Via Sydney Herald
Sony is transforming the PlayStation 3 into a digital video recorder, bolstering the game console's credentials as a flexible multimedia hub for the living room.
PlayTV is little black box that connects to PS3 and contains twin high-definition digital television tuners. Users can watch one channel while recording another, and also pause live TV.
PlayTV also expands the capabilities of the PlayStation Portable game console. PSP owners with a PS3 connected online to the internet can now watch live or recorded programs on the handheld device whenever they're near a wi-fi hot spot.
Alternatively, users can transfer TV programs for viewing on the PSP wherever they go, saved onto a memory stick.
Sony says PlayTV will be released in Australia next year, but its implementation could be hamstrung by squabbling over access to the electronic program guides that form the heart of Personal Video Recorder (PVR) functionality.
The upside for Sony is that sales of PVRs in Australia are still relatively low, so there is a huge opportunity to capture a sizeable new market.
PS3's multimedia capabilities include playing high-definition Blu-ray films, DVDs and music CDs, streaming video, photos and music from PCs, and web browsing.
Early PS3 sales in Australia have been solid, with more than 60,000 sold in the first four months, but critics have bemoaned the console's high price and limited software range.
Instead of dropping the price, Sony last month added the console's two bestselling games and an additional controller to the $999 bundle.
More than 65 titles will be available on PS3 before Christmas, including Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Assassin's Creed, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, SingStar, Haze, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Next year's release schedule is stronger, with blockbusters including Rock Band, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone2.
