Sony PlayTV: No transferring, no HD at launch

Sony is preparing to roll out PlayTV, a device that adds DVR functionality to the PlayStation 3. It will launch in the U.K. on Sept. 19 for £70 (about $130). While the add-on seems like an excellent move for Sony, it’s not without some glaring drawbacks.

Before you rush out the door to set up your pre-order, let’s make one thing clear: As of this writing, there are no plans to release PlayTV in North America, which uses a different digital standard from Europe.

If you’re not familiar with PlayTV, which was announced about a year ago, it’s a rather small box (about the size of a PS3 controller) that allows users to watch and record live TV to the PS3’s hard drive. It boasts all the standard features you’d find in a TiVo, including dual tuners and a searchable program guide.

What sets PlayTV apart from other DVRs is the integration with the PlayStation Portable; and with regards to PSP functionality, there is good news and bad news. The good news: You can watch live and recorded shows on the PSP. The bad news: You need to record your shows via Remote Play.

In other words, saved recordings cannot be transferred to a PC or memory stick, a restriction that seems to have DRM written all over it. It’s also a change of heart, as Sony told Eurogamer last February that PlayTV recordings could be exported in a standard file format and stored anywhere.

PlayTV’s other shortcoming is its inability to record programs in high-definition, although that functionality could be added in the future.

Should gamers be surprised by this? No. After all, Sony shorted PS3 owners by not including an HDMI cable with its system and stocking a rumble-less controller (until recently). But these two drawbacks strike at the very heart of what made PlayTV initially appealing: an affordable high-definition DVR whose recordings could be ported to the PSP or any other device.