PlayTV
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Sony's PlayTV DVR for PS3 delayed to September 19th
Er, you know that September 10th, €99 (about £78) PlayTV launch announced by David Reeves? Well, turns out that the Sony Europe president jumped the gun or the product's been dragged through a trough of delay. Whatever the case, Sony Europe told Eurogamer that the PS3 TV tuner / DVR add-on will launch on the 19th of September now and cost a bit less at just 70 Quid. It's also said to be HD ready should local DVB-T broadcasters decide to throw that switch. [Via PS3 Fanboy, thanks Jimb]
PlayTV coming September 19th, reasonably priced
Despite Mr. Sony Europe, David Reeves, telling the world that PlayTV would be with us as soon as September 10th, Eurogamer has been told by SCEE that the device will now not be available until the 19th. Reeves also stated a price of €99, which has also been confirmed false. PlayTV will now set you back £69.99. A much better price point than the originally rumored £100.In case you're not aware, PlayTV is an add-on for the PS3 which will allow you to watch and record SD and HD freeview channels. You will be able to watch and record separate channels at the same time and even play games while recording is taking place. This is a Europe-only device, however, thanks to something that involves a lot of very technical TV jargon.
SCEE President dates PlayTV for the UK
Eurogamer has learned from Sony Europe's David Reeves that PlayTV will debut in the UK on September 10th, with the rest of Europe getting the add-on "from September to December," while Australia and New Zealand will be joining in on the DVR fun in January or February. No word on pricing though, but Reeves previously stated the price would €99. Even more exciting for Europeans, Aussies, and New Zealanders is that the digital video recorder add-on will allow users to record TV while simultaneously engaging in a game. Apparently there were some technical obstacles they had to overcome to achieve this, so kudos to Sony for that. Reeves states that the firmware needed for PlayTV was already included in update 2.41, "so in theory if your PS3 is up to date you're all set for the 10th September launch." Of course, North Americans who use the ATSC digital standard will never see this, since PlayTV is a DVB-T tuner. We'd say if anything, this should bring some relieve to our PAL regions friends who are currently missing out on the PS Store video service. [Thanks, jimb!]
Sony's PlayTV begins European rollout September 10th in UK
So much for early 2008 or even July for that matter. Sony's David Reeves now confirms that PlayTV -- the €99 PS3 TV tuner / DVR add-on -- will hit the UK on September 10th. The service will then march onto the continent before completing the European rollout in December -- Australia and New Zealand get theirs in January or February. Notably, the service will in fact record television in the background without interrupting your regularly scheduled gaming regimen thanks to the recent 2.41 firmware PS3 update. Phew, for a moment we felt threatened by a lack of manufactured distractions.[Via gamesindustry.biz]
Video: PlayStation Day demonstration of PlayTV, Go!Explore
Europe gets all the fun stuff! Watch David Reeve's PlayStation Day presentation about the PSP, which talks about two key PSP products available across the Atlantic: PlayTV and Go!Explore. PlayTV gives PSP owners access to DVR content, through connectivity with PS3. Go!Explore is an affordable GPS utility, which adds yet another fancy tool to PSP's ever-expanding features list. C'mon, SCEA! Give us GPS ... now!
