Further to the earlier posting, here’s a more in depth report on PlayTV, PlayStation 3’s new software that turns yours machine into the hub of your televisual experience. David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, is quoted as saying “PS3 already provides High Definition gaming, Blu-ray Disc movies, music, video, photo album, web browsing and PLAYSTATION Network support. With the introduction of PlayTV’s state of the art TV tuner and PVR functionality, PS3 is now the best choice of home entertainment hub for the whole family.” Good news for all PlayStation 3 owners. Release is scheduled for early 2008.
For the official Sony press release read on.
PLAYTV UNLOCKS FREE DIGITAL TV ON PLAYSTATION 3
Watch, record and replay TV shows on demand
Turn PS3 into a digital personal video recorder and record programmes to watch anytime, anywhere
Leipzig, 22 August 2007. At Games Convention today, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced the introduction of PlayTV - the software that turns PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) into a Personal Video Recorder (PVR). PlayTV will be available in UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain early in 2008, with other PAL territories to follow in due course.
With the ability to watch, pause and record live TV from a huge range of free channels, PlayTV reinforces PS3’s rightful place in the Living Room at the heart of the family’s entertainment needs. Whether it is recording a programme whilst watching another, simply recording a entire series1 at the touch of a button or for watching programmes on the go via remote play on PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), PlayTV offers a simple solution to it all.
“The introduction of PlayTV really will extend the already broad entertainment credentials of PS3, and makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition for the whole family,” said David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “PS3 already provides High Definition gaming, Blu-ray Disc movies, music, video, photo album, web browsing and PLAYSTATION Network support. With the introduction of PlayTV’s state of the art TV tuner and PVR functionality, PS3 is now the best choice of home entertainment hub for the whole family.”
PlayTV provides the sort of features you’ll only find on the most expensive PVRs:
* Two High Definition-ready TV tuners: both able to view, record and play TV in High Definition as well as standard definition.
* Electronic Programme Guide2: 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 WiFi 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.
PLAYSTATION 3 was already more than a games console; now, it’s a TV tuner as well – PlayTV is one more reason why PS3 should be right at the centre of the living room.
1. Series recording currently only available in the UK.
2. Subject to availability, country dependent.
Any word on when (if?) this would be available in the US?
Comment by Nehal — Aug 22, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Awesome news for all the announcements! cannot wait! thanks threespeech!
Comment by Ben W — Aug 22, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
Oooowh!
Does it upscale SD TV though?
Comment by Tony Nibbles — Aug 22, 2007 @ 5:23 pm
I wonder if the ‘High Definition-ready’ tuners will support DVB-T2 and MPEG4, which are currently being considered for future HD broadcasts in the UK?
I guess that the PS3 has the processing to decode the MPEG4, but is there anything in the DVB-T2 spec that would make this receiver obsolete?
Comment by Dougal — Aug 22, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
sweet! please let north america at least have most of the functions at launch and i’ll buy in a heart beat. [:
Comment by jerrt — Aug 22, 2007 @ 5:36 pm
how much is this add on?
it will never be come to the US.
and not future proof IPTV
Comment by Alijah Green — Aug 22, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Bloody hell, nice looking interface too. I’m sold.
Comment by Shin-Ra — Aug 22, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
hope it will eventually support common interface for paytv DVB-T..
Comment by mark — Aug 22, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
What about the “Other PAL territories?”
arg hate being only 5 million people in DK
Comment by Christian Schade — Aug 22, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
this is going to Pwn.
mark my words.
playing backrecorded tv on a psp over wireless is the crazy shee.
Comment by hamildan — Aug 22, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
Christian:
Been confirmed early next year by Nordisk Film, check vg.no for info in Norwegian
Comment by Nils — Aug 22, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
SD & HD? SOLD!
Sounds very interesting, the interface looks pretty slick in the photo as well. If there was support for even more codecs within the PS3 then this could replace my Media Center PC.
Comment by Pete Cullen — Aug 22, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
Why is this delayed “for other PAL territories” like the Scandinavian countries? The same DVB-T technology is used throughout Europe, and specially in Finland DVB-T is the most popular reception type, and the all broadcasts will be going digital/DVB-T on 1.9.2007.
Comment by Hai — Aug 22, 2007 @ 8:52 pm
Obviously this tuner connects to the PS3 via USB, I hope Sony have designed a special, low-profile USB plug, because the last thing I want is to have a great big cable hanging out of the front of my PS3 all the time. I think that is probably the most serious design flaw with the PS3, the lack of rear-facing USB ports.
Comment by Andrew — Aug 22, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
What about dvb-c??
Comment by arieli — Aug 22, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
Very Nice, I like a lot this notice…
Comment by Bruno Caetano — Aug 22, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
Andrew’s right (#14). We need a sleek cable to go from the front USB port to the box so we can keep it (and the connecting aerial cable) hidden out of view. Imagine if you bought a TV with the aerial socket at the front.
There’ll be a PS3 with rear facing USB ports, and maybe these TV tuners built in, before long I’m sure, but that’s not much help to those of us with them already.
There’s a reason these photos, adverts, etc. never show the connecting wires…
Comment by Sherlock — Aug 22, 2007 @ 10:52 pm
Does the DVR functionality work while playing games, or doing something else on the PS3 while recording?
Comment by Hai — Aug 22, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
Fair play Sony, that picture above made me realise how good your stuff is!
Comment by Obli — Aug 23, 2007 @ 4:20 am
i wonder if it can copy video from other source also?it’s already great but if it can copy from analog source it will be awesome.nice sony
Comment by Sid — Aug 23, 2007 @ 5:35 am
Nice idea, trouble is there are some rather fundamental problems if you plan on using a PS3 as a PVR, first off, the 80Gb HD is nowhere near enough disk space for Std. definition TV, let alone HD!
Will also be interesting to see how the SPUFS filesystem handles fragmentation caused by multiple read/write/deletes of large binary files.
Take a look at the MythTV project if you’re interested in finding out about the internals of a PVR.
Comment by Jamie — Aug 23, 2007 @ 8:04 am
Also, did anyone mention DRM ? ….I read that Sony has worked closely with the BBC. If this is true then I’d be rather shocked if the BBC didnt mandate that the content is DRM’ed to buggery.
Comment by Jamie — Aug 23, 2007 @ 8:11 am
Wheres the bloody games?
Warhawk getting slaughtered
Lair getting slaughtered
I have Sky HD,
I don’t want a PSP,
WHERES THE GAMES!!!!!
Comment by DaveTheRave — Aug 23, 2007 @ 9:46 am
Oh, and another thing, that UI is a complete rip-off of the Apple Front Row UI.
Comment by Andrew — Aug 23, 2007 @ 10:08 am
I love the idea of this but…
I have to re-iterate Andrew’s original comment about the PS3 and rear facing USB slots, I couldn’t quite believe it when I first opened my box. You can’t expect to have permanantly plugged in devices to the front of the unit, and wi-fi will be unlikely to handle the bandwidth required (don’t quote me though ;-] )
I also worry about storage. Yes you can easily install a larger HDD but we really need to be able to move files over a network to make this the all-encompassing media centre that’s promised.
Comment by SharkyUK — Aug 23, 2007 @ 11:17 am
A good announcement.
My question is though do you have to leave you PS3 on all day? Or can the Tuner signal the PS3 to come out of standby, potentially a bit like the bluetooth on signal from the six axis?
The PS3 uses a hell of a lot more power when its not in standby. I’ve got the numbers at home, but best not to quote them from memory
Comment by Robert Chasmer — Aug 23, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
can someone please tell me this:
is DVB-T freeview that we get in the uk?
Comment by James — Aug 23, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
@James - Yes UK Freeview is DVB-T (i.e. digital TV through an aerial).
The implementation our system is slightly different from that used in most European countries (we have MHEG for the interactive stuff, the EPG data structure is different and don’t support old style teletext). I think that’s why Sony need time between launching PlayTV in different European markets.
Comment by Dougal — Aug 23, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
So is this basically a box that upscales your existing freeview channels to HD because there are currently no free HD channels in the UK and there won’t be for a few years!
Comment by Adam — Aug 23, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
Why dear god WHHHYYY!
DVB-C!!! DVB-S!!!!…F*(&^ DVB-T it sucks and always will.
Comment by FreeviewIsPoo — Aug 23, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
@FreeviewisPoo - I think the hard part of developing this product is going to have all been on the software/driver side, the dual tuner receiver box looks to be nicely packaged commodity chips. If PlayTV is a success I don’t think there would be any *technical* reason why they couldn’t sell DVB-C or DVB-S tuner receiver boxes, but you could only receive Free To Air channels (not even Free To View channels since there is no CAM or smart card slot). Sony might not want to run the risk of confusing consumers with cable or satellite versions due to this limitation or it could be that they don’t want to tread on the toes of their new UK media partner - Sky.
Comment by Dougal — Aug 23, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
can you record from sky and put onto the ps3?
Comment by daniel — Aug 23, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
@Dougal - thanks for clearing that up, im so excited now i cant wait!!
Comment by James — Aug 24, 2007 @ 2:15 am
This is great…everyone has been wanting a DVR to make it the ulimate Home Media Centre, But i have to admit…there is NO BACK USB Ports and all these Accessories are coming out and some of them need usb….they were going to have a usb in the back but they didnt, whats up with that???
Hope they think of something, or that flash sexy playstation 3 is going to be ugly, with all these wires going everywhere. I will so laugh they do a recall on our playstations to put a usb port in the back!
Comment by Ryan — Aug 24, 2007 @ 2:48 pm
Oh i also Forgot..Do you think that it will have a Aerial In & Aerial Out, cause it looks like it only has a Aerial In
Comment by Ryan — Aug 24, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
DVB-C would make me buy it since I don’t get good DVB-T reception in my appartment.
Comment by Tomte — Aug 24, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
[…] Sony introduces PlayTV: dual-tuner 1080p PVR attachment. For EUROPE. Because their television remains relatively un-clusterfucked by cable companies. […]
Pingback by Sorry for the Radio Silence « Citizen Game — Aug 25, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Will you be able to record from sky digital and put tv shows on your harddrive?
please can someone answer my question
Comment by daniel — Aug 26, 2007 @ 9:43 am
This is absolutly FANTASTIC !! Yust houp it will work in Croatia !!! SONY PLEEEEEEASSEEEE!!!!
Comment by Zoran — Aug 27, 2007 @ 8:53 am
Gotta say, it’s going to be a great product though I’ve read that it’ll be $135-$200 - that’s US. That equates to £70-£100, and we all know that we’ll end up paying more than that in the UK if the price of PS3 consoles is anything to go by… And if you want to store a decent number of videos, that’s another £40 minimum for a 120Gb harddrive. So, my bet is as follows:
£200 all in. £150 for the box, £50 for a decent harddrive. Hurrah!
Comment by Si — Oct 15, 2007 @ 1:18 am
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment