HMV blames rival for PS3 PlayTV pre-order puzzle
Not our fault, guv
HMV has blamed a rival retailer for its decision to post a webpage letting gamers pre-order the PlayStation 3 (PS3) DVR add-on, PlayTV - a page it yesterday yanked.
HMV's PlayTV webpage: no more pre-orders
The page allowed gamers to pre-order the £100 (€135/$200) PlayTV unit, said to be due for release on 28 March, even though manufacturer Sony has yet to publicly name the launch date or price.
Sony unveiled PlayTV in August 2007. At the time, it promised the product would go on sale early in 2008.
An HMV spokesman told Register Hardware that it only posted the page because of “competitor activity”.
However, a report by website Computer and Videogames said HMV also blamed a supplier for the mix-up. In a statement shown on the gaming website, the retailer said: “We have been informed by our supplier that this title no longer has a scheduled release date.”
Bizarrely, the HMV spokesman who talked to Register Hardware said he had no knowledge of the statement.
He said the page would now be taken down because Sony has yet to announce official PlayTV pricing and availability.
Sony's PlayTV: DVR for the PS3
Sony, however, was much clearer on the issue. A spokeswoman told Register Hardware that PlayTV is currently going through quality assurance testing. She promised Sony will announce the release date “fairly soon”.
She couldn’t explain how HMV got in such a pickle, because Sony hasn’t released any shipping dates or pricing information to suppliers.
PlayTV, which picks up DVB-T digital TV broadcasts in Europe, turns the PS3 into a recorder that allows gamers to watch, pause and record live TV, including individual programmes or whole series onto the console’s hard drive. It has two tuners, allowing users to watch one show while recording another.
COMMENTS
@Andy
Standard def may well be "shite", but that's all that Freeview currently broadcasts in. So that's all you're going to record using this box, either.
The only legal ways to get broadcast HD in the UK at the moment are via Sky's SkyHD and Virgin's V+. Both of which come with their own PVR decoder boxes as part of the price - there is precisely ZERO market in the UK for a standalone HD PVR, and this will remain the case until OFCOM stop being idiots about HD Freeview.
The other way is to let it fall off the Internet from the US, but if you're doing that it'll come down onto your PC, and the PS3 and X360 can already stream straight off that box's share without any additional hardware purchases.
PS-3 with 8 cores and games utilising only 25% of it's capacity.
Well guys,
It's nice to see that everyone has missed one or two issues.
The drive as previously pointed out is a standard 2.5" Drive. 200Gb cost a grand total of £58. For those that don't have the skills of using a screwdriver. You can connect an external USB drive. Last count was 1Tb for £140. What space issue??
Second, the system can broadcast media stream to a PSP using the RemotePlay with wireless Internet connection. You can therefore play all those missed episodes EastEnders or Cory anywhere in the world. Try doing that on your current PVR.
Setting up a recording or watch live Freeview from the other side of the world or on a ski slop even. Sky+ is the only device that can be programmed remotely. However, still don't think you can watch programmes remotely. (Don't have Sky+ so someone else might be able to chip in here).
The PS3 has 8 core's. As the most demanding PS3 game utilises 25% of the capacity of the PS3. You have ample CPU power to throw at MPEG compression. If this has not already implemented within the PlayTV hardware.
I also tend to try and not look at my PC in the living room. As it is probably not the most pleasing thing to look at. Yes, you can drag it into your living room. But why would you wish to?
Close system? This device has to be bomb proof. Just like a typical electronic device in your living room. Allowing the system to be open would get you into the mess that Microsoft is in. I should know as I earn my living putting the finger troubled Users back to where they need to be. Also, virus hits are in 10-20 range on PS3 kernel against several 1,000 that MS system faces.
You can install a Open System OS on to the PS3 for those that need to.
So the dual FreeView tuners in your PVR's are HD capable then?
You can update the firmware with more features?
The only thing that Sony needs to do is sort out the Flash implementation to utilise version 8 on the browser and add a random musical jukebox play feature like iTunes.
Then they have a entertainment system that can take on most of their competitor's in years to come.
@David Gosnell
A fair point, but Sony did design the PS3 to use a standard laptop drive. You can slide the caddy out and replace it with, say a 250gb HDD drive.
Extra cost aside, sounds like a good PVR to me
DVD recorders are total shite
DVD recorders have shit resolution, shit sound and shit capacity. The quality of recording is no better than a decent VCR. Even if you're lucky enough to find one that will record via component cables, none of them offers a resolution higher than standard definition - 480i. Don't even get me started on their inflexibility and the compatibility issues of the disks you make.
DVR technology is superior to DVD recorders in just about every way conceivable. Resolutions and capacity are upgradeable and they're incredibly easy to use. Features such as being able to pause live TV or record two or three channels at the same time, at HD resolutions, go so far beyond what a DVD recorder is capable of they just aren't in the same league.
Not only that, but the recordings are more easily edited and can often be transferred to any media you choose - including DVD, only this time at resolutions that make sense.
99 quid is an incredible price for a DVR, and just makes the PS3 even more desirable.
Plays HD games, plays HD movies in a format that isn't dead, internet connectivity, HD optical sound and soon a DVR tuner. Downloadable HD movies would be the next logical step, and using HDs as storage, finally offers a capacity that makes sense.
PS3 hard drive space
Some people commenting here seem unaware that the PS3 can take any SATA laptop hard drive. Its a two minute job to install a new drive and it doesnt invalidate your warranty.
