PS3 becomes digital recorder
2007-08-23 13:09
Jay Alabaster
Tokyo - Sony Corp said on Thursday it would introduce a new external device for the PlayStation 3 game console that allows the game unit to function as a digital TV tuner and recorder.
Sony said the device, called the "PlayTV", will allow users to watch high-definition TV broadcasts and record them to the game unit's hard drive.
It will also allow transfer of recorded content to Sony's handheld PlayStation Portable for viewing.
It will be sold in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain from early 2008, with other European countries to follow.
A spokesperson at Sony's game division in Tokyo said the price of the product had yet to be determined, and there are no plans yet to sell it outside of Europe.
The move marks Sony's efforts to market the PS3, which has struggled against rival products, as more than a game console.
The PS3 comes standard with the ability to playback next-generation DVDs in the Blu-ray format.
- Dow Jones