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2007-08-24 10:19:22

Watch TV on your PlayStation 3

In Sony's never-ending quest to conquer the home living room, it has announced details of a new addon for the PS3 that will allow it to function as a Personal Video Recorder (PVR).

Embattled Sony showed off its new TV tuner hardware addon "PlayTV" for the PS3 at the Games Convention in Germany, reasserting its ambitions to be THE entertainment hub in your living room.

PlayTV allows you to watch, record and transfer TV programs in glorious HD quality - similar to the Sky+ box. It is expected to hit market shelves in the early part of 2008, though no clear dates have been given for an Irish launch.

It's no secret that the PS3 has been struggling under the unexpected onslaught of the much cheaper (and arguably more fun) Nintendo Wii. With PlayTV, Sony is clearly hoping to differentiate their console from the chaff, and ultimately justify its high price tag with an extensive feature set. With a wider appeal, they might entice more users to their system.

On the portable front, the PSP has been taking a battering from the Nintendo DS, so again Sony is hoping to bolster its PSP with the announcement of "GoMessenger". This is a communications suite that will allow users to connect to a WiFi network and make calls, send video and use Instant Messaging though the device. It will be made available to most of Europe (again, no clear dates) through a download. The ability to make calls might re-ignite interest in the PSP, though with the DS still vastly outselling its competitor, it has a tough fight on its hands.