PlayTV

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For anyone who doesn't know what it is:

http://images.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/8199-play_tv_span.jpg

What is PlayTV?

PlayTV is a peripheral that allows PlayStation 3s to display and record digital terrestrial television (DVB-T), cable and satellite TV signals are not supported. The PlayTV device is connected to a PlayStation 3 with a USB cable and must be connected to a television aerial with a standard RF cable. PlayTV software is provided with PlayTV.
Main PlayTV features:
Watch SD and HD television.
Record one channel while watching another.
Record one channel while playing a game.
Pause live television.
7 day EPG (where 7 days worth of EIT EPG data is available).
Scheduled timers that will turn on the PlayStation 3 to record and turn off when finished.

Does anybody have one of these? I just received mine from mymemory.co.uk (http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Sony-PS3-Accessories/Sony/PlayTV-(Sony-PS3)) for $115 incl free p&h (compared to the RRP of $180 here) and I can't quite figure out how I'm supposed to connect it, I have to use an indoor tv antenna so hooking it up is a little more complex because I don't have multiple outputs. I've got a spare antenna cable with female & male plugs but my Samsung LCD Series 6 46" tv doesn't have more than 1 output so I'm guessing I need some kind of double adapter

[Mark]

you need to go directly from the antenna to the PlayTV and then from the PlayTV into your PS3 via USB.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_RfmtLwTVA&feature=related

[Mark]

Also, not sure if the imported units will work 100% here in oz. From what i understand Sony went pretty far to gain Freeview compliance with this device.

personally i'd prefer to pay the small difference for a local unit for a product i know is going to work out of the box rather than have to dick around with firmware upgrades and compatability problems down the track..

[borgster101]

It's a cool device to get those Digital TV functions out of the PS3 as opposed to buying some set top box .. but I don't know how often I'd use it personally for it to be a worthy purchase.

[adam_91vn]

Also, not sure if the imported units will work 100% here in oz. From what i understand Sony went pretty far to gain Freeview compliance with this device.

personally i'd prefer to pay the small difference for a local unit for a product i know is going to work out of the box rather than have to dick around with firmware upgrades and compatability problems down the track..


Yeah its only $148 at bigw tomorrow I think

[pauljdavidson]

Dammit I just went and bought a Topfield PVR that cost 4 times as much.

[Mark]

i'll be buying one purely as an NBA recorder.

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Also, not sure if the imported units will work 100% here in oz. From what i understand Sony went pretty far to gain Freeview compliance with this device.
After updating the firmware from the UK disc's 1.0 to 1.21 & resetting my previous settings back to default I can now select Australia>WA for my location whereas before I was limited to the European countries only, yay! I doubt I'll have any problems, it seems like only the disc itself is different since I had 1.0 and the AU disc version comes with the 1.21 firmware

Changing channels seems to be much quicker than normal channel changing via tv, sweet

Dammit I just went and bought a Topfield PVR that cost 4 times as much.
Ouch, that does suck. And the PlayTV has the godsend of firmware updates which'll probably become regular to make it even better & easier to use

[Stevorooni]

Needs an aerial passthrough thing so that you can plug in the one cable then pass it through to the TV so you can watch television without having to turn on the PS3, kind of like a VCR!

I have no need for one of these things though, I have a $70 USB digitial tuner for my PC and just record stuff through Media Centre (and stream to the 360 should I want to watch it on the TV)

[pauljdavidson]

Does it have its own remote? Or can you use the bluray remote?

[Darren]

Needs an aerial passthrough thing so that you can plug in the one cable then pass it through to the TV so you can watch television without having to turn on the PS3, kind of like a VCR!
Yeah, that's my main gripe with it, too. I guess I'll be investing in some kind of antenna double-adapter doodad, so I can keep one RF cable plugged directly into the TV and one plugged into the PS3.

Software seems to work a treat, though. The interface is nice and clean, the program guide is detailed, and flicking between channels is quicker than normal TV. I've set it to do a timed recording for The Simpsons tonight, so I'll see how that goes when I get home after work.

Does it have its own remote? Or can you use the bluray remote?
The existing Blu-ray remote works fine with it -- the PlayTV box even includes a remote overlay that indicates what buttons are assigned to the new functions.

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The only thing I hate are the controls, even though I've got the official PS3 remote I've got the Jap PS3 where circle means forward & 'x' means back but now its all opposite (or 'normal' for those with a local PS3) :(

[Natrak]

It looks like a nice cheap alternative to buying a standalone PVR, the only trouble is I've got enough stuff taking up room on my HDD without adding TV recordings to the mix.

