This page collects the most common questions asked about the PS3 PlayTV.

Q. Can I record TV whilst playing a PS3 game?

Yes! With the most recent firmware revision, you can now record TV and play a game simultaneously.

However, to do this you must enable the new ‘Background Recording’ feature in the PS3 menus, which will trigger a message warning you that this may affect gameplay.

Q. What firmware revision does my PS3 need to be compatible with PlayTV?

Full PlayTV functionality was added to the PS3 in firmware revision 2.41 released in July 2008.

Q. Can I pause live TV with PlayTV?

Yes, pressing pause will freeze the TV picture and subsequent action will be buffered to disk. Depending on your settings, the PlayTV can also be set to always buffer the incoming signal enabling you to always rewind from where you are in the transmission.

Q. Is the PlayTV HD compatible?

Yes – the PlayTV has dual HD DVB-T tuners which in theory will allow HD content to be viewed and saved. However, at the time of writing there are no FreeView channels in the UK which are broadcast in this format.

Q. Can I hook up my FreeSat HD box with the PS3 PlayTV?

Unfortunately not – FreeSat broadcasts in a different format, DVD-S, which the PlayTV does not currently support. It is unclear whether the PlayTV will be able to support additional formats such as DVB-S and DVB-T2 via future software or firmware upgrades.

Q. What is the release date of the PlayTV?

Sony have confirmed the PlayTV release date as the 19th September 2008.

Q. Does the PlayTV come bundled with a remote control?

Some reports have stated that it does, whilst others have stated that an on-scren keypad is used instead which can be controlled with the PS3 SixAxis/DualShock controller. This answer will be updated nearer the PlayTV release date when the bundle of contents contained inside the box is confirmed.

Q. Can I do a ‘Series Link’ like on Sky+ / Sky HD with the PlayTV?

From launch day this will not be possible, but it is something that will be likely added in a future firmware upgrade, especially given Sony’s excellent track record of upgrading the PS3 firmware with genuinely useful features.

Q. Are stored programmes encrypted?

Nope – once saved, you can anything you like with them, they are just treated as normal files so you can copy them to other devices, e.g. memory stick, PSP, external hard drive, PC, etc. without any issue. 

The programme files are stored using Sony’s .m2ts video format. Fortunately most DVD conversion programs, including Handbrake on the Mac, can convert these to the video format of your choice.

Of course, all this doesn’t mean programmers are copyright free, if you suddenly start uploading everything to YouTube then expect to get your wrists slapped at some point.

Q. Can I use a Setanta / Top-Up TV card with the PlayTV box?

Unfortunately not – the PlayTV does not have support for subscription cards.

Have any more questions or spotted an error? Please contact me and I will update the PS3 PlayTV FAQ.