PlayTV priced and dated, but not really
Amazon.co.uk has caused some confusion today when it listed a release date and price for the Digital TV recording peripheral, PlayTV. With a date of July 31st and a price of £59.99, it was looking like a good deal for UK PS3 owners. Until Sony refused to confirm both details and Amazon pulled all the information on their site, that is. Instead, the release date is now set for October and there's not a price in sight. Weird. We're sure you're as excited as us about PlayTV, so we'll be sure to keep you up to date with any developments.[Via Eurogamer]
Sony's PlayTV set for July release, UK pre-order now available
For those of you lucky, lucky folks in Europe (or the UK, more specifically), it looks like your wait for the PlayTV rollout is coming to a close. According to Amazon's British wing, you can now pre-order the PlayStation 3 add-on for £59.99 ($120) with an expected release on July 31st. Over here we'll just continue to twiddle our thumbs, watch paint dry, and check out our Blu-ray version of The Song Remains the Same... again[Thanks, Mighty Zoltar]
PlayTV recordings will have no restrictions, DRM or encryptions
What's better than recording your favourite telly shows onto your PS3 with PlayTV? Could it have something to do with transferring these recorded videos onto your computer without restriction? That's what Sony are promising will be possible when PlayTV launches this year. There will be no restrictions on what you can do with your vieos which, once recorded, can become just another file on your XMB and can then be copied onto an SD card or USB key for easy transfer where ever.Not only that, but there will be not DRM or proprietary encoding on the videos, they will simple render out as high-quality MPEG-2s. This means you can watch or edit them on your computer, or even encode them for use on your PSP (slightly pointless considering PlayTV supports PSP playback via Remote Play) or iPod. As long as no-one does anything illegal with the files (like put them on a BitTorrent network) then everything's fine. Expect people to take no notice of this whatsoever and start sticking stuff online as soon as PlayTV finally gets released - which is when, again? [Thanks Jakob]
See PS3's PlayTV doing its thing; still Europe only
Remember PlayTV? Sony's been real mum on their PlayStation 3 TV-tuner slash PVR peripheral since first announcing the thing back in August. Like then, it still appears PlayTV will be Euro-only, thanks in no small part to the device's reliance on the European Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T) format. The BBC has a nice shakycam video (found after the break) of what you can expect from PlayTV, showing off live TV playback, the episode guide, pause and record functionality, and even (most impressively) playback from a PSP turning the PlayTV into a console-centric Slingbox of sorts. They say it's coming out "later this year" (they previously has targeted "early in 2008") so it's anyone's guess when you'll be able to get one for yourself. As long as we're all guessing, you might want to take a couple stabs at price (still unknown) and potential availability of a North America-compatible version (also still unknown).
Sony's PlayTV for PS3 gets shown off, still only for Europe
Sony's been relatively mum on its Slingbox-like PlayTV add-on for the PlayStation 3 since it announced it last fall, but it's now finally starting to show it off for all to see and, thanks to the BBC's dot.life blog, we now have a pretty good idea of what European PS3 users can expect. As you can see in the video after the break, the PlayTV software appears to be straightforward enough, and includes the usual program guide, and options to pause and rewind live Freeview TV, as well as the ability to record one channel while watching another (thanks to the dual tuners in the device itself). Also on display is the PlayTV's ability to work with your PlayStation Portable via Remote Play, which'll let you watch live TV (or recorded programming) from anywhere with a WiFi connection. One of the few things it can't do, it seems, is record programming in the background while you're playing a game, although the developers are apparently "working hard" to add that feature. Still no word on a price or exact release date though, so you have a bit longer to be spared the inevitable bragging from your European friends.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
See PlayTV in action
In glorious low-res shakycam! Those lucky BBC Tech guys have got their hands on PlayTV and have produced a wee video showing off exactly what it can do. The video takes you through the interface of the software on the PS3, showing you how quick and streamlined the whole system is. They then go on to show off the remote play features. It all looks rather excellent to us and we can't wait to get our hands on the magic box itself. ThreeSpeech has also been able to put rest to some niggles that some of you may have. They have confirmation from Sony that, should you set a program to record and have your PS3 on standby mode, it will turn itself on, record, then shut down. So those of you who are worried about wasting energy can rest easy in the knowledge that your PS3 will be on only as long as it needs to be.
Sony showing PS3 PlayTV promo video
Sony is running a new video trumpeting its forthcoming PlayTV service. No new details, but it is showing off some (hopefully) real functionality. Hook your DVB-T antenna to the PlayTV box and make a USB connection to the PS3 to unlock basic dual-tuner DVR functionality. From the video, the UI for the EPG and time-shifting look nice enough, and we like the video thumbnails used for viewing the library of recorded shows. Interestingly, no mention of copying content to a PSP is made, but the video does tout the "Remote Play" feature that place shifts live and recorded content on the PS3 to your WiFi-connected PSP. Two questions, Sony: when is this coming stateside (ATSC, please), and how much coinage?[Via TGDaily]
PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 47
Gamevideos.com's Wipeout Pulse import impressions (61.9MB) Also featured: God of War: Chains of Olympus, Twisted Metal: Head on: Extra Twisted, PlayTV and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops
Still confused about PlayTV? Watch this video
There's been a lot of talk about PlayTV, but until now that's all been words. ThreeSpeech have released the above video to show you, with actual pictures and everything, how exactly PlayTV will work. It's all very simple and straight forward. PlayTV's release date is still shrouded in mystery, though Play.com did leak a possible date and price (March 28th for £99) this has now disappeared. No doubt there will be a significant marketing push when the system is nearing its release. We're just hoping to get our hands on it as soon as possible.