[/backslash]

Buy a bigger HDD if you haven't upgraded already. I've got 250gb but I'm wondering how much recording it'll hold

[Mark]

i found a really useful forum topic on whirlpool.. worth checking out for anyone interseted http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/?tag=ps3_playtv

looks like i'll be setting my country to "other" and re-scanning when the World Cup is on... i'd prefer ad skip over SBS..

How big are recordings? How much hard drive space is required?

The PlayTV software takes about 3 gigabytes (need to confirm) of space to install. Instructional videos are included that take up more space. The instructional videos can be deleted.
Each channel uses a different bitrate but on average recording one hour of SD television will require between 2 to 3.5 gigabytes and recording one hour of HD television will require up to 8 gigabytes of hard drive space. Note that this depends on the channel (generally One HD requires the most space and Go!/ABC2 requires the least) and how much 'padding' you apply to the start and end of the show (we all know shows don't end when they are supposed to), thus you may need to record 1 hour 10 minutes to be sure you got the end of your 1 hour show.
Sample recording sizes for Melboure (November 2009, sizes may change over time and differ in different regions):

Channel Hour:Minutes Size

ABC1 1:00 2.75GB
ABC1 0:35 1.5GB
ABC2 0:50 1.75GB
ABCHD 0:30 2.2GB
SBS1 1:00 2.15GB
SBS2 1:00 1.55GB
SBS HD 1:00 4.25GB
7 SD 0:35 1.5GB
7TWO SD 1:10 2.25GB
7 HD 1:10 6GB
Nine SD 0:35 1.65GB
Nine SD 1:00 2.75GB
Nine HD 1:10 6.5GB
Nine HD 0:30 2.7GB
Go! 1:05 1.4GB
Ten SD 1:10 2.35GB
One SD 0:30 0.80GB
One HD 0:30 2.85GB

[Campdog]

Im pretty keen to pick one of these up. Would be a really cheap way to record the odd show here and there and get a set top box at the same time :)

Still only got a 60gig HDD so need to upgrade that at the same time i would think.

[igotnewsuper8systemWRONG!]

Did I imagine this, or are you not able to skip over ads with this thing (for the stuff you have recorded)?

[Campdog]

Did I imagine this, or are you not able to skip over ads with this thing (for the stuff you have recorded)?

From the whirlpool wiki



Can PlayTV skip ads?

Not automatically. There is a 1 minute skip button and fast forward speeds of 2x, 10x, 20x, and 120x. The 1 minute skip button and 120x FF speed have been removed to be Freeview compliant in Australia. New Zealand and other countries are not affected by this.

So yes it can but only with Fast Forward.

[sheeps]

I was under the impression that you couldn't skip ads at all but if you can fastforward through them at 20x speed then I'm cool with that.

I've got a Japanese console, anyone know if it will be alright to use the local one? I assume so...

[/backslash]

I've got a Japanese console, anyone know if it will be alright to use the local one? I assume so...
Yes, its fine - mine's japanese with a UK unit. The PlayTV unit is exactly the same as anywhere else (its only an empty box with ports), its just the firmware disc that differs

[StorminNorman]

So yes it can but only with Fast Forward.

Freeview needs to die in a hole. :(

I'd probably get one of these if I didn't already have cable TV. It kind of bugs me that these things won't take CableCARDs, as combining the PS3 with cable would be pretty awesome.

[Mark]

i'm pretty happy with PlayTV. at first i had my country setup to "other" to bypass the freeview "restrictions" - but to be honest the 1 min skip usually saw me going too far and needing to rewind back anyhow, and 30x Fast Forward is fine.

now running it set to Australia so i've now got SBS.

all in all i think it's a great piece of tech for the price. My biggest gripe is that it takes a while to initially load. I expected it to be pretty much instant. other than that i'd like the option to be able to record anything with a certain keyword (i.e. record anything with "NBA" in the title or guide info like TiVo can) - but i'm sure they'll be able to do this via firmware upgrade in future.

And it's crashed my PS3 slim twice (both times when trying to demo to friends/family)..

:/

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And it's crashed my PS3 slim twice (both times when trying to demo to friends/family)..

:/
Mark: "Hey guys, watch this!" *tries to record & the PS3 Slim blows up - catching on fire*
Parents: "Wow, that's very impressive! Is it some sort of nuclear weapon?"
Mark: "Goddamnit, its not supposed to do that!"

