PlayTV

TV the way it should be

PlayTV lets you watch, pause and record digital television, and it couldn’t be easier to set up and use.

Publish date: 13/08/08

With PlayTV you can watch, pause and record free-to-air digital television channels on your PLAYSTATION 3, and using Remote Play for PSP, you can even enjoy TV in superb picture quality while you're out and about.

Included in the pack are the PlayTV Tuner, a USB cable and a Blu-ray Disc containing the software needed to get you up and running. It's very easy to set up; simply connect your TV aerial to the back of the PlayTV Tuner, which in turn connects to the PS3 using the USB cable. Then insert the Blu-ray Disc into the PS3 and follow the on-screen instructions. 

After installing the software you'll find that a TV icon has been added to the PS3 system's Home Menu, under which you'll find the PlayTV icon.

When you start the service for the first time you are guided through a simple yet informative tutorial and then the system will automatically search for free-to-air digital TV channels in your region and add them to the Programme Guide - a feature that allows you to browse available channels and programming for the next seven days.

PlayTV's menus are stylish and functional, and you can change channels, pause live television, set recordings and much more without having to wait for screens to load. Controls are simple and effective using a Wireless Controller: pushing left and right on the right stick allows you to see what's on now and next on the current channel, while pushing up and down on the right stick lets you cycle through channels without changing the one currently on-screen. The R1 and L1 buttons instantly switch to the next and previous channels respectively.

Pressing the START button pauses whichever channel is currently selected and the R2 and L2 buttons operate the fast-forward and rewind functions. The controls are intuitive and anyone used to viewing video content on their PS3, be it downloaded or on Blu-ray Disc, will find them familiar. You can also control PlayTV using the BD Remote Control.

Pressing the Square button brings up the Programme Guide and allows you to browse programming for the forthcoming week. Highlighting a programme you are interested in and pressing the X button lets you schedule a recording for it. Recording then commences automatically, even if you are watching another channel or playing a PLAYSTATION 3 game and without affecting the quality of what you are watching or playing. Like all of PlayTV's menus, the Programme Guide is a pleasure to use, and has a slight transparency so that you can see what is playing behind it.

The Triangle button takes you to the main menu, from where you can manage your recording schedule; change your audio and video preferences; search the coming week's television by keyword; and access your Library, where you'll find all of your recordings. Should you wish, you can export recorded programmes to the Home Menu, where they will appear under Video.

One of PlayTV's greatest features is the ability to watch live television on the move, using Remote Play for PSP; you can even watch recorded programmes, schedule new recordings and make use of all the functions available at home on your PS3. All you have to do is find a Wireless hotspot and activate the Remote Play on your PSP.

In short, PlayTV turns your PS3 into a recordable digital TV receiver and your PSP into a mobile TV of superb quality. It further expands the multimedia capabilities of both devices and ensures you need never be stuck for something to watch again.