Source (http://stuff.tv/blogs/cool/archive/2008/08/19/unboxed-sony-play-tv.aspx)

http://stuff.tv/csfiles/blogs/cool/PlayTV-10.jpg

http://stuff.tv/csfiles/blogs/cool/SonyPlayTV-5.jpg

The menus are pleasantly slick – you can call up the full EPG, or just scroll through channels in a smaller menu at the bottom of the screen. The box turns red if it's scheduled to record, and behind the text a bar indicates how far you've got through the programme. There's also the option of an on-screen remote (see below) and chase play (the ability to start watching a programme that's still recording).

But there are a few downers. In order to allow recording while you're doing other things on your PS3 (say, playing Haze) you have to allow 'background recording', and there's a warning that this may cause slow-down and effect gameplay.

Then there are those bomb-shells that we revealed a few days ago, namely no 1080i recording at launch and the inclusion of pesky DRM. Although we haven't yet had the chance to test it with our PSP, this will mean you'll have to record shows via Remote Play to watch them on your handheld console rather than just sticking them on a memory stick and transferring them.

I'm truly jealous of the European countries that will have access to this device. I have dreams about this coming to the US, but I doubt that will ever happen.

However, I'm going to France next spring, so I might pick one up just for the hell of it and tinker with it til it works with my setup lol.

I hope this comes to the US. Can't see why not... I would for sure pick one of these up. If Sony wants to seperate itself from the 360, this is the way...

This only works with over-the-air broadcasts, right? So ten people in the U.S. will be happy about this, right? :D

No way am I going to have this thing constantly running on my PS3 and screwing up the performance of games and movie playback.

Either make these things work with cable or satellite, or don't bother.

I for one would love it if they released such a thing with a CableCard slot.

I hope this comes to the US. Can't see why not... I would for sure pick one of these up. If Sony wants to seperate itself from the 360, this is the way...

It won't, and I don't want it to, anyway. The box uses Europe-standard DVB-T, iirc, so it would require some drastic work to get it to work in the US. And even then, you can only record freeview stuff, which for me means local channels only. Just doesn't seem worth the time, money, and space on my shelf.

If Sony wants to separate themselves from the 360, they should get Hulu working, either in the browser or with a separate app launched from the XMB. THAT would be awesome.

To little to late for me.

I would have been all over this if it had hit the market before the Olympics. But have since got a HD DVB-T receiver, which consumes 10% the power that a PS3 does.

Would it be possible to buy one of these from Amazon.uk and use it here?
I would import one if it will work with my OTA antenna.

Oh, nevermind I read a few posts up...

there is a demo on the Eu store if you want to have a gander.

do we know if it will record to an external hard drive?

Sony's kind of obsessed with DRM, so I'd think no. Even 160GB is nothing for HD recordings.

The fact that this thnig doesn't support Cable Cards makes it useless here in the states. I guess you guys don't have to use cable boxes in Europe?

This is for free to view, terrestial signals. Do you not have any of that in the US?

This is for free to view, terrestial signals. Do you not have any of that in the US?

Yes, and a lot of watch it.

This is for free to view, terrestial signals. Do you not have any of that in the US?

Soon we will only be able to get them w/ a digital antenea or a cable box. While an antenea will give you a hand full of channels and even HD. Compared to a set top box or Tivo, it's no contest.

You guys with European account in US, you can download the demo of PlayTV on PSN
right now.

Soon we will only be able to get them w/ a digital antenea or a cable box. While an antenea will give you a hand full of channels and even HD. Compared to a set top box or Tivo, it's no contest.

No special antenna is needed, 'digital antenna' is an advertising gimmick.

When you can record (DVR) programmes, OTA tv is all that is needed along side Netflix.

You still need an antenea of some kind... gimmick or not (assuming play tv tuner supports ATSC). Selection is limited to mostly local programing w/ OVA.

there is a demo on the Eu store if you want to have a gander.

What's the video called, and under what category is it located?

Does Play-TV support 576i output via HDMI? I want to connect the kit to my Onkyo TX-SR875 and let the receiver handle the deinterlacing and upscaling of SD programs. HD programs are unavailable where I live and for SD, I want the picture to be processed in my receiver rather than in the PS3.

I read that this box only records by time slot. In other words, if a show moves to a different time, it won't record it. No "season pass." Seems like such a silly limitation.

Does Play-TV support 576i output via HDMI? I want to connect the kit to my Onkyo TX-SR875 and let the receiver handle the deinterlacing and upscaling of SD programs. HD programs are unavailable where I live and for SD, I want the picture to be processed in my receiver rather than in the PS3.

I doubt it, since the PS3 doesn't do 480i/576i now for anything.