:p

Very weird though, I haven't encountered that problem but mind you I haven't used mine much yet. Still need to get that aerial splitter

[naclj]

im quite interested in how well this works.

ive been running a media center PC for a couple years now and couldn't imagine living without the flexibility it provides, its good to see the consoles are beginning to provide that as well.

i heard that it cant record 2 shows while your watching the second (ie recording 1 show, watching a second and recording it ), is this true, that seems a bit odd as the way PC tuner work, there is no difference between live and recorded in the sense that they are both being written to the HDD, only that a recording doesnt have a 20min or so buffer constantly removing older parts

[Mark]

Naclj - that's correct.. you can record one and watch another, but you can't record 2 at a time.

i'm going to get a splitter today so i can plug one into my TV directly (built in tuner). simply so i can just switch on the tv in the morning while i get ready for work, rather than sitting on the couch, launching from the crossbar, waiting for it to load..

seriously - if PlayTV launched within a few seconds, i'd be over the moon with it. as it stands, i give it an 8 out of 10.

[Citizen Erased]

It seams a bit stupid to me, since most HD tv's can pick up digital signals anyway. Well I can watch ABC without buying anything.

[Dynomite]

i'm going to get a splitter today so i can plug one into my TV directly (built in tuner). simply so i can just switch on the tv in the morning while i get ready for work, rather than sitting on the couch, launching from the crossbar, waiting for it to load..

I think most people are in the same boat as you. It's a hassle having to start up the PS3 just to watch TV. Not to mention, the PS3 isn't designed to stay on for prolonged periods of time.

I haven't read my instruction manual yet, does it mention how long it's safe to have the console on at one time?

[naclj]

Naclj - that's correct.. you can record one and watch another, but you can't record 2 at a time.

i'm going to get a splitter today so i can plug one into my TV directly (built in tuner). simply so i can just switch on the tv in the morning while i get ready for work, rather than sitting on the couch, launching from the crossbar, waiting for it to load..

seriously - if PlayTV launched within a few seconds, i'd be over the moon with it. as it stands, i give it an 8 out of 10.


Ok, still not sure why Sony imposed this limitation but now i know either way.
That is a bit disappointing but for light use thats not really going to be an issue.

and the start up time does make it slightly less user friendly (says me with an always on PC)

as for leaving a PS3 on for extended periods, i wouldn't. id maybe consider doing it with a slim but not the original and certainly not as we start summer, if i recall correctly though, it can wake itself up for a scheduled recording, which is nice

[Gutsman Heavy]

if i recall correctly though, it can wake itself up for a scheduled recording, which is nice

nice, I was going to ask.

[Creedy]

Not to mention, the PS3 isn't designed to stay on for prolonged periods of time.

Really?
I leave my PS3 on every night all night. It's not an X360 ya know...

[AranchineD]

Creedy's right, with a 360 you can actually risk leaving it on all night without having to worry about paying $500 in repairs if it breaks.

[Creedy]

It seams a bit stupid to me, since most HD tv's can pick up digital signals anyway. Well I can watch ABC without buying anything.

Are you missing the point of PlayTV?
The point is it turns your PS3 into a DVR (digital video recorder), not just the ability to watch TV.

[Dynomite]

I still don't like the idea of leaving it on 24/7, despite it being a slim.

And considering most people leave their consoles in badly ventilated cabinets I might have to buy a fan add on for the console :(

[sheeps]

My PS3 freaks out and the fan goes crazy after prolonged (or not even prolonged, maybe just an hour or two) stints playing.

[Campdog]

I still don't like the idea of leaving it on 24/7, despite it being a slim.

And considering most people leave their consoles in badly ventilated cabinets I might have to buy a fan add on for the console :(

You don't actually need to leave it on 24/7 you just need to have it in standby mode. It will turn on, record your show, then switch itself off again once finished.

[StorminNorman]

This might seem like a dumb question, but can it record shows while you're playing a game/watching a BRD?

[Munky]

Anyone got a splitter yet?

Can you recommend one? I imagine I'll need a booster as from what I understand the splitter will halve the RF signal strength?

[Campdog]

This might seem like a dumb question, but can it record shows while you're playing a game/watching a BRD?

Yes you can. You can record and play a game or watch TV/BRD. You cant record two things at once though.

