PlayTV coming September 19th, reasonably priced
by Jem Alexander 
{ Aug 12th 2008 at 3:00PM }
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.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ck @ Aug 12th 2008 3:14PM
That last sentence makes my brain hurt.
DJCUEBALL @ Aug 12th 2008 3:16PM
I hope we get this in the US soon... this thing is awesome! I guess we'll find out after US converts to digital format in Feb. 2009.
TheDrizzle659 @ Aug 12th 2008 3:47PM
wow europe only, this is stupid
stargateheaven @ Aug 12th 2008 4:00PM
yeah europe always gets everything.
LOL
OH WAIT
Devin @ Aug 12th 2008 4:06PM
Snap!
NipGrip @ Aug 12th 2008 3:22PM
Could someone smarter than me explain why this wouldn't be able to come out for the US?
GridloQ @ Aug 12th 2008 3:26PM
Money.
koehler83 @ Aug 12th 2008 3:28PM
lack of infrastructure
It will be possible this time next year.
GridloQ @ Aug 12th 2008 3:29PM
Actually, I Googled why and FileFront (of all places) has the reason:
"Unfortunately it appears a similar service won’t be available in America anytime soon. PlayTV is made possible in Europe by its superior digital terrestrial television coverage and one region-wide satellite TV, BSkyB. Without meeting these standards Sony can’t provide this high-definition content to the US just yet."
Link: http://news.filefront.com/gc-sony-sorry-no-playtv-for-the-usa/
But I still say money.
kentuckyfried @ Aug 12th 2008 4:17PM
This post needs to be labeled "EU-only" so that whenever I see it, I won't get false hope.
No hope is better than false hope. -_-
jimb @ Aug 12th 2008 5:27PM
Its because most of the PAL region uses the DBT-T Standard for digital tv and North America uses the ATSC standard meaning that even if you imported play tv from Europe it will just be a paperweight as it the DBT-T service is not available in US.
...However Sony coud eventually release a device in the US that can use the ATSC standard but that is a decision purely up to Sony.
Mark @ Aug 12th 2008 6:26PM
Until your goverment sorts out it's standards, then it won't happen. PS. It's nothing to do with BSkyB satellite, the PlayTV is via regular aerials....
There is a Euro-wide digital standard, hence the ability to provide hardware.
edge @ Aug 12th 2008 8:08PM
It uses European over-the-air television standards, I believe DVB-T:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVB-T
North America (Canada, United States, Mexico) use a different standard: ATSC.
Now, with the somewhat technical issues out of the way: I see no valid reason for this not to be available in North America: there are hardware ATSC tuners already available which Sony could integrate into hardware just as they've done with this DVB-T tuner. Ideally, in addition to ATSC, whatever device hits stateside would also support QAM and ClearQAM (so you can hook your PS3 up to your cable box to browse cable channels (which would let you watch/record anything except for pay channels/pay per view)).
If only SCEA would get on the ball and do this, we could all get our TV recording goodness on. :P
Eddie @ Aug 12th 2008 3:26PM
I would like to know what is currently preventing it from being in the US. God I would love this.
Echnaton @ Aug 12th 2008 3:33PM
As far as I know it works with DVB-T and this is not "used" in the states ... well even if I'm from switzerland, I'd prefer something which works with a satelite receiver ...
Eddie @ Aug 12th 2008 3:28PM
Replying to myself lol...I guess it has to do with the ATSC standard :(
Stoo @ Aug 12th 2008 4:11PM
Exactly, Europe and Asia (excluding Japan) has adopted DVB-T while America has adopted ATSC.
They both have different advantages and disadvantage. ATSC is suited for HDTV broadcast wheras DVB-T isn't, although DVB-T2 will recitfy that.
ATSC is better suited for covering a wider area as it uses a single carrier, DVB-T uses OFDM for multiple carriers so is much better suited to combating multipath problems.
