PlayTV for PS3 coming to OZ. Maybe NZ too...?

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dontpanic42

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#37803 18-Jul-2009 14:51

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25672790-15317,00.html

Maybe we are about to get an announcement for the NZ release of PlayTV for the PS3???
Anyone know??

billgates

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#236682 18-Jul-2009 15:57

December 2009. That's what the Sony rep told me.

Do whatever you want to do man.

JKRNZ

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#236705 18-Jul-2009 17:23

Well spotted, CB! It's about b....y time, Sony. My Bravia has been waiting patiently since the PlayTV was leaked 2 years ago. (I must admit it has been playing on the side with a Zinwell in the meantime.) Then I have a reason to buy the PS3.

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#237084 20-Jul-2009 09:33

Believe this when I see it, (but I really hope I do!).

Seems all development for this is being done in UK and it's a get in line and wait your countries turn sort of thing. Couple that with freeviews refusal to broadcast more EIT data on the UHF system and you've got a bigger wait while they sort how they're gonna make this work with the MHEG5 EPG.

I've got one in from the UK to replace my ET box. Out of the box it finds channels but can't display anything. After the current/only update so far, you can see all channels, but only get audio on TV3 via it's second dolby soundtrack.

PlayTV was sold in France and then one of their channels upgraded to our format audio, so now they can't get sound, just like us. It's my understanding that Sony are working on a fix for this now, so hopefully this fix will help us out as well, (as they only release worldwide updates we may benefit from this).

Personally I'm ok with PlayTV working as a set top box replacement only initially, with the EPG/PVR functionality coming later. You can manually enter a timer record so we're just waiting for a fix now rather than for the official NZ release. The hardware is the same so that's all good.

bazzer

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#237129 20-Jul-2009 11:36

Interesting that articale seems to imply the hardware is different, "A standard-definition version of it has been available overseas since late last year and a launch here was expected earlier, but Mr Ephraim said there was no point importing the SD version because Australia was moving towards high-definition TV".

I doubt that's the case, just trying to dissuade people from importing I reckon. I'm sure with the right update, the imported one will work just fine. I'm holding out on importing just yet, I can wait a little to see what's happening with it.

sbiddle

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#237158 20-Jul-2009 13:22

In Australia the new Freeview specs require H.264 support even though their are no H.264 broadcasts at present.

Interestingly their Freeview specs don't require MHEG5 even though MHEG5 is being used over their as the official Freeview EPG - their EIT EPG will still be broadcast but doesn't have as much data available in it as the MHEG5 one.

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#237162 20-Jul-2009 13:31

sbiddle: Interestingly their Freeview specs don't require MHEG5 even though MHEG5 is being used over their as the official Freeview EPG - their EIT EPG will still be broadcast but doesn't have as much data available in it as the MHEG5 one.

The PlayTV guide is extremely quick, but is limited to a measly 1 or 2 entries currently as that is all the EIT info being broadcast on the UHF freeview service.

This is the bit that gets me, I know the EIT is technically the old fashioned way of doing it, but as it's clearly already in place for the UHF system, couldn't they allow just a little more bandwidth to broadcasting a bit more info on this, thereby making the likes of PlayTV more easily introduceable in this country?

I could understand if it didn't exist on the UHF service altogether, but it does and it's capable of being increased. If it's not increased then I'm guessing PlayTV in NZ will either need to use the slow MHEG5 version, or some overly complex MHEG5-EIT or equivalent data conversion process.

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Jaxson

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#243444 6-Aug-2009 13:08

Moved post to a more current thread.

sbiddle

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#243461 6-Aug-2009 13:41

One other thing to remember is that the UK use MHEG5 as well - and were one one of the first big MHEG5 rollouts. It's used for both EPG and also for the red Button functionality both on Freeview and also on Sky.

MHEG5 is a standard that can be be implimented by anybody who wants to in any device.

Lurch

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#243517 6-Aug-2009 15:36

So is the PlayTV dual tuner? I've been sitting on the fence on wether to purchase a PS3.. almost bought one last weekend but stock at the moment is very low, Noel Leeming had one available but it was in Napier of all places. (I'm in Auckland).

Was also reading on another forum that ordering is slowing down and new stock isnt coming in for the PS3?

Lurch

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#243519 6-Aug-2009 15:38

Nevermind found more information about the PlayTV. :-)

wellygary

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#243530 6-Aug-2009 16:00

Lurch: Nevermind found more information about the PlayTV. :-)

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#243635 6-Aug-2009 19:06

I wonder when it comes if there will be a firmware upgrade to allow the PS3 to play the .ts formats that DVB-T broadcasts end up as being recorded and handle our AAC-HE LATM audio format. So some of us who don't need the tuner part can use the PS3 to playback content recorded on another device

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#243820 7-Aug-2009 09:23

Great point!. I guess it would require you to be able to store your file in the location PlayTV is looking for it.

There is a feature to move your recordings from within the PlayTV software to the videos section of the XMB/main PS3 menu. I think this is a one way thing but I wonder if this transcodes the .ts recording into a known file type or what.

Haven't tried that sort of thing yet as currently only get audio on TV3 via the dolby and can't record anything other than SD channels.