[Rypien GT]

It seams a bit stupid to me, since most HD tv's can pick up digital signals anyway. Well I can watch ABC without buying anything.

Duh. Heard of HD recording mate?

[AranchineD]

Duh. Heard of HD recording mate?

Mate maybe some people just don't want a WatchStation3

[Rypien GT]

Mate maybe some people just don't want a WatchStation3

You don't own a xBox360 HD DVD player by any chance *lol*

Who wouldn't want a games console/blu ray player/HD recorder? Pity the fool as Mr T would say.

Can't argue with what it does for the price. Very handy bit of kit.

[tau]

thinking of grabbing a ps3 + this and putting it in my room. Then I can hook up one of my 30inch lcd monitors to it and use it for tv+games.

Hmmm.....

[sheeps]

You will so get sick of having to turn on your ps3 everytime you want to watch tv.

[dimorphic]

thinking of grabbing a ps3 + this and putting it in my room. Then I can hook up one of my 30inch lcd monitors to it and use it for tv+games.

Hmmm.....

250GB PS3 + PlayTV + Bad Company + NFS Undercover for $599 at EB.

[tau]

that's what I was considering. The problem is, to be honest there aren't many games I want to play :S

[sheeps]

I saw ps3 slims going for 450 or something at game the other day.

[freeradical]

You will so get sick of having to turn on your ps3 everytime you want to watch tv.

That would annoy the living shit outta me.
Could you use an antenna splitter so that you dont have to?

[Creedy]

Does PlayTV take a while to load up every time or something?

[Australian Ninja]

I ALL seriousness, why does anybody want one of these? Is it just for recording free-to-air TV or can it do anything else?

I refuse to watch syndicated / network television, so am curious if this piece of kit has any other purpose / uses - Door stop maybe?

[Dynomite]

Just because you don't watch free-to-air doesn't mean everyone doesn't. For me to get Foxtel I have to pay to get my entire unit block wired. So I'm stuck with Network TV.

And for $600, a BLU-RAY player, 250GB HDD HD recorder, and a video game console is incredible value. Even if you don't want one of those features.

[Flea]

I never really watch TV either and thats why I have found PlayTV so good! I can watch what shows I want when I want and I'm able to skip through the ads. I don't think I have watched Live TV since I got it.

[/backslash]

I ALL seriousness, why does anybody want one of these?
Uhh...because some people actually need a recorder, its kind of like a VCR/DVD Recorder really, everybody needs one at some stage. And plus there's more potential in future updates

[dimorphic]

that's what I was considering. The problem is, to be honest there aren't many games I want to play :S

Yeah I know what you mean. I bought my PS3 just before Christmas 2008 and all I've played is Resistance (both), MGS4, Infamous and a bit of Uncharted/Burnout Paradise.

[naclj]

I know plenty of people that this would appeal to.

the whole point is that it makes your PS3 a central hub for everything media related in your lounge room. there certainly are downsides to this vs having separate components and really the only issue that bothers me, is that the PS3 doesnt have a "sleep" state that it can quickly resume from so it can take a while (couple mins) before its ready for you, which frankly isnt that big of a deal.

if like me the majority of your content is from channel BT then its only the odd show here and there that you'd use this for which it seems perfectly capable of doing and allowing you to watch all other content.

i cant see how anyone could complain about the amount of features you get for the price, hell a TiVo costs the same and does much less even forgetting about games

[Australian Ninja]

I know plenty of people that this would appeal to.

the whole point is that it makes your PS3 a central hub for everything media related in your lounge room. there certainly are downsides to this vs having separate components and really the only issue that bothers me, is that the PS3 doesnt have a "sleep" state that it can quickly resume from so it can take a while (couple mins) before its ready for you, which frankly isnt that big of a deal.

if like me the majority of your content is from channel BT then its only the odd show here and there that you'd use this for which it seems perfectly capable of doing and allowing you to watch all other content.

i cant see how anyone could complain about the amount of features you get for the price, hell a TiVo costs the same and does much less even forgetting about games


What (specifically) is the difference? Is it not just like Tivo or the Foxtel recorder but for your PS3? Does it do anything else?

[Australian Ninja]

Uhh...because some people actually need a recorder, its kind of like a VCR/DVD Recorder really, everybody needs one at some stage. And plus there's more potential in future updates

Really? I know know most people probably have some kind of VCR / DVD recorder or combo in their home, but nobody NEEDS one.

I'm willing to pay for any show I want on DVD, so I guess I don't think about recorders.

