Comments on: We Want PlayTV – Freeview For Your PS3

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By: Tim Pearson

Tim Pearson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:48:39 +0000

Play TV avaiable now for preorder from $193.99 from Fishpond. Also advertises that the EPG works. Doesn’t sound right to me but you never know.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:06:49 +0000

Just another update… following a software update that was made available over the weekend, the UK unit that I bought to NZ is now working perfectly.

The unit decodes and upscales all freeview channels, including the 5.1 audio of TV3.

Live TV buffering (PVR) functionality is all working perfectly. If you schedule a recording, the PS3 will wake up, display a message that it is recording and will automatically switch off when finished.

The only gripe is that the programme guide is only populated for the next few hours, though placeholders for program information are shown for the next couple of days.

You can’t schedule two channels to record at the same time in the future (but you can view one while another is recording).

Interestingly, the initial setup menu has an option for Australia now (it didn’t used to) – which includes options for each territory.

Anyway, its working! If they start selling these in NZ, Sony will sell these by the bucketload.

I upgraded my PS3 to 320GB, so should have enough storage for the next while!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:37:18 +0000

Sorry forgot to give the link
http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2009/06/19/playtv-update/comment-page-3/#comments

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:36:37 +0000

Some major developments Mark Bunting Producer of PayTV has started a blog with questions and answers, all VERY exiting news for New Zealand all the AAC/AAC+ audio and MPEG-4 recording are being addressed and will be in the next firmware update. Once this happens PlayTV will be fully up and running here!! The only thing is the MHEG5 EPG that may be further down the track??
Once all is working it would be well worth while importing!!

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:10:09 +0000

Thanks Stompy, your UK Sony Bravia will NOT work in New Zealand as our analog PAL system is different to yours, also our DVB-T system is the new MPEG-4 AVCHD format UK uses the older MPEG-2 SD system.
Yes since the latest firmware 1.10 PlayTV now supports MPEG-4 and AC3 (Dolby digital) but not AAC and AAC+ audio at the moment, TV3 is in AC3 and all the other channels are AAC and AAC+ audio hence no sound. Future firmware updates will sort that one out.
Live pause should also be working 100% but you surprise me saying you can record?? At the moment PlayTV does not support MPEG-4 recording it will come up with an error if you try to record.
The FreeviewHD EPG here in New Zealand uses its own custom MHEG5 system which playTV does not support until we get a firmware update to support it. The EPG PlayTV is dispalying is the EIT EPG which is used for “now and next” on all set top boxes and PVR units due to one of the Zinwell PVR’s the EIT EPG normally shows 5-10 events ahead so this is normal.
If you want more info on PlayTV in New Zealand go to the Freeview Shop forums http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/forum/index.php/board,1.0.html or for the Australia and New Zealand go to http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1159251 or http://community.eu.playstation.com/playstationeu/board?board.id=bANZ_PS3_general

Cheers

Mike

By: stompy

stompy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:15:15 +0000

my two cents:

I’ve recently moved from London to Auckland.
I shipped my UK sony bravia, ps3 and playTV with me.

The bravia does not pick up ANY tv channels (analogue or digital). Much to my disgust. But it does make me happy i didn’t spring for the 52″ bravia i was looking at bringing back.

However, the UK PS3 and playTV DO work – kind of.
Using the latest PS3 system and playTV software (as of 2 June 2009 anyway) i can receive all 8 freeview channels including HD broadcasting. As well as EPG information, but this seems to only ‘see’ one day into the future. Not all week ahead like back in London.

But the only channel with sound is TV3. Ironically the new TV3+1 channel does not have sound?! Someone needs to explain that one to me.

I can pause, rewind and record TV3 no problem.
CSI Miami HD looks unbelievable! (records HD too)

Fingers crossed more updates are on the way – otherwise my TV just became a relatively expensive video screen….

