In a world where video providers seem to be adding increasingly disruptive
digital rights management into their video streams, you can always count on video game accessories to provide a hole for unprotected video to break through. First it was the Xbox 360's HD-DVD drive, whose component output allowed for
DRM-free copying of the now-defunct high-def discs. Now it's Sony's European
PlayTV digital video recorder add-on for the PS3, which
CVG reports can "export [recorded] videos to your PS3's XMB menu as MPEG-4 video
" for free use on other devices.
At a time when everyone from Tivo to Microsoft seems to slap some sort of protection on digital video recordings, it's frankly a little baffling that Sony (itself a major video producer) would leave this hole in its digital recorder. Not that we're complaining, we're just waiting with trepidation for the other patch shoe to drop.
[Via Evil Avatar]
{ Sep 4th 2008 at 4:00PM } 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
WiiFTW @ Sep 4th 2008 4:06PM
If they had sold these in the U.S. I'd buy a PS3 and this ASAP. I'm guessing these are incompatible with U.S. and other regions because of PAL vs. NTSC or something.
Killjebus @ Sep 4th 2008 4:12PM
It is primarily because the N.American continent does NOT have a unified broadcast system. Cable, broadcast, satellite, until they agree...we will most likely NEVER see PlayTV here.
I wonder what this will do for Sony's lead in the EU. With PlayTV, LBP, and the free streeming of music..the EU has alot less to complain about. Sony is showing the love to the EU.
required @ Sep 4th 2008 4:27PM
Killjebus, next year the US will as all over the air content will be HD.
Duke @ Sep 4th 2008 4:33PM
"Killjebus, next year the US will as all over the air content will be HD."
No, as of next year it will be all digital. Thats not the same thing.
"On February 17, 2009, federal law requires that all full-power television broadcast stations stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format."
why not the LS2LS7? @ Sep 4th 2008 6:30PM
There are a couple formats in the US. OTA is completely unified. Cable is relatively unified (but becoming less so) and satellite is not unified at all (even though DVB-S2 was created by DirecTV and is what they for their data format).
prinygod @ Sep 19th 2008 7:33PM
if playtv comes out with a version with a cablecard slot, it would be compatable with cable and satellite, you would just have to pay for what ever the provider charges for the cablecard.
And the ATSC (the us digital standard) does support HD programming, and I'm sure playtv could be made to receive the standard.
The question is how much money it would take to implement all this, and weather or not there is a suitable market for playtv in the states.
Killjebus @ Sep 4th 2008 4:08PM
This should move alot of PlayTV's. Look at the PS3 at launch and look at it now, it sure is refreshing to know that every year the PS3 will have more and more functionality which makes it more appealing and gives it even greater value.
Now, pretty please bring this to N.A.
FOOTBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL....is back!!!
FANTASY FOOTBALLLLL!!!
Titanium_Orchid @ Sep 4th 2008 4:13PM
I think the device uses inputs from an antenna, and because that is not a digital signal (and the US will soon be moving into an all digital format), Play TV will be very useless in the US soon... Which sucks.
required @ Sep 4th 2008 4:34PM
Titanium_Orchid, next year all of the current over the air content will be HD. You will receive this via an antenna. In fact the same antenna you currently use for over the air content will work. I know as I watch HDTV via my old rabbit ear antenna. Again the only thing changing in '09 is that all of our TV will be broadcast in digital instead of analog - you will receive it the same way - antenna or pay for cable - you may need to update your tuner though and PlayTV just needs a digital tuner to work in the US.
Ringo @ Sep 4th 2008 4:41PM
@Titanium_Orchid "I think the device uses inputs from an antenna, and because that is not a digital signal"
Actually its a DVB-T recorder, or 'Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial' which, suprisingly, IS digital, and comes down the aerial!
Also, it would be suprising if it DID have drm seeing as the transmissions are gonna be copyright of the various broadcasters across europe, so sony would probably need permission to drm someone elses content?
What I'm sure it won't do is allow recording of any encoded channels (again - yes they exist on digital terrestrial broadcasting!), as I don't see one of them CAM slots or whatever.
I'll just leave this on my way out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVB-T
Metal_Gear @ Sep 4th 2008 5:00PM
I cant speak for the rest of Europe, but the UK has been switching to digital only region by region, by 2012 I think it is, the UK will be Digital only. And next year, Freeview (what you can watch with PlayTV) will start playing HD channels and PlayTV is ready for them.
arkweld @ Sep 4th 2008 5:51PM
@ required.
No not all OTA will be definitely HD. All major OTA networks now have an HD feed for their main channel but the other digital subchannels they broadcast such as a PBS Kids or dedicated weather or news channels will be SD.
Then of course you have to rely on your local affiliate to have all the equipment and power available to broadcast the network HD feed in your area.
The only guarantee next year is that the signal will be digital. Where you are is going to dictate what you get in HD.
