Japan Receiving TV Tuner for PS3. Where's Ours?
Japan Receiving TV Tuner for PS3. Where's Ours?
By Kevin Parrish, January 14, 2010
" 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. "
:source: Source: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/PlayStat...news-5567.html
