set recordings, watch live TV and recorded TV programmes remotely on the PSP via a Wi-Fi connection – or you could transfer video files to your PSP via a USB cable.
Buying the PlayTV will be a one-off purchase cost, with no monthly subscription fees - the price for the device has yet to be confirmed. Taken from the official Sony information, here is the feature list for the new device.
- Two High Definition-ready TV tuners
Both able to view, record and play TV in High Definition as well as standard definition. - Electronic Programme Guide
An incredibly user-friendly, seven-day interface, that provides the navigation for programming the PVR features of PlayTV – it's fast and simple to use with either PS3's SIXAXIS controller or the Blu-ray Remote Control. - Compatibility
PlayTV operates on the widely available Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T) format. - Easy to use
Intuitive controls, single button help features, tutorial videos and simple navigation make PlayTV a joy to use compared with the complex navigation of other PVR models. - Optional on-screen graphical display provides a wealth of information about the status of PlayTV and provides quick access to programme information, stored TV programmes and the controls to pause or record live TV.
- PlayTV will also set the correct interface for either Standard Definition or High Definition displays automatically for a hassle-free viewing experience.
- Portable viewing with PSP
Seamless PSP connectivity allows you to set recordings, watch Live TV and recorded TV programmes remotely on the PSP via a wi-fi connection (using Remote Play feature) – or you can transfer video files to your PSP via USB cable. - It's future-proof
PlayTV will evolve with time - with new features added and updated via the PLAYSTATION Network.
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