By: Wazza

Wazza — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:31:56 +0000

I too agreed that PlayTV would be an amazing easy to use device and I myself considered buying a PS3 just for Freeview HD with PlayTV add-on… As the dates have come and gone on numerous occasions and there is still no set date for release I have abandoned this idea. I have downloaded the free RC release of Windows 7 and I have built a computer with dual-Freeview HD tuners and dual-Freeview Satellite tuners and it works like magic. I have also bought 3 xbox 360s for the other rooms of the house and can be recording up to 4 shows at once and am able to use a full working guide (from satellite signal) and can watch recordings from any room. It also allows the radio, live tv, recordings, music, pictures and all my other little movie clips to be viewed anywhere. This by far is a much better option for me and my family as the recordings arent trapped to one device (or a PSP) and numerous shows can be recorded at once and from different tv formats. Although i found Windows Vista a struggle, Windows 7 is the ultimate media program and with xbox 360′s connected it is an incredible experience and is so easy to use.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:26:42 +0000

Fantastic comment, Mike! Thanks so much!

I’m really looking forward to this, now. With the announcement of TiVo and hopefully PlayTV incoming sooner rather than later, the scene in NZ will hopefully start to pick up.

This will hopefully also put Sky on notice that they have to up their game as well should they want to compete. Sky + Freeview in HD on PlayTV would be a (wet) pipe dream for me but I doubt it will ever happen

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:31:00 +0000

PlayTV Review for MPEG-4 New Zealand only

PlayTV is a twin-channel DVB-T tuner peripheral with digital video recorder (DVR) software which allows users to watch and record television programs to the hard drive of a PlayStation 3 console for later viewing. Sony announced the device on 22 August 2007 by Warrick light of Sony New Zealand. The device was launched in the UK on the 19 September 2008 but MPEG-2 only. Since then there has been 3 firmware updates, the latest released on the 07/04/2009 supporting MPEG-4 AVC broadcasts.

PlayTV in New Zealand
The release of PlayTV in New Zealand has had numerous delays with still no sign of when it is going to be released. Since the firmware 1.10 update PlayTV now does work in New Zealand but not fully,

What PlayTV can not do unit a further firmware update:

- AAC HEV2 support (the Playstation it’s self supports it but not PlayTV)
- AC3 5.1 (PlayTV only supports Dolby Digital 2.0 at the moment, the PS3 does support DD5.1)
- MHEG5 Freeview New Zealand EPG support.
- MPEG-4 recording from PlayTV
- Master volume control via BD remote
- Single button jump to PlayTV from XMB

What PlayTV can do with firmware 1.10:

- Both SD and HD MPEG-4 broadcasts
- Live pause including fast forward rewind on HD and SD
- Remote play to a PSP
- Full HD and sound on TV3 ( Dolby Digital 2.0 only)
- EIT EPG (five events ahead only)
- HD and SD on all Freeview HD channels but only TV3 has sound

My first impressions with PlayTV after installing the software and firmware update was a WOW factor, the interface and ease of use is fantastic to say the least. After having a wee play around thought I would do some comparisons between PlayTV and a Zinwell set top box.
We tested both at HDMI into a Panasonic PT-AX200 projector onto a 100” screen

Picture quality
PlayTV is crisper and cleaner on both SD and HD where in comparison the Zinwell looked softer I was quiet impressed in how good the picture quality looked on PlayTV

Interface
This is where PlayTV is out on its own, the whole interface, graphics and EPG would be the best I have seen on any set top box/PVR, it is easy to use, smooth and has a very quick response time quiet frankly leaves the Zinwell for dead. The PS3 has other nifty features like you can escape out of PlayTV back to the PS3 XMB bar send messages and do heaps of other tasks but PlayTV is still running so you do not miss the TV program you are watching. Also when a message arrives it comes up on the corner of the screen the same way when you are playing a game.

Remote play
This is probably not for everyone personally I think this is a fantastic feature and works extremely well. Remote play is running PlayTV from your PS3 to a PSP ether by Bluetooth, wireless router or via the internet, the picture quality on the PSP is very impressive with full stereo sound and is in 16.9 widescreen.

Conclusion
I can see this device being a huge seller once it is released in New Zealand with all the software making it fully compatible to Freeview HD. Even with the limitations it has now is a breeze to use. In my opion Sony New Zealand need to start talking harder with both Freeview and the PlayTV developers and make some sort of time line for release date otherwise they risk missing the boat in market share with the arrival of TiVo later this year. With the latest firmware update this has given us a glimmer of hope that things are not that far away.