DISQUS

last100: What Sony’s PlayTV is, and isn’t

  • JP · 2 years ago
    "...but so far getting recorded digital content off the device — either backed up to a separate hard drive or burned to a DVD — is nearly impossible."

    It's nearly impossible with set-top boxes, but not so if you run an HTPC. A MacBook or Mac Mini with EyeTV software and dual tuners - one QAM cable, one OTA - can allow you to record as much as you can fit on your hard drive(s). Then you can burn to DVD or convert to your iPhone to your heart's content.
  • David Mackey · 2 years ago
    Still, it is good to see continued movement towards this ends. I am tired of having so many separated devices.
  • Reggie · 1 year ago
    so does this mean that it will be available in the states where digital is avalible now so i can import it? does It also means we will get it some time in 2009 after the switch over to digital nation wide
  • jamie · 1 year ago
    i live in the uk and just wanted to say play TV not having a slot for a cable card is fine as cable is rubbish in the uk and most people have satellite as may areas can not get cable and satellite has a larger selection of channels. and Reggie you will not be able to import play TV as US and european digital broadcasts are encoded differently so the it would be unable to decoded the channels.
  • ed · 1 year ago
    i think what reggie was asking is if he lives in a digital terrestrial broadcast area in the U.S. is play TV available...short answer is no...play TV is not in the states as it wouldn't be cost efficient for the company to fork out the dough to get all the hardware and capabilities there for only a few areas being able to use it...so until the majority of the U.S. gets on board with digital terrestrial broadcasts it looks as though play TV will not be an option there
  • psp games · 1 year ago
    Great service for psp and ps3 at the time...

    And now they can use Goview in Europe...
  • pshomenet · 1 year ago
    Hey, I live in San Diego. I should be able to do this. Hey America, fix your tvs so we can have this!!
  • Florida plumber · 11 months ago
    What?! I'm so, so jealous right now!

    **Wonders if it can be found through a European eBay powerseller**
    :D
  • Paul · 11 months ago
    can you import PlayTV to the US and use an ATSC tuner instead of the one that comes with the software? I would think the the tuner is what is not compatible for the US market and not the software.
  • Paul · 11 months ago
    just for clarification the US has switched to digital broadcast throughout the entire country over the past 2 to 4 years and the conversion will be complete in February. The NTSC format is dead and the new digital standard is ATSC, so the argument that the US doesn't have digital terrestrial broadcast is crap!! Just for future reference
  • Derek · 10 months ago
    "can you import PlayTV to the US and use an ATSC tuner instead of the one that comes with the software? I would think the the tuner is what is not compatible for the US market and not the software."

    So can anyone anwser Paul's question? Has anyone tried it? Cause this sounds doable even though there is a limited amount of Over the Air Digital stations avaibale, especially where I live.
  • Steve O'Hear · 10 months ago
    @ Paul @ Derek

    I doubt it. The PlayTV hardware is tied to the software, it's not a case of just plugging in a different tuner.
  • Derek · 10 months ago
    I don't know much about it but I wonder what kind of signal leaves a tuner box. I'd think it is universal because TV's are universal even ones without internal tuners.

    I'm too cheap to try it anyway.