Japan Receiving TV Tuner for PS3. Where's Ours?
Sony is launching a digital terrestrial tuner in Japan for the PlayStation 3.
For some reason, North American consumers are getting a bum deal. Sony Europe released PlayTV for the PlayStation 3, an HDTV tuner and recorder that has been available since fall 2009. Now Japan is getting its own slice of the digital TV pie with the release of a dedicated PS3 peripheral called "torne." Feeling a bit left out? Yep, we are too.
According to Kotaku, the torne is a digital terrestrial tuner that connects to the PS3 console via a USB port. The peripheral pulls in the signal and displays a color interface that lists the current programs--think of the TV Guide channel but without the annoying scrolling feature. PS3 owners can scroll though the listings, or search through the menu by using genre or keywords.
Apparently the torne device also works as a DVR, offering a timer so that gamers can record programs while playing a game, watching a Blu-ray move, or while the console is sitting dormant. Granted many PS3 owners already have the internal HDD crammed full with games, movies, and other media, the device can record TV shows locally, or onto an external hard drive.
The PlayStation 3 torne will go on sale in Japan this March for ¥9,980 (US$109). The device will also be bundled with the 250 GB PlayStation 3, and will sell for ¥42,800 (US$467). Kotaku said that a limited number of these bundles will be on sale at launch. Currently there's no word if the device--or something similar--will hit the North American market.
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I was under the impression that anyone who bought a PS3 got a bum deal
I was under the impression that anyone who bought a PS3 got a bum deal
that's sarcasm right?
So they're waiting to see how it does in japan before bringing it to the us markets?
I was under the impression that anyone who bought a PS3 got a bum deal
meh i got direct tv with dvr so i dont need this for my ps3.
Who cares? The PS3 is crap and useless anyways. All the good games are on X360anyways.. Another fail for Sony..
Who cares? The PS3 is crap and useless anyways. All the good games are on X360anyways.. Another fail for Sony..
Sony has been selling a twin tuner HDTV device for the PS3 in Australia for some time.
Is there even a market for this in the US?
The target customer would be someone who does NOT have cable or satellite and owns a PS3. The US has already made the switch to digital and the PS3 isn't as popular here so it was a smart marketing move by Sony to not devote large resources in entering multiple products in multiple markets. I say multiple products because the US/NA, Europe, and Japan all use different digital broadcasting standards meaning the hardware in this device is different for every market it will be released in.
This is a digital over the air tuner. It is a strategic release since Japan is going to Digital broadcast in 2011. People who already own a PS3 can buy this and get the DVR and converter box in one and those who are planning to buy a PS3 can get a console, blu-ray player, and OtA tuner with DVR.
Wiki
Nice try keeping your opinion out of the article and your awesome research into why Sony may be releasing it in Japan and not NA Kevin.
Is there even a market for this in the US? The target customer would be someone who does NOT have cable or satellite and owns a PS3. The US has already made the switch to digital and the PS3 isn't as popular here so it was a smart marketing move by Sony to not devote large resources in entering multiple products in multiple markets. I say multiple products because the US/NA, Europe, and Japan all use different digital broadcasting standards meaning the hardware in this device is different for every market it will be released in.This is a digital over the air tuner. It is a strategic release since Japan is going to Digital broadcast in 2011. People who already own a PS3 can buy this and get the DVR and converter box in one and those who are planning to buy a PS3 can get a console, blu-ray player, and OtA tuner with DVR.Wikihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_televisionNice try keeping your opinion out of the article and your awesome research into why Sony may be releasing it in Japan and not NA Kevin.
Good points. In regards to customers who do not have cable or satellite this really is not the issue. I for example live in Florida and when the hurricanes come cable and sat. go bye bye. During 2004 we had no cable for like a week and a half but you hook up the rabbit hears and at least we got the news channels. So, what is it terristerial, I think this product would be good in the US for certain situations, of course like you said the US has differant over the air signals that it would have to be setup for.
I realize it's because Sony is a Japanese company as to why we don't get all of the toys but some of the toys coming to the US would be nice.
I want one. Off air broadcasts have much better picture quality than cable and sat. Cable and sat have to recompress the stream to get it to fit in the bandwidth they have.
Personally I would love this. My main source of viewing media is an LCD projector which does not have a built-in tuner (Hardly any projectors do, really). It's hard to find a DVD/Blu-Ray player with an HD tuner so this would work for me. Not gonna hold my breath of course.
Won't work in Canada anyway since all our sat/cable providers encrypt every digital channel they broadcast here, even the basic channels are encrypted if you want the half-way decent digital version.
This is not fair!!! I would love this but it wouldn't work in Canada. Great, Japan has PSPs with a TV tunner...WHERE ARE OURS??? I want to be able to watch Fear Factor while sitting on the toilet.