Brief update on Play TV for PS3

mjsmyth

I got the following email from Sony Support today (31 minutes after sending an initial query!)

I asked when we could expect Play TV to support Mpeg4 dtt and why it was onsale here in Ireland when it was of no use to us.

"Thank you for contacting us.

PlayTV launched in Northern Ireland mid September and it is also available
for border counties who can pick up the free to air signal. However,
digital terrestrial TV will not be fully available in the Republic until
2009 the date has not yet been confirmed and for this reason we cannot
launch the peripheral until then.

When we launch in the Republic the peripheral will be designed for the
MPeg4 format.

If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our
careline 0818 365 065 (charged at national rates).

Kind Regards

Playstation Ireland
Customer Service Team
www.scee.com"


So, nothing new there really at all.... I was kinda hoping they would say something along the lines of "Oh, did you not know, it now supports mpeg4 dtt" but alas, this was not to be the case.

MJ

Mossy Monk

A knowledgable response :eek:

mjsmyth

Shocking is it not??? Imagine a quick and knowledgeable response from a multinational!!!

If only they were all like that

mj

watty

No doubt they are also watching NZ, Estonia and all the other 14 or so MPEG4 countries.

As said before, the problem is NOT the PlayTV unit. It's a PS3 firmware update you want to watch for. They mostly list what the updates do, so that will be the 1st indication. engadget/Gizmodo/slashgear etc usually mention new updates.

Zonda999

watty wrote: »

No doubt they are also watching NZ, Estonia and all the other 14 or so MPEG4 countries.

As said before, the problem is NOT the PlayTV unit. It's a PS3 firmware update you want to watch for. They mostly list what the updates do, so that will be the 1st indication. engadget/Gizmodo/slashgear etc usually mention new updates.

Will mpeg4 be rolled out in these countries anytime before us??

I've decided to go for a freesat box and play tv seeing as my new tv doesn't have mpeg4 afterall(Gettin a Samsung 40a686 instead of a sony 40w4000). The Recording capability of play tv will be nice though.

The Cush

Zonda999 wrote: »

Will mpeg4 be rolled out in these countries anytime before us??

Estonia was the first country in the world to launch DTT using the MPEG-4 AVC in Dec 2006.
New Zealand freeview terrestrial launched April 2008.

Other countries have launched or plan to launch MPEG4 services include
Albania
Denmark (1 MPEG2 mux now - MPEG4 by 2012, all 4 muxes to be MPEG4)
Croatia (hdtv)
France (MPEG2&4)
Hungary
Lithuania
Montenegro
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Slovenia
Slovakia
Sweden (migrating to MPEG4)
Ukraine (MPEG2&4)

Greece (possible)
Latvia (possible)

Columbia (planned)
Israel
Malaysia
South Africa
Singapore (hdtv)

TheDriver

Where did you find that out Zonda999, you'll been harping about that Sony for a while now, thought you had it all sussed?
Thought Pana are only ones who do freesat tvs, my one apparently does mpeg4 in z81 series

Zonda999

TheDriver wrote: »

Where did you find that out Zonda999, you'll been harping about that Sony for a while now, thought you had it all sussed?
Thought Pana are only ones who do freesat tvs, my one apparently does mpeg4 in z81 series

If you mean the Sony 40w4000 i was supposed to be getting for a while, the waiting time from RS became too long, and with sterling gaining against the euro, i rang up samsyerman in Belfast there on saturday, and they were able to get me a samsung 40a686 for 750£ plus 15£ delivery. It arrives this afternoon:D. The sammy does'nt have the mpeg4 tuner but it does have 100hz and i think it looks WAY nicer.

As for sorting out tv on it, i'll get a freesat hd box(probably not the hard rive one though) for starters, in the next couple of months, and then i'll hope to get mpeg4 compatible play tv pretty soon after that. Hope it wont take too long for sony to release that ps3 update. Cant see why they cant just release it now anyway, despite us not having DTT yet..

mjsmyth

@Zonda999

I picked up the Bush HD box in Argos for £97 and am pleasantly surprised by it. I watched pirates of the Caribbean on BBC HD and it looked great, as did the FA Cup football on ITV HD.

TheDriver

to be honest Zonda, you'll always be hapyp with what you buy once you have researched it, dead happy with my pana z81, they all do the trick once they are not cheap crap.
Best of luck with it anyways!!
P.S. I bought mine when sterling was in late 80's!!