PS3 Fanboy

Brier Dudley from The Seattle Times is loving the PS3. Not as a games machine, but as an affordable media center. At $399, the upcoming 40GB PS3 will be one of the most affordable and most advanced Blu-ray players around. With its ability to play music, showcase photos, display movies, and more, the PS3 has a great chance of targeting the media savvy with its newer, cheaper model.

Sony will continue to expand upon the media functions of the PS3. According to the report, "within a month, a software upgrade will improve the PS3's interface for music stored and played through the system." However, we don't have any further specifics. Patrick Seybold from SCEA emphasizes that "we haven't made any specific announcements on upcoming firmware." Could enhanced music be a part of the now-mystical 2.0 firmware update?

It will be interesting to see what Sony plans to offer the media hungry in America. While Europe gets PVR capabilities, America has been left out. But, it appears that something will be in the works soon. "Some of that same functionality are things that we're working on here," Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, told the newspaper.

[Via Joystiq]

Announced at Leipzig, the incredible new HD PVR accessory for the PS3 looks to hit retailers some time in the beginning of 2008, after the holiday rush. In an interview with GI.biz, SCEE head David Reeves revealed the difficulties of bringing the PVR system to PS3. "The PVR - it looks simple, but within it there's a lot of licences that you have to obtain. Sometimes you're just not sure if you're going to get that licence ... you know what Europe is like - we have to get safety compliance on a thing like a black box from, I don't know, fifteen or sixteen independent bodies."

Because of the difficulties facing licensing, Sony wasn't sure if building a system for PS3 was even possible. With all the pieces in place, it appears Sony will release the PVR in Europe early next year, after focusing on their key games this holiday. "We'd build up the installed base to Christmas, and then we'd put it out in January-February, which is what we're going to do, and people would then be able to buy it."

In Leipzig today, SCEE announced PlayTV, a TV tuner and personal video recorder (PVR) for the PS3. PlayTV will be available in UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain early in 2008, with other PAL territories to follow in the future. [Update: Kotaku has confirmed that the service is unlikely to come to America. "The problem with the DVR is that the U.S. doesn't have terrestrial digital television yet, so while some cities like San Diego have it not nearly support in the U.S. to make it worth the effort for Sony. When that changes, and it will, Sony will be on the ball, Harrison said."]

PlayTV will allow users to watch, pause and record live TV. PlayTV can also record individual shows, or entire series to the PS3 hard drive. The videos can then be watched from the PS3, or can be transferred to the PSP to watch on the go. PlayTV will provide a 7-day Electronic Programme Guide (EPG2) utilizing the "widely available" DVB-T format.

The peripheral will feature two TV tuners that are 1080p compatible, allowing users to view, record and play full HD television signals. Through the PlayStation Network, the program will be constantly updated, to improve the service and offer new functionality.

See the full press release after the break.