NZ misses out on PS3 TV tuner

Despite Australia getting Sony's PlayTV digital TV tuner later this month, New Zealand will miss out, with Sony saying the PlayStation 3 accessory won't be released in the country this year.

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Sony's PlayTV is a device that plugs into a PlayStation 3 console and has two high-definition TV tuners, meaning users can watch one channel while recording another. Australia will get PlayTV on November 26 and it will cost AU$169.95.

PlayTV is seen as Sony's assault on digital services such as Tivo and MySky, and in 2007, former Sony NZ head Warwick Light told The Press newspaper that a New Zealand release for the digital tuner was planned for 2008, but so far nothing has appeared.

Asked by The Press last week whether New Zealand would follow Australia and get PlayTV shortly, Sony NZ said: "PlayTV will not be launching in New Zealand in 2009. We understand that there is a lot of anticipation for the domestic arrival of PlayTV and we are working hard to make it a reality for PlayStation 3 users in New Zealand in the future.

"As you know free-to-air digital broadcasting specifications vary from country to country, which means that each market has different technical challenges to overcome. Whilst this has meant that the development process has taken longer than planned, we want to make sure that when it launches in New Zealand, PlayTV provides the best possible functionality and performance that PlayStation users have rightly come to expect.

"With this in mind Sony Computer Entertainment NZ will advise of further developments and announcements in 2010."

Sony NZ gave no other reasons for the delay. There is speculation that part of the delay is due to issues with its electronic programming guide.

- © Fairfax NZ News