PlayTV hands-on: Turn your PS3 into a PVR
Tags: channels, hard drive, europe, tuner
Sony's PlayStation 3 is a multimedia powerhouse, juggling the playback demands of Blu-ray, DVD and DivX with ease. But while on-demand content is growing in popularity, there remain a vast number of people who watch regularly scheduled, over-the-air broadcasts. So it's not surprising to see Sony enter the market with PlayTV, a new £80 device that will let you watch and record digital TV on your PlayStation 3.
Utilising a USB tuner, plus the included software, PlayTV will allow users to play, record and stream free-to-air digital programming. These types of broadcast are common across Europe, where the open DVB standard has been incorporated into such services as TDF in France and Freeview in the UK. Our colleagues at GameSpot UK sat down with a prerelease version of the device at a recent Sony event and used the occasion to put our questions to Cambridge-based developer Mark Bunting.
PlayTV really comes into its own if you have a PlayStation Portable. By enabling remote play on your PS3, you can watch TV on your PSP locally via wireless or from anywhere in the world that has a Wi-Fi connection. If you want to use PlayTV from a remote location (if you have a PSP, you're definitely going to want to), then you're going to need a router and a broadband connection to hook it up.
All models of the PlayStation 3 are compatible with PlayTV, although the more hard drive space you have, the more you'll be able to record. Whatever size hard drive you have, 6GB of space will be reserved exclusively for game-related data. The PlayTV adaptor plugs into any free USB socket on the front of the PlayStation 3.
The unit itself isn't as small as some PC-based models and, instead, takes up about the same space as an original Nintendo DS. It does contain two separate tuners, however, so you can watch and record different channels. Also, it doesn't require an external power source. While you can control PlayTV with a DualShock 3 or Sixaxis controller, a more traditional remote control is useful if you want to navigate Freeview's many channels at speed.
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AnonymousFri 9 May, 2008 5:26pm
If this thing comes to the US market it could be huge. And springboard into sales of the PSP.
AnonymousFri 9 May, 2008 7:19pm
Should we suppose the only MPEG2, but not more elaborate MPEG4 standard of DBV-T will be supported?
AnonymousFri 16 May, 2008 4:50am
Interesting read.
AnonymousMon 26 May, 2008 4:19pm
This is ridiculous, . . Sony said LAST YEAR that it would DEFINITELY be available BEFORE March of 2007, . . . it's going into June. . . why the UK has such a hard on for the PS3 I don't know, . . I have had mine here in the states since launch day, . and for the life of me, besides bluray, I can't figure out ONE advantage, . . but I can tell you a handful of disadvantages......It's been out longer here in the States, and if you go the the OFFICIAL PSU forums, you will also see that the PS3 is experiencing freezing, bluetooth issues and disk drive issues in record numbers, . . I am one of the morons that am experiencing the first two.. . . Now I got a 360 after suffering with a PS3 and no games for it for a year and have had NOT ONE PROBLEM, . . it hooks up to my PC with the touch of a button and they have all but eliminated the tech problems. . Sony must first ADMIT that there is PROBLEMS with the PS3 if they don't want it to turn into a RROD issue, but at least MS admitted and addressed the issue, . . I'm just now waiting on Sony.
AnonymousWed 9 July, 2008 12:46pm
Where can i get one of those PlayTV things?
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AnonymousThu 8 May, 2008 5:12pm
BBCHD Definitely supported?
I think not. The current plan is to use DVB-T2 to transmit HD on freeview and I don't believe the tuners in PlayTV will be DVB-T2 as the standard isn;t even ratified.