Eddie @ Aug 12th 2008 4:14PM
Perfect! Thanks Stoo hehe.
Jakob Henner @ Aug 12th 2008 3:46PM
For my Scandi fellows, it's not going to be available in Denmark or Sweden (and probably not Norway either), but it's of course possible to import it from Germany or UK (:
pksh @ Aug 12th 2008 4:03PM
What's the reason it isn't coming to Denmark?
SimplyB @ Aug 12th 2008 3:52PM
Yep the First Loser that's what you are. Care to share anything else about yourself.
Remix @ Aug 12th 2008 3:56PM
well played Europe... well played indeed
LJ @ Aug 12th 2008 4:38PM
No offense, but words like "indeed" do not make you sound smarter or cool.. ppl overuse that word.
Maytryx @ Aug 12th 2008 4:05PM
Damn that sucks but good for them, sony needs to give them some recognition to keep there system on top over there nice move sony.
***in Uncharted if you upload your treasures & trophies into the "CRUSHING" difficulty, do u have to still get them all over again or do you get to continue with them & get the 1's you missed & it adds them to your total. AND pls... how the hell do I get the "STEEL FIST" & EXPERT the only 2 missing a 1 trophy
PSN ID - MAYTRYX
superted @ Aug 12th 2008 4:08PM
Will it have the FreeSat HD channels available as stated in the article ?
JaffaBoy @ Aug 12th 2008 4:20PM
You'll get whatever is being transmitted over freeview, not freesat, therefore no HD channels yet.
ecclesisaliar @ Aug 12th 2008 4:28PM
Will the PlayTV box have a CAM/CI/Card slot or whatever so you can get topup tv like setanta for instance?
maroofh @ Aug 12th 2008 4:31PM
OH YHHH U dont believe me when i told you this a few weeks ago. nooo i must be lying....
Gman @ Aug 12th 2008 4:37PM
Yeah, grow up dude
Gman @ Aug 12th 2008 4:44PM
There are USB devices now that allow you to plug a co-ax cable into them and play/record TV shows on your computer with bundled software. Some computers (like mine) even come with TV tuners built in and the software is part of windows. I know a lot of other windows devices (mice, keyboards, printers, etc.) work with the PS3, so all Sony really needs to do is put the right software on the PS3 through an update.
I can't see any reason why the technology wouldn't work in the USA. I don't know what their motives are for lying to the US (building-hype perhaps?), but it would be very easy for Sony to launch Play TV in the US. Also, why do Europe and Japan always seem to get accessories sooner? The PSP has a camera and a GPS ad-on overseas, and Europeans get Play TV. What does Sony have against America?
s7yler @ Aug 12th 2008 4:56PM
come on man? are u serious? normally US get everything first - like the videostore and new demoes and features. Europe is always last - and now for the first time it changes, and you already whine about it :-)
Popfrogs @ Aug 12th 2008 6:24PM
Yeah really, leave the whining to the Europeans, they normally have good reasons to do so.
Also, this won't work in the US for the forseeable future. At the very least until Feb. 09 when terrestrial (read: antenna) broadcasts go 100% digital.
If it were to work with cable providers, it'd have to be able to use a Cablecard and decrypt channels. Microsoft can't even get them to enable proper cablecard support nationwide, and they've been trying for 3 years already. Then there are the satellite providers...a whole different bag of snakes altogether.
There's one bad thing about choice: it comes with incompatibility.
realityzero @ Aug 12th 2008 4:50PM
For once Europe actually gets something. I'd love to have one of these though but I suppose i'll just keep my fingers crossed.
Jesta @ Aug 12th 2008 4:54PM
fuking amercians stfu you have the movie download service and europe does not so stop complaining jesus you ppl do my head in the arrogance off you lot is ridiculous you get everything 1st europe and other places usally have to wait ages after you but one thing is only coming out and you guys go mad
Popfrogs @ Aug 12th 2008 6:26PM
Dude, you're not texting on a phone. Take your time and spell your words.
