The Sony Torne is a digital tuner and recorder for terrestrial television broadcasts for the PS3. It makes the PS3 a DVR with full tunning and scheduling capabilities. The Torne device is USB, and has enough number crunching power to record shows even while you're gaming or playing PS3. What's cool is that your recorded media can even be dumped to a memory stick and played on your PSP. It will cost 9,980 yen, or roughly $100, when it is launched in March.
And seeing as how recording HD content takes plenty of space, Sony has announced a new PS3 pack. PlayStation 3 Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Recorder Pack doesn't roll off the tongue, but it will contain a PS3 with a 250GB hard drive as well as the tuner. This pack hits shelves in Japan in March for about 42,800 yen.
I would love DVR functionality in my PS3. I remember back in the day when Sony was in talks with Tivo. Too bad nothing ever came of that.
- Easy to use interface
Applying the expertise acquired from game development, “torne” offers user friendly interface, allowing users to swiftly and intuitively operate the application using DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller*2. Users will be able to search through the electronic TV program guides or play back recorded content comfortably as if they were playing games.
The colorfully designed 24 hour TV program guide can be zoomed in or out by pressing L1/R1 buttons, allowing users to easily find and select their favorite TV programs by a simple touch of a button.
- ● Recording and playing back
TV program search function on “torne” application can sort the TV programs by genre or by keywords and will instantly list up the corresponding TV programs for users to simply select and record out of the list. Additionally, “torne” will automatically start recording pre-programmed content even when the PS3 system is in Stand-by mode or when users are playing games or using the application on the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) such as the Blu-ray/DVD player*3. Users can also connect external HDD*4 via USB cable to record TV programs directly on to the external storage instead of on the HDD of the PS3 system. Additional useful features include quick playback and scene search for viewing recorded TV programs.
- ● Connectivity with PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)
Seamless connectivity with PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) allows users to transfer recorded TV programs to its Memory Stick PRO Duo™ (Mark2)/Memory Stick Micro™ for high quality viewing on the go*5. By using the Remote Play feature of the PS3 system, users at home*6 can connect on to their PS3 system using their PSP and remotely access the application to view or record TV programs.
- ● Various Online features
“torne” also offers online functionalities, such as the Internet browser which can be used simultaneously with the application, and unique “Toru-Miru feature” which can display the number of users who have pre-programmed the TV programs*7 through “torne” as well as the user trend of which program is being most watched.
[Image]
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site
Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
55 comments | showing # 1 to 50
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
9:40 AM on 01.14.2010
| 
This rules.
I was thinking of getting one, but iPlayer is so easy to use that having a DVR is kind of pointless.
@JiR INC
No, Torne just uses the Japanese terrestrial transmission, PlayTV wouldn't work in Japan. And Torne wouldn't work here, or in the US more than likely.
@bhive01
PlayTV is HD, there was a patch recently to support HD channels.
- Content Format: MPEG-2 vs. H264
- Is this box transcoding on the fly or are we getting raw data transmission? This will obviously depend on the content format it records.
- Content Bitrate settings (High/Med/low?)
- What brand of software is doing the encoding/transcoding? If it's a junk encoder == worthless feature.
- DRM associated with content?
- How much will Sony charge per month (if anything) to get the guide listings?
- Limited use rules for content? FF allowed through commercials?
Too many questions, not enough detailed answers...Don't anyone get excited yet.
I'm glad the yanks are getting a similar service as play tv is the dogs bollocks.
No more do i need to stop gaming because the mrs wants to wants to watch something on tv.
It does eat up hdd space though, luckily we ps3 users can drop any 2.5" laptop hdd into our consoles.
There was a patch? I own a PlayTV box and don't remember one (what I do remember is crap about how its impossible to make HD with a firmware update).
I think we only get one OTA signal where I live, unfortunately, though maybe in the future we'll get more. I guess this device might be good for large cities though!
http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2009/11/05/playtv-gets-even-better-with-1-21-update/
"Play TV now lets you Watch, Pause and Record High Definition TV for DVB-T standard broadcast. In countries that are launching free digital HD channels you will now be able to both watch and record them through your PS3 with PlayTV."
Also SD upscaling was improved.
I've had it since launch day, love it.
Europe's had Play TV forever already, but you can't import it because of the signal differences! Is this coming to the US? Can I import it? I WANT IT NOW!!!
I guess this new box is essentially "Play TV HD", so presumably it'll be released in the UK too (I heard that's why they discontinued Play TV: to make way for an HD model). In which case, needless to say - I'll be picking one up!
Get your facts straight.
Also the dollar price tag would indicate that this is for the us. Sounds pretty much like the us version of playtv.
The bbc have a hd channel on sky and other paid for digital tv services. It's just not free yet and playtv only gets the free channels.
So, wait. By "terrestrial television broadcasts", do you mean cable or something?
1) WHEN IT ARRIVES, FREE HD CHANNELS IN THE UK WILL [u]NOT[/u] BE VIEWABLE ON PLAY TV, BECAUSE THE PLAY TV BOX CANNOT RECEIVE DVB-T2 SIGNALS.
2) PLAY TV WAS DISCONTINUED IN THE UK A WHILE AGO, THE BOXES WHICH ARE ON SALE NOW ARE EITHER END-OF-THE-LINE OR SECOND HAND. IT WAS DISCONTINUED TO MAKE WAY FOR AN HD VERSION
3) THE PRICE TAG IN THE ARTICLE IS IN FUCKING YEN
...ahem. Did someone say something about "getting facts straight"?
plus you could do this with a $50 tuner on a pc anyway(and still watch the content on your ps3 if you so desired).
..also,.. lol at "gaming OR playing PS3"
@Sexualchocolate
Jesus Christ, talk about fact checking...
For those of you in the cheap seats:
http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2009/11/05/playtv-gets-even-better-with-1-21-update/
"Play TV now lets you Watch, Pause and Record High Definition TV for DVB-T standard broadcast. In countries that are launching free digital HD channels you will now be able to both watch and record them through your PS3 with PlayTV."
Repeat:In countries that are launching free digital HD channels you will now be able to both watch and record them through your PS3 with PlayTV.
The UK currently has no HD Terrestrial channels - that's what that nonsense a few months ago was about, when we had to retune our TVs. HD channels are only currently freely available through FreeSat.
WTF is this Torne business though?! PlayTV much better name than Torne. Random