Sony will be rolling out the PlayStation PlayTV service in the UK when September 10 comes about, and this news was confirmed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves at E3 last week. For those who are not in the know, the PlayStation PlayTV is a digital TV recorder that works well with both the PS3 and the portable PSP, enabling you to record whatever’s showing on TV while having your fun with games. Of course, with Internet connectivity via Wi-Fi on the PSP, you will also be able to watch live TV broadcasts on the PSP.

You will need to sacrifice a USB port on your PS3 though if you want to use the PlayTV service as the PlayTV tuner takes up one USB port. Of course, that is but a simple matter of throwing in a USB hub if you’re fast running out of ports, so no biggie here. The best part about the PlayTV service would be the ability to watch, pause and record free-to-air digital TV whenever you feel like watching TV instead of gaming. It records both standard and High Definition channels as long as the latter is available, and works somewhat like a personal video recorder as you watch a channel with the option to record another simultaneously. Thanks to the built-in program guide, you will be able to view listings and schedule recordings for the following week.

Folks who prefer to rock on with the more portable PSP will also be able to carry these features along with them wherever they go as long as they remain within the radius of a wireless Internet connection. The Remote Play function also lets you watch live TV, access previously recorded programs and organize your media library. The PlayTV tuner will retail for approximately £79.99 when it is available this September.

Source: BIOS