PlayTV DVR gets priced, dated
UK retailer Play.com has placed a listing for the upcoming PlayTV peripheral on its website. This Europe-exclusive add-on for the PS3 will allow PS3 owners to do a number of cool things, such as: Record and view your favourite programmes at the same time - Play TV enables you to record both Standard Definition as well as High Definition Personal Video Recorder functionality - watch live TV, pause, fast forward and rewind Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) to show what's on, now and next - up to 7 days in advance in certain countries Mobile TV functionality - export content easily from PS3 HDD to PSP - watch TV on the go! Thanks to live streaming, you can watch your favourite show whilst abroad Channel surf with either your BD remote or your Sixaxis The site has a March 28th release date and a £99.99 price point.[Via PSPGadgetZ]
PlayTV interface makes XMB look outdated
Europe's exclusive PVR service, called PlayTV, looks to be a winner. So much so that Americans (like a majority of the PS3 Fanboy team) are jealous of their friends across the Atlantic. If the features and services provided by PlayTV weren't incredible enough, it utilizes a genuinely sexy interface that (dare we say?) looks better than Sony's XMB. Watch this "leaked" footage from Leipzig to see for yourself. [Via digg]
More details on Sony's new PlayTV
The info is flying fast today as Sony's launches a multi-tiered attack on the entertainment community. Luckily, we've got some additional info on the just announced PlayTV TV tuner / DVR for the PS3, and we'd like to share it. The unit will apparently be coming to Europe "early in 2008" with other territories to follow (PAL only for now). The new box will feature two 1080p tuners, which utilize the European Digital Video Broadcasting system (DVB-T) -- which should dash any US hopes for the time being. The system will allow you to store recorded broadcasts on your PS3 drive, and also transcode and transfer the saved files to your PSP. Additionally, you'll be able to use the PSP's "Remote Play" feature to program and watch your PlayTV away from home. Sony reps also make the bold pronouncement that the PlayTV architecture will "never be out of date" due to automatic network updates from the company. We're gutted that the US gets no love from Sony on this one, but it's a good time to be a European PlayStation 3 fan, that's for sure.
Sony's PlayTV turns your PS3 into a TV tuner / DVR, plus VoIP on PSP, DualShock 3 rumors
The PS3 rumor mill is working overtime today, delivering not one, not two, but three whoppers that should have fans and foes alike feeling alive with pleasure. The first top-secret super-rumor comes direct from the BBC, a small, but fairly trustworthy news organization, who is reporting that Sony's game box will be getting a digital TV tuner (at least in the UK) which allows you to record your favorite shows à la TiVo, called PlayTV, which will also let you transfer those shows onto your PSP. Of course, this news was announced by Sony at their not-so-secret Leipzig Game Convention keynote, so you can probably bank on this one. Additionally, Sony has partnered with Britain's BT Group to bring video and voice telephony to the PSP via the Go!Messenger software, which is set to launch in January of 2008. In other, less official PS3 news, word on the street is that the DualShock 3 -- not the infamous SIXAXIS -- will be compatible with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, at least based on a second-hand report from the Japanese game magazine Dengeki PlayStation. The report has fueled suspicion that the new controller pictured in silhouette in recent GT5 ads is actually the DualShock 3, and that the controller will be made available coupled with a GT5 demo. We'll have to wait and see on this one, so try and stay tuned.Read -- LGC07: SCEE announces PlayTV for PS3, "watch, record and replay TV shows"Read -- BT, Sony unveil PlayStation with video callingRead -- DualShock 3 rumbles with GT5 Prologue, Japanese gaming mag claims
PlayTV brings HD DVR features to European PS3 systems
In Leipzig today, SCEE announced PlayTV, a TV tuner and personal video recorder (PVR) for the PS3. PlayTV will be available in UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain early in 2008, with other PAL territories to follow in the future. [Update: Kotaku has confirmed that the service is unlikely to come to America. "The problem with the DVR is that the U.S. doesn't have terrestrial digital television yet, so while some cities like San Diego have it not nearly support in the U.S. to make it worth the effort for Sony. When that changes, and it will, Sony will be on the ball, Harrison said."]PlayTV will allow users to watch, pause and record live TV. PlayTV can also record individual shows, or entire series to the PS3 hard drive. The videos can then be watched from the PS3, or can be transferred to the PSP to watch on the go. PlayTV will provide a 7-day Electronic Programme Guide (EPG2) utilizing the "widely available" DVB-T format.The peripheral will feature two TV tuners that are 1080p compatible, allowing users to view, record and play full HD television signals. Through the PlayStation Network, the program will be constantly updated, to improve the service and offer new functionality.See the full press release after the break.
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.
