Sony PlayTV Digital Tuner For PS3 Launching September 10th

Sony's European arm has confirmed that the PlayTV free-to-air digital TV tuner and PVR add-on for the PS3 will launch in the UK on September 10th.  SCEE president David Reeves told Eurogamer that the European launch would run "from September to December" and the PlayTV, in a change to the known specifications, will allow users to record programmes while simultaneously gaming.

The new functionality was actually included in the firmware 2.4 upgrade, Reeves disclosed, meaning users with up-to-date consoles will merely have to plug in the new peripheral in order to begin recording Freeview.

"It was very difficult for some of the tech guys but we had to include it in the firmware upgrade, 2.41, but it's done now" David Reeves, president, SCEE

Sony previously confirmed the PlayTV would carry a €99 price tag, and this week revealed that countries outside of Europe would be seeing the tuner.  Both Australia and New Zealand will get PlayTV in January or February 2009, with the delay giving the countries an opportunity to settle on digital terrestrial standards.