[/backslash]

Quit pointing out small flaws in people's post :p And people could need one if it was a matter of life & death if the husband didn't record the wife's favourite show and the show itself is so crappy it'll never be repeated again/released on dvd/internet

[Lazlow]

I use DVR for sport :D

[Hyperblau]

I never watch sport unless it's live.

[Rypien GT]

Really? I know know most people probably have some kind of VCR / DVD recorder or combo in their home, but nobody NEEDS one.

I'm willing to pay for any show I want on DVD, so I guess I don't think about recorders.

VCR, holy hell. Does anyone still own one? Good that you buy loads of DVD's, but its hard to buy certain sport and other TV shows that are not on DVD. You NEED to realise that the PS3 and Play TV offers BluRay, Games, and recording at a good price. But carry on adding to your DVD collection mate, good on ya. Pat on the back.

I never watch sport unless it's live.
That is very limiting. Nothing like live sport, but not watching any other sport is a bit .... ermmm ..... funny. Love my fix of overseas motorsport, NFL, Rugby League etc...

[Space_Monkey]

I'm going to pick one of these up I thinks.

Although I have only 40 gig in my PS3, and I'm assuming that'll be a problem, how large would say a half hour HD television program be? I could delete and re-record fairly regularly which would eleviate the problem but that'd be a bit of a jerk.

Can I use my TB hard drive to store programs? Or is the PS3 HDD all I've got?

I could replace my PS3 HDD I guess but how much would that cost?

[Campdog]

This was posted earlier in the thread from the whirlpool wiki

Channel Hour:Minutes Size

ABC1 1:00 2.75GB
ABC1 0:35 1.5GB
ABC2 0:50 1.75GB
ABCHD 0:30 2.2GB
SBS1 1:00 2.15GB
SBS2 1:00 1.55GB
SBS HD 1:00 4.25GB
7 SD 0:35 1.5GB
7TWO SD 1:10 2.25GB
7 HD 1:10 6GB
Nine SD 0:35 1.65GB
Nine SD 1:00 2.75GB
Nine HD 1:10 6.5GB
Nine HD 0:30 2.7GB
Go! 1:05 1.4GB
Ten SD 1:10 2.35GB
One SD 0:30 0.80GB
One HD 0:30 2.85GB

You can only transfer programs to USB drives if im correct but you can easily and very cheaply upgrade your HDD in the PS3 for around $100 for 250 gig last time i checked.

[Space_Monkey]

You can only transfer programs to USB drives if im correct but you can easily and very cheaply upgrade your HDD in the PS3 for around $100 for 250 gig last time i checked.

Thanks man, I think I'll look into upgrading my HDD next week.

[Australian Ninja]

VCR, holy hell. Does anyone still own one? Good that you buy loads of DVD's, but its hard to buy certain sport and other TV shows that are not on DVD. You NEED to realise that the PS3 and Play TV offers BluRay, Games, and recording at a good price. But carry on adding to your DVD collection mate, good on ya. Pat on the back.


That is very limiting. Nothing like live sport, but not watching any other sport is a bit .... ermmm ..... funny. Love my fix of overseas motorsport, NFL, Rugby League etc...

I'm talking about families in general when I mention VCR / DVD combo, not so much people under 40 though.

Anyway, thanks for elaborating and helping me understand some "other" reasons people would want one of those PS3 recorder add-ons.

Have to admit that I don't watch sport at all (unless you count the very occasional UFC rental DVD), but my family uses their foxtel recorder for the cricket etc + those loopy V8 Supercars. Not my sort of thing anyway.

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic about the DVD comment, (stupid internet) but I believe in paying for something I value (games, books, movies, TV on DVD) - so I will happilly buy any TV show etc I'm really into on DVD if it is released - I usually wait for a local release - but will import if a show is not coming out here.

[Rypien GT]

Anyway, thanks for elaborating and helping me understand some "other" reasons people would want one of those PS3 recorder add-ons.

No problems, always happy to help.

[igotnewsuper8systemWRONG!]

Hey this is pretty cool, I didn't know I could remote play with PSP

[Munky]

It shits me that despite having two tuners it can only record one program.

Australian networks are so shit at keeping to schedule that you need to run everything ten minutes over to not miss then end.

It's a bitch if a show on another network starts during the overlap.

What's annoying is that Toshiba (I think) has made a TV that uses the PS3 chip than can record 14 channels or something at once!