LGC07: SCEE announces PlayTV for PS3, "watch, record and replay TV shows"
As expected, Sony just announced PlayTV, a combined TV tuner and PVR (think TiVo) for the PlayStation 3.
But we already knew that, you want to know the details! PlayTV has two high definition tuners allowing you to watch one channel while recording another all in 1080p. It uses the European Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T) format meaning a US release isn't possible in this configuration. You can store shows on your PS3 or transcode and transfer them to your PSP for viewing on the go and, speaking of PSP, you can use the handheld's Remote Play feature to program or watch your PlayTV while away from home. They promise the interface and guide will of course be beautiful and lightning fast, but until we can try it out for ourselves you'll just have to take their word for it.
Just in case it's not the be all and end all of set-top boxes, Sony says, "PlayTV will evolve with time, with great added value functionality being updated via PlayStation Network; a feature that sets it above all other set top boxes. PlayTV will never be out of date." ... At least not for Europeans. PlayTV will hit Europe "early in 2008" with other PAL territories to follow. We've asked SCEA to comment on a North American version.