Anyway don't be jealous of the movie/TV store. It is expensive, is majorly lacking in HD content, and some HD shows/movies you can't even purchase; they're strictly rentals.
liam @ Aug 12th 2008 8:38PM
Canada gets screwed extra hard. No download service or playtv.
MexicanTerrorist @ Aug 12th 2008 9:35PM
Yeah. Us living up here dont get jack.
charliebrown @ Aug 12th 2008 5:15PM
remeber ppl keep comments relative 2 conversation. i say sony backs a similar system for america.come on sony ps3 is my only system i have no pc no sat/cable atleast update flash player for full internet or a system like playtv 4 usa
jimb @ Aug 12th 2008 5:27PM
Its only a £7.01 difference from the original stated price of £77 to £69.99. So no PS3 Fanboy 99 euros does not make £100 sterling.
On a side note I wish Sony would release a Play TV pack with an included PS3 Blu-Ray remote plus a bigger HDD.
zeedy2k7 @ Aug 12th 2008 5:28PM
Argos has this in their latest catalogue.
master811 @ Aug 12th 2008 5:34PM
As a side note, you will not be able to get HD stuff (at least not in the UK) as it is only a DVB-T tuner, as HD freeview stuff in the UK will require DVB-T2 tuners.
Metal_Gear @ Aug 12th 2008 6:02PM
PlayTV is confirmed to have the hardware ready for freeview HD broadcasting with will become available in 2009.
Kurt @ Aug 12th 2008 5:40PM
Exactly! And it's not just Europe Only, it's PAL Territories Only. Thank God New Zealand and Australia will be getting it too ^^
Remix @ Aug 12th 2008 5:40PM
LJ said...
No offense, but words like "indeed" do not make you sound smarter or cool.. ppl overuse that word.
good cuz I'm not lookin to sound cool or smart when I use my over the top snobby brittish accent and say stuff like "indeed" haha
enigma137 @ Aug 13th 2008 7:12AM
LJ. If I wanted to sound smart I'd learn to spell if I were you.
Mark @ Aug 12th 2008 6:21PM
Until your goverment sorts out it's standards, then it won't happen. PS. It's nothing to do with BSkyB satellite, the PlayTV is via regular aerials....
There is a Euro-wide digital standard, hence the ability to provide hardware.
Gary @ Aug 12th 2008 7:31PM
And there I was putting off buying a bigger HDD today because I had no good reason to do so. I've a feeling Sony hacked my computer a long time ago and have been doing stuff like this just when my self control thinks it has won.
Pity it wasn't in time for the Olympics, I'm sure that's being broadcast in HD, not a huge sports fan but there's a crap load of footage to show off the service right there. Anyone know if there's much free HD content in the UK's airwaves? I recall reading the BBC has a channel that airs for something close to 4 hours a night. I could google it, but I'd rather gleam off the information others give me
Niko @ Aug 12th 2008 9:28PM
I'm REALLY confused. I'm mean, doesn't this device simply turn your PS3 into a DVR? What's really standing in the way of bringing this to the U.S.A.? Make it happen, Sony!!
cgatlan @ Aug 12th 2008 10:43PM
I'm english but live in Malaysia, I'm in england this september (when this is released), does anyone think I would be able to buy this there and use it in Malaysia? (which is DVB-T i believe)?
halfbaked{NZ} @ Aug 13th 2008 12:44AM
I dont know much about the US but i believe they have too many different carriers, different standards and different people in control.
In New Zealand - one of the places PlayTv is comming to we only have the old free to air service pretty much just run by the government and canwest plus SKY Satelite and now freeview.
So people dont have as many options.
Not only that but freeview is our first HD tv offering and has only recently started up, if sony has the timing right and releases just as the hype for HD is high then this will do well.
Cant imagine this would make much of a splash in the US where as here itl make the 6 oclock news!