Sony Japan intros PS3 DVR, digital tuner

Sony's recent PlayStation 3 marketing campaign has revolved around the slogan, "It only does everything." Starting in March, "everything" will include being a TiVo-style digital video recorder--in Japan, anyway.

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan today introduced Torne, an external digital terrestrial tuner for the PS3. Set to launch in March, Torne will sell for ¥9,980 ($110) and allow users to watch and record TV broadcasts.

It will also allