Sony PlayTV unboxed: underwhelming compared to initial promise

Sony’s PlayTV has almost begun to reach the hands of European gamers, and since it was first announced a year ago: both the ability to transfer recordings to PSP, PC or MemoryStick, and the ability to record OTA HD channels.

First impressions are “underwhelming”, with the box design being dreary and a lengthy firmware update required before you can use it.  The on-screen menus are reportedly clear, but anyone planning to multitask recording while gaming should know that the PS3 warns gameplay could slow during background recording.

It’s an overview, not a full review, but the hint seems to be that if you’re both serious about digital TV recording and serious about your gaming, go for a separate DVR.  We’ll have to wait for longer term hands-on reports to know for sure.  The Sony PlayTV should be available on September 10th, priced at £70 ($129).