PlayTV - How it works

Published 21 January, 2008 Duration 2:49

So, you've probably heard about PlayTV by now. The latest attempt by Sony to nail the PS3 down as a true multimedia machine, a lounge staple rather than just a console. Here's a quick look at how it works.

Comments (37) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Peew971 #1 4 years ago

    Seems much better than the 360's Mediaroom through BT but my Media Center does all this anyway. The PSP transfer option is great though.

  • GitSomE_UK #2 4 years ago

    Nice!

  • Messiac #3 4 years ago

    Looking forward to this, looks ace. Some nice features and the PSP connectivity option will be awesome.

  • Darren #4 4 years ago

    So this is another separate box then not a plug-in add-on for the PS3 itself, which would have been far, far better as I already have enough boxes and consoles around and under my TV. I'm very disappointed to be honest, I thought the PS3 itself was the box but the cable just allows the external box to use its HDD to record. :(

  • pompeystallion #5 4 years ago

    @darren, have you seen pics of the box? its 2.5inches long! I think you will live ;o)

  • JonFE #6 4 years ago

    Any inputs other than the TV aerial, like SCART? Sounds a bit limited if not...

  • PiranhaUK #7 4 years ago

    Sounds good to me. I currently use Media Centre through my Xbox 360, but thats both the Xbox and the PC itself powered up just to get TV and my Xbox has started to sounds like a 747 taking off...... Just having the PS3 turned on to do pretty much the same thing sounds good to me. Its ALOT quieter and I rarely use the other Media Centre features anyway.....

    When is it due out in the UK?

  • kangarootoo #8 4 years ago

    Awesome.


    "So this is another separate box then not a plug-in add-on for the PS3 itself"

    As in fits internally to the PS3? Not sure how this would be possible. You can't really create a TV tuner in software alone, so it was always going to need an external box. The 360 uses broadband rather than a digital TV signal, so they can provide their service HW free.

    "Any inputs other than the TV aerial, like SCART? Sounds a bit limited if not..."

    Only as limited as any digital tv tuner surely? Can other tivo type boxes take other types of input besides a tv aerial?

  • McLovin85 #9 4 years ago

    looks impressive, will defo be looking at buying a PSP and larger HDD as well as the remote control. man, i'm gonna be in severe debt after this....totally worth it though :p

  • etyek #10 4 years ago

    I don't think there are any PVRs out there that accept an external input, which is annoying if you want to record Sky or Cable rather than Freeview. However, since this is also acting as a remote server to the PSP, the lack of external input is going to be particularly annoying, considering competitors such as the Slingbox let you hook up pretty much anything.

  • onyxbox #11 4 years ago

    ahh but will it record while I play games... let's hope so... let's hope the PlayTV just treats the PS3 as a usb hard drive.

  • bodypopper #12 4 years ago

    Some PVR-equipped TVs accept an external input. I think price will be a big factor with PlayTV. Anything over £50 would be too much especially considering the software will be free.

  • JaysonG #13 4 years ago

    Build this into a PS3, with a 120-200GB HDD and give us Hardware BC (I'd say "put the Hardware BC back" but you never gave it to us Europeans in the first place!) bundle in a pair of DS3's and I'd gladly drop £429+ on it.
    Edited by JaysonG at 22/01/08 @ 23:11

  • LeD #14 4 years ago

    My Internet+TV box already allows me to do that, minus the PSP thing, which is cool.

  • Pedrolot #15 4 years ago

    Interesting..

  • megamixer #16 4 years ago

    That's all well and good but if you have a digital set top box then why would you want it If it has extra channels then maybe but otherwise just a useless extra.

  • CHAOS_BROON #17 4 years ago

    looks like another great idea from the only people that want to make the future in technology, sony.

  • moggsy #18 4 years ago

    Well this looks like it's shaping up to be a very basic PVR. Until I see a longer list of features (such as recording 2 channels at once, chase play, series links, and being able to record 2 channels while playing a game etc) then a proper PVR such as the Humax 9200 is a much better bet. Team the Hummy up with a Slingbox and you've got competition that I doubt PlayTV can match up to...
    Edited by moggsy at 25/01/08 @ 22:33

  • dr_swin #19 4 years ago

    The wifi link up to the ps3 sounds great but does that mean you have to have your ps3 on constantly in case you want to use it? It would be great if you could send a signal that made it start up when needed.

  • Stepharneo #20 4 years ago

    @dr.swin, i'm pretty sure when i had the remote play option working aslong as the ps3 is on standby the psp can turn it on, like the ps button on a sixaxis/ds3...which is cool except whenever i turned my psp in my house on it automatically turned on the ps3 aswell.

  • ioryadragon #21 4 years ago

    interesting, at least from a marketing, trailer view, how it works and the limitation, remains to be seen, they try to sell us something now:)

  • Pauloitis #22 4 years ago

    Cant wait for this, why cant it come out tomorrow so i can have ti to record the Liverpool Man u match?? DAMN!!!

    Also the date for UK is 19th, when do the rest of europe get it?? (spain) took like a month for us to get Dual Shock 3 after UK.