Whoppy @ Sep 5th 2008 4:52AM
@ MetalGear
Sadly it won't pick up UK HD broadcasts as they will be coming over the DVB-T2 standard, which hasn't been sorted out yet. So unless Sony have managed to predict the exact standards and hardware we will only be able to pick up standard Freeview. Which is still nice, and if/when they do release an updated version I will defo get this.
Jacksons @ Sep 4th 2008 4:16PM
I suppose it'll get botched now that everyone's blabbing about it.
Neil @ Sep 4th 2008 4:36PM
Why would Sony ADD DRM to content which is broadcast over the air for free and which it does not own?
Whoever made up this stupid rumour deserves to be not in the business of making up rumours any more.
j.howlett @ Sep 4th 2008 4:41PM
even if i can't use it i want that device. i think that box would look cool in my set up.
Shagittarius @ Sep 4th 2008 4:42PM
Circumventing DRM the new 'stealing cable'.
Ringo @ Sep 4th 2008 4:51PM
I gotta say, this aint really news for any of us euros, the whole DVB-T thing has been around for a few years now, there are plenty of pc cards to record digital telly without your so-called "drm". One of the main points when PlayTV was first announced was the ability to playback stuff on the psp with remoteplay, so how would the drm work there?
I dunno, slow news day?
Duke @ Sep 4th 2008 4:56PM
..or is it that the site doesn't just judge newsworthiness on whether it applies to Europe only?
Haggard @ Sep 4th 2008 5:00PM
Read the article. There is no DRM!
Anyway, might pick up one of these.. makes things a bit easier since all my TV crap (and PS3) is downstairs and my PC is upstairs with nowhere to get an aerial lead in.
Ringo @ Sep 4th 2008 7:19PM
Sorry, what I was getting at, was, that if it had drm, THEN it would be big news about what a heap of shit it would be, but I guess people are so used to stuff having drm that when something doesn't its actually news.
I mean, drm should be the exception, not the rule. Therefore, this rules, and worth picking up for anyone who doesn't currently have a pvr, and is interested in freeview and the like.
And has a ps3.
Miguel @ Sep 4th 2008 5:10PM
thats awesome, wish i could get one.
JoeTheBlow @ Sep 4th 2008 5:17PM
Its not a hole, you gimps, its just an end to nothing but stories based on rumours.
The whole "oh noes! Now PlayTV it getting DRM'd!!" stories that flew about never seemed like anything more than a self-created blog storm.
Why would Sony attach DRM to free-to-air TV, that they have no content-interest in, that flies all over Europe, even on mobile phones?
Whoppy @ Sep 4th 2008 5:19PM
I was very excited intially for this, but the lack of DVB-T2 support (coming to the UK in 2009) and the fact that it won't turn your PS3 on to start recording put me off.
I'm guessing the latter will be fixable via a firmware update? But with the coming HD broadcasts I'll hold off until they revise the hardware.
Metal_Gear @ Sep 4th 2008 5:54PM
It has been confirmed that it will be HD ready.
Whoppy @ Sep 5th 2008 4:49AM
Thats for the European countries which will continue to use DVB for their HD content, whereas in the UK (and maybe others?) our HD channels will come over DVB-T2. So whilst the box might be able to output HD signal it won't be able to detect the UK HD stuff.... :(
Peter @ Nov 17th 2008 8:56AM
Have had PlayTv from the start and it does turn on and off the PS3 when recording, not that you notice anything other than the hard disk light flashing a bit.
Ethan @ Sep 4th 2008 5:32PM
It's because it's competitors already do this.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Sep 4th 2008 6:27PM
This doesn't sound like a hole. I think this whole thing is overblown. Sony canceled the ability to move videos around easy just because they couldn't get the UI elements needed to do it done in time. No reason to think the raw capabilities wouldn't still be there.
The reason the 360 HD-DVD drive is good for copying is not because of the component outputs. All HD-DVD and BluRay players have component outputs. The reason is because with a little work you could get access to the original (still compressed) digital data off the HD-DVD. This is a lot more convenient, as capturing in HD from component and compressing well takes a lot of hardware and storage. If you can just grab it still compressed, it gets far easier.
Note you can also extract the original (still compressed) digital data off of HD-DVDs using other HD-DVD drives and can do so off BluRay discs using computer internal BluRay drives.
Nate @ Sep 4th 2008 6:48PM
damn; sounds all kinds of illegal...
Extinction @ Sep 6th 2008 1:26PM
It's not. But your butt ugly avatar should be
Dave @ Sep 10th 2008 9:04PM
When this device is released there's bound to be an increase of torrent MP4 TV shows and movies available. Some of the DVB-T broadcasts in the UK are heavily compressed, to make room for loads of QVC type channels. In particular Five Life and Five US can be a little dodgy (loads of compression artefacts).
When I get my 80GB PS3 I will probably buy this, might wait for a bit of a price drop though. My stand alone PVR records at 2GB per hour, I'm guessing the PlayTV may have different quality settings to make the most of the PS3s HDD, perhaps a PSP mode at 480x272.