PS3 as PVR??

[admin_exported]

I am considering buying a PS3 as my primary DVD player, and was wondering, as it has a 60GB HDD, if it can be used as a recorder, the same way as any HDD recorder. I'm assuming it can't, because it has no tuner - is that correct? I'm new to this whole world of home cinema, and just starting out trying to build up a reasonable system, so excuse my ignorance!

Thank you, John

 

[Anonymous]

Apparently Sony are releasing something at the start of next year which will give the PS3 PVR capabilities in line with it's hard drive size.

Anyone who knows more than has been published please do say. Be interested in doing the same as John!

 

[FoxJA]

They are also adding a TV Tuner to it.

http://stuff.tv/news/ps3-to-take-over-tv/default.aspx

 

[Anonymous]

You can also upgrade the hard drive size accomodate the tv recordings

 

[Anonymous]

I presume this will be a hardware upgrade to an existing PS3? I don't have to wait until next year to buy my PS3, do I?

 

[Anonymous]

The PS3 is already set up for the HDD recording and PVR. It just requires the firmware upgrade which will be downloadable over the net.

You can urgrade the hardrive by removing the existing one and replacing it. It is extremely easy to do, insructions are in the PS3 manual and it does not invalidate the warranty.

So, yes you can buy it now, you do not have to wait.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds great. What type of hard drive can be used to upgrade? Do Sony make higher capacity ones for the PS3 for people who want to upgrade, or can you use third party HDs?

 

[Anonymous]

Any make will do but it has to be a 2.5" SATA drive, 5400rpm, 8mb cache.

There is no 'official Sony PS3' one

Western Digital Scorpio's are good and popular.

You can pick up a 120gb for approx £35, 180gb for £50 or a 250gb for £100

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Looks like SONY want to take over our lives to me. I wondewr if they will have a inbuilt piece of software that sends them back a note of exactly what you have watched and recorded so they can better place their tv adverts??? Personally I hate the thought of a one box does all approach that Sony are trying with the PS3 as it seams a bit jack of all trades and master of none to me.

 

[Anonymous]

From what I've read, it does a very capable job of both DVD and BluRay playback for the price level - along with being a great games machine and an internet browser. If it can also record the odd episode of whatever I might miss on TV, all the better. I fail to see the downside for somebody within this budget.

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="D.J.KRIME"]

Personally I hate the thought of a one box does all approach that Sony are trying with the PS3 as it seams a bit jack of all trades and master of none to me.[/quote]

I wouldn't say it's the master of none, apart from the shortage of games which will soon be resolved it has to be the best games console out there. It's also a very capable Blu ray player, as confirmed by the 5 star rating in What Hi Fi magazine.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Strodo"]
The PS3 is already set up for the HDD recording and PVR. It just requires the firmware upgrade which will be downloadable over the net.

You can urgrade the hardrive by removing the existing one and replacing it. It is extremely easy to do, insructions are in the PS3 manual and it does not invalidate the warranty.

So, yes you can buy it now, you do not have to wait.

[/quote]

The PS3 by itself will not be able to receive TV signal. As the link that was posted above suggests, you will need an additional tuner to give it PVR capability. However, this will be an accessory, so you can buy a PS3 now and then buy the PVR add-on later.