PlayStation 3 DVR a Hit in Japan

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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PlayStation 3 DVR a Hit in Japan



The Japanese apparently really love the idea of using a PlayStation 3 to record television shows.

Sony's torne [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97468-Sony-Announces-torne-TV-Tuner-DVR-for-PS3], a digital video recorder kit developed for use with the PlayStation 3, finally landed on Japanese shelves this week to a huge response from consumers. The device can record shows to a PS3 or a USB hard drive, which can then even be streamed to a PSP.

Torne was expected to be a hit product, receiving loads of coverage in magazines like Famitsu. Famitsu actually rated the device with scores of 9s and 10s, with one reviewer saying he wishes he could have given it a 20. I've got to say, for its approximate $100-$110 cost, it does sound like an incredible product, as DVRs like Tivo can easily cost at least twice that, while cable companies can have consumers dishing out $20 a month or more for DVR service.

Many Japanese stores such as the Akihabara district's popular Yodobashi Camera saw hundreds of people line up for torne. Yakuza 4 for the PlayStation 3 and Gundam Assault Survive for the PSP were also released on the same day, but consumers primarily were out in pursuit of the PS3 DVR. Most stores sold out by the afternoon, with some sending customers away from lines before even opening their doors.

I'm hoping torne will make its way over to other regions eventually, but ideally its name will be fixed first because the whole non-capitalization thing is really freaking me out. Using a DVR is the only way to watch television nowadays, and combining that with PSP and PS3 functionality seems like a huge bonus. Now that torne has finally been released, I want to know how to get all of its trophies [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97651-PS3-DVR-Kit-Includes-Trophy-Support].

Source: Andriasang [http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/03/18/torne_lines_and_sellouts/]
Image via Famitsu


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MurderousToaster

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Aug 9, 2008
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That's... neat I guess.

I don't have a PS3, but I suppose if I did that would be a pretty cool addition to it.
 

Pingieking

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Sep 19, 2009
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Bringing that out of Japan is a pretty good idea. And while you're at it, Sony, how about you bring just about everything else to Canada? It takes me about a day's drive to get into the US, and my PSN can't rent/buy movies? WTF?
 

Jharry5

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Nov 1, 2008
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Sounds like a pretty nice little addition. I might get it if it ever arrives in Europe...
 

Sevre

Old Hands
Apr 6, 2009
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Stubee said:
My DVD player can record TV, my media player can record tv, hell my fuckin phone can record tv now. Why would i want my console to do it aswell?
Because it's more convenient, and if you have something better to do with your time then you'll buy one and show off how you've got Jack Bauer blowing shit up on your PSP to your friends.
 

WorkerMurphey

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Jan 24, 2010
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This seems like a really practical and cool idea. Not having a DVR currently makes this something I would definitely consider picking up. This is about 100 times better than any new motion sensitive garbage about to be released into the ps3/360 world.
 

Chipperz

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Apr 27, 2009
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Jharry5 said:
Sounds like a pretty nice little addition. I might get it if it ever arrives in Europe...
HA! It'll never happen. It's cool, useful and many people in Europe would buy it, so it'll never, ever get released.

I think it looks amazing, but I'm not going to even bother hoping I'll ever actually see one, let alone own one.
 

JaredXE

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Apr 1, 2009
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I'm hitting Tokyo mid-to-late May, is the torne regional coded? Because I would totally pick one up.
 

Yopaz

Sarcastic overlord
Jun 3, 2009
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Sounds like a great product at a fair price. Oh... I forgot you needed a PS3 at a high cost to use it. I guess this is good for those who have a PS3, for me it doesn't really matter much.
 

Skops

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Mar 9, 2010
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Stubee said:
Sevre90210 said:
Stubee said:
My DVD player can record TV, my media player can record tv, hell my fuckin phone can record tv now. Why would i want my console to do it aswell?
Because it's more convenient, and if you have something better to do with your time then you'll buy one and show off how you've got Jack Bauer blowing shit up on your PSP to your friends.
But 24 sucks, why cant i watch Dexter?
I hear that man. Dexter is the shit.
 

Therumancer

Citation Needed
Nov 28, 2007
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Pingieking said:
Bringing that out of Japan is a pretty good idea. And while you're at it, Sony, how about you bring just about everything else to Canada? It takes me about a day's drive to get into the US, and my PSN can't rent/buy movies? WTF?
I'd imagine if it wasn't released in the US there are legal reasons. The same probably goes for other countries as well. Things like TiVo have been involved in some pretty touchy legal issues by all reports, and in the US there are issues with differant networks getting the right to "block" the tranmissions of rivals in their broadcasting area so they can show the same TV shows at a differant time (or there were, I haven't followed it much, it's one of the reasons I stopped watching much TV).

See, the thing is that those TV shows are purchused as a way of getting people to watch the commercials they put on. Something like TiVo allows you to record the shows, but then cut through all the annoying advertisements and such, which is the entire point and what pays for the shows. Lowering the impact of TV advertisements and other issues.

Not to mention the fact that it makes recording TV shows even easier than with VHS tapes and other formats, which has always been an issue for similar reasons. It's a big deal now when you have so many actors/creators/execs after a fast buck by trying to release every TV show ever made to DVD or whatever. It's not about movies anymore. The abillity to put something on a TiVo and then say watch it six months down the road if you want to is needless to say questionable for some.

This product does a lot of the same stuff, but is apparently easier and cheaper. I could see why there might be some legal issues.

I'm not an expert on the subject, just what I've picked up here and there from following issues like censorship, intellectual property rights, and what kind of "rights" consumers/the everyman should have in regards to media. This kind of thing crosses over with video games, game censorship, and other things when you back off and look at the entire puzzle from a greater distance. Issues and meta issues so to speak.
 

thenumberthirteen

Unlucky for some
Dec 19, 2007
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Jharry5 said:
Sounds like a pretty nice little addition. I might get it if it ever arrives in Europe...
It's practically the same as PlayTV which has been out for ages and costs between £40 - £70 depending where you buy it (2nd hand, etc). If you do get it then buy a bigger HD as the shows take up LOADS of space ( ~2-3Gb for a movie). It is worth it and a great DVR it automatically turns the PS3 on and off to save power. The interface is also very good.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Jharry5 said:
Sounds like a pretty nice little addition. I might get it if it ever arrives in Europe...
Yeah, we might be waiting a alittle while for it, but, if it does manage to hit our shores!
 

ahiddenfigure

Hunter of Monsters
Sep 14, 2009
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How does this differ from the PS3's PlayTV thing?

Having seen a PlayTV in action, I don't think it's quite as feature-packed as the TiVo, but still good nonetheless[footnote]If you don't already have a TiVo, that is.[/footnote].