TGS hands-on: PSP 1seg TV tuner

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 22nd 2007 at 1:11AM }

The 1seg tuner for PSP makes us jealous of Japanese PSP owners. The tiny peripheral attaches to the top of the system, and allows users to tune into a variety of broadcast channels. The video quality at the Tokyo Game Show floor was stellar, with very minimal artifacting seen in the video. It's easy to change channels through a simple intuitive interface which overlays over the video quite nicely. A variety of video resize options can be readily accessed by bringing up the options menu with the Triangle button.

If there's a complaint we would have about the 1seg tuner, we'd say it has to be the delay that comes when switching channels. It takes a full second or so for the system to display video of the next channel. Certainly not a major hindrance, especially when considering the quality of video that's produced on such a small peripheral. Japanese Joystiq readers will want to check it out.

Tags: 1seg, tgs07

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Andrew @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:21AM

Now I'm just waiting my laundry machine add-on.

NaeemTHM @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:30AM

A FULL SECOND?!?!?!SHIFT+ONE!!!??

Why even bother Sony?!?!

Jon @ Sep 22nd 2007 3:23AM

If it wasn't one second I am sure you will find other excuses just to slag of Sony.

BulletToothTony @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:48AM

a full second? wow i'm sure that if MS had a handheld it would only take half the time of that sorry psp

Spottednigel @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:19AM

Then again, you would be paying a fee to use said service.

dsub @ Sep 22nd 2007 3:06AM

I'm not a big proponent of Sony or anything, but are you guys seriously complaining about having to wait one damn second to change the channel?

Has our sorry excuse for an attention span actually fallen this low? Say it out loud with me.

One-one-thousand.

If having to wait that long bothers you, then you have issues.

NaeemTHM @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:53AM

uhhh...turn your sarcasm detector on.

Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:09AM

I remember this on the Game Gear.

Synner @ Sep 22nd 2007 6:57AM

Yeah, and the game gear had better games than PSP too.

Count Noobula @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:10AM

seriously, if we had that option here in Canada I would get a PSP without hesitation. That is fucking sweet, and I am the furthest form a Sony Fanboy.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:17AM

This looks great and I'm glad it's working out so well. Let's hope they can get some form of that to the rest of the world!

dsub @ Sep 22nd 2007 3:03AM

The Game Gear was so far ahead of it's time.

blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Sep 22nd 2007 3:17AM

haha sony copies ideas

portable tv tuners were soooo 3 gens ago

Wevie1978 @ Sep 22nd 2007 4:38AM

Please bring this stateside.

Greg2k @ Sep 22nd 2007 5:34AM

Yeah, lets bring this stateside and find out that...OH OH SURPRISE...IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK.

Come on guys, it's 1seg. That's a Japanese standard. And it's probably got nothing to do with Sony that it takes 1 second to switch channel. My living room PVR and my Media Center PC do the same. Digital TV is unfortunately like that.

James @ Sep 22nd 2007 5:52AM

Uh, "tiny"?

Tiny it may, sorta, be. But that thing is getting out of the system like nobody's business. Tiny would be if they were using my EyeTV dongle.

A second to change channel? Back on my PowerBook the EyeTV adapter would take a second to change channels too. Yea, Sony fans can go on about it not being long but when you're channel hopping or whatever you really do notice it.
Hopefully it can be fixed through a software update.

Almadi @ Sep 22nd 2007 6:50AM

it`s not the tuner. Its the broadcast system in Japan. The TV in my hotel room also takes a second to change channels.

ThornedVenom @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:02AM

1seg = 1 second.

I'm such a genius.

manuel @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:10AM

In case I move to Japan next year (as planned) I might get one of those.

Colin @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:38AM

Too bad the promise of such a device will be let down by the 1-seg technology itself.

You can't use this successfully while in motion faster than a walk...so you can't use it on the bus/subway/train/car...you know, the kind of place where portable TV would be nice to have. Again...this is a problem with 1-seg and not this tuner.