Sony dismisses PlayTV price/date report

By Oli Welsh Published 26 February, 2008

Did not confirm details to HMV.

Sony has firmly distanced itself from a listing on hmv.com that puts the price and release date of PlayTV at GBP 99.99 (about EUR 130) on 28th March.

"We have not confirmed the price and release date of PlayTV to anyone, and that includes retailers," a Sony spokesperson told Eurogamer.

PlayTV is a digital TV tuner accessory for PlayStation 3 that uses the console's hard drive to record broadcasts. It's due for release in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK later this year.

We would expect it to arrive later than March, and cheaper than GBP 99.99 - but that's just our (informed) guess.

Check back soon for first-hand impressions of the device.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (25) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • miiiguel #1 4 years ago

    What about games?

  • kangarootoo #2 4 years ago

    Read this a few mins ago.

    [link url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=33505
    ]    http://ww w.gamesindustry.biz/content_pag...[/link]

    No copy protection of PlayTV recorded content. Hmmmm.

  • mikew1985 #3 4 years ago

    @ Kangarootoo

    It was also posted on Eurogamer yesterday evening, I beleive its still on the front page, interesting none the less. I would have thought this could be a feature which would be quite cheaply incorporated, with a small adapter required for connectivity. Priced above €100 and you can count me out.
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/08 @ 11:40

  • X201 #4 4 years ago

    Please, anything but 28 March. I've already got 50 quid of pre-orders booked for that day.

  • Tetragammatron #5 4 years ago

    Seeing as play.com had the same price/release date a while ago, one would wonder. Anywho, does the UK include Ireland these days?

  • Kyle #6 4 years ago

    I don't think so. But aren't the release dates usually the same for the two areas anyway?
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/08 @ 11:59

  • X201 #7 4 years ago

    @Tetragammatron - "does the UK include Ireland these days?"

    We give each other 12 points in Eurovision so I suppose that counts.

  • SBfistfun #8 4 years ago

    hmm looks rather to pricey

  • bodypopper #9 4 years ago

    Well a standalone PVR with a hard disc costs from £80 so £100 minus a penny would be cheeky. You'd be paying for the Sony brand basically.

  • X201 #10 4 years ago

    Which given how much I love my current Sony Freeview box, is worth every penny in my book.

  • Salvia #11 4 years ago

    "hmm looks rather to pricey"

    Wtf? "We have not confirmed the price" yet it's still "looks" too pricey?

  • SBfistfun #12 4 years ago

    Wtf? "We have not confirmed the price" yet it's still "looks" too pricey?

    Errrr obviously I'm commenting on the price quoted in this article. In the comments section of the article....

  • zedzee #13 4 years ago

    Crikey! It's less than a month from release and they can't confirm NEITHER the exact launch date OR the damn price?!

    Sony are sooo getting away with murder this generation...

  • zedzee #14 4 years ago

    @ X201:

    Out of curiosity, what does your Sony Freeview box provide above and beyond a much cheaper unit?

    @ kangarootoo:

    I would certainly hope that the content recorded is not copy protected, considering you can achieve the same thing with a cheap Freeview unit and/or a cheap PVR that has Freeview built in.

    @ All:

    No one has asked who has Sony OEMed this box from yet...any ideas?

  • potter73 #15 4 years ago

    No good to me.....I have VM Cable.....are they going to bring out any PVR solution for those that have cable/satellite? I only ask, as Im already using my PS3 for streaming music etc. Would be great to be able to use it as a PVR instead of going withthe Virgin one (V+)
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/08 @ 16:49

  • kangarootoo #16 4 years ago

    "It was also posted on Eurogamer yesterday evening, I beleive its still on the front page, interesting none the less"

    Its still there.

    Oops :D

  • kangarootoo #17 4 years ago

    "Crikey! It's less than a month from release and they can't confirm NEITHER the exact launch date OR the damn price?!
    Sony are sooo getting away with murder this generation..."

    What?! How is it murder. Until you can buy the thing, the release date and price are nothing more than of mild interest, surely? What are they doing wrong exactly?

  • kangarootoo #18 4 years ago

    @potter73

    I can't see there being a solution for you unfortunately. VM's own TV won't use the same input signal type.

    Would be nice if they could work something out I guess, though i can't see the customer base (Vm customers who also own a PS3 AND want to use PlayTV instead of their V+ box) being anywhere near large enough to warrant it.

  • lockload #19 4 years ago

    Why so expensive? you can buy a 80GB twin tuner pvr from argos for less than this..and it means i dont need to leave my ps3 switched on all the time

  • White_Westie #20 4 years ago

    @lockload

    You dont need to leave your ps3 on. Just leave it on standby ... If you have a Psp you can also access any recorded media on your ps3 from it via internet! Or tell it to record etc. This is of course as long as the ip on your router doesnt change but your could always pay for a fixed ip from your isp. Really good idea cant wait. My ip hasnt changed for a lonnnnnng time :-)

  • Jakarinho #21 4 years ago

    Subtitle, subtitle, subtitle! If the playTV don't have the ability of the DVB Subtitle then it's no good. Pure and simple as that! I would like to buy it if it can subtitle. Lot of industry are ignorant by subtitle like itunes, bbc iplayer, etc.

  • kangarootoo #22 4 years ago

    @Jakarinho

    Check this link.

    [link url=http://www.ps 3fanboy.com/2008/02/26/playtv-recordings-will-have-no-restri ctions-drm-or-encryptions/
    ]http://ww w.ps3fanboy.com/2008/02/26/play...[/link]

    One of the comments says,

    "I can't wait to get my hands on PlayTV, it supports nearly everything:
    -HDTV
    -MPEG2/4
    -DVB-subtitles (important in Denmark/Scandinavia, crazy they even would implent it)
    -PSP streaming
    -Export the shows easily
    -Dual HD tuners"

    Whether the poster is to be believed I dunno, but I don't see why not.

  • Andy247 #23 4 years ago

    This is essentially a freeview box as the hard disk and PVR punctionality are already contained in the PS3. Anything over £40 and this is a rip-off.

  • kangarootoo #24 4 years ago

    @Andy247

    As White_Westie has already mentioned, a PSP gives you remote access to all of the features across the web. No PVR box gives you the same versatility in that respect.

    Do other PVR boxes allow you access to the recorded content?

  • zedzee #25 4 years ago

    @ kangarootoo:

    Just showing how inept Sony's marketing is, in that with less than a month to go, they're unable/unwilling to confirm the exact price and release date of the PlayTV unit.

    What about those who need to budget for it, in order to purchase it?

    What about those who want to buy it on release date? (wouldn't you have wanted to know when the PS3 would be released to buy it on the first day? Same thing here).

    What about those who want to reserve it in a shop or Web site but don't want to pay for it months in advance?

    That's what Sony are "doing wrong" and throughout their releases in relation to the PS3, and indeed the PS3 itself, they have got away with some seriously extortionate prices...so much so that I think they will repeat it again with this device.