PS3 Addon to turn it into a PVR

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 27 Aug 2007, 10:50

Sounds mint.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6958233.stm

PlayTV for PS3 is a twin TV tuner that will launch in early 2008 in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain with other countries to follow.
Recorded programmes can be streamed over a wireless internet connection to the portable PSP or transferred permanently to the handheld console via a USB cable.

In a statement, David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said PlayTV would extend the "broad entertainment credentials of PS3".

It is the first time a console has been given PVR capabilities. Gamers will have access to free channels that are delivered over digital terrestrial.
Rival Microsoft has touted its Xbox 360 as a platform for internet TV but no partner has yet come forward while its Xbox Live video download service has not launched outside the US.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 30 Aug 2007, 12:06

Cool. It probably will be Twin Freeview Tuners. There's no way Sky will allow their tuners in the PS3.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 27 Nov 2007, 23:28

More info here:

* Twin Tuner (DVB-T Freeview standard)
* Twin HD Tuner - Meaning when the UK gets Freeview HD it's ready
* Upscaling SD to 1080p Twin Tuner Freeview
* "Freeview Playback" compatible - This is the new logo to make sure Freeview PVR's meet certain requirements that Sky+ already has, one being two digital tuners. Another is "Series Link".

Series Link is pretty cool. Using the ID assigned to a program when activated for a particular series it will record every episode of that series.

For example every episode of Series 4 of Friends but not other series that are also being shown as well (or other episodes of the same show shown on different channels) but if there is an overlap because you're recording something else Series Link also knows this and will automatically record a repeat, if there is one.

I've recently bought the Humax 9200T/S Twin Digital Tuner PVR which Humax should be releasing a new Series Link firmware upgrade in January

Freeview Playback also accounts for the times when say a film is shown in two parts and will either record both of them as one item or as two items. There are other bits and bobs "Freeview Playback" makes sure a PVR must have too but I forget what they are.

Read on:

http://stuff.tv/news/ps3-to-take-over-tv/default.aspx

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 28 Nov 2007, 00:07

Thanks brad.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 Nov 2007, 01:33

No worries. I saw the link posted over at The AV Forums. I've been looking into Freeview Playback for my PVR.

What digital TV standard does New Zealand use? If it's DVB-T then this will likely work for you too.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 28 Nov 2007, 01:39

Yeah, DVB-T in NZ. Using MPEG4 encoding.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 Nov 2007, 02:48

It's possible the UK model would work as they've accounted for HD but our DVB-T is MPEG2 so maybe not.

There was talk of Sky (our Satellite provider) using MPEG4 on it's Terrestrial platform but so far Sky haven't even got a Terrestrial service off the ground let alone have used MPEG4.

The idea was to drop the three Sky channels on the Freeview platform and release them with Pay-Per-View MPEG4 channels. Using MPEG4 would allow them to double the channel choice on the Freeview platform but would severely limit the amount of people who could pick them up when all Freeview boxes are MPEG2. Presumably Sky planned to release new boxes that supported both.

So far none of this has happened and the same 3 channels are still on Freeview. I believe Sky uses MPEG4 for it's DVB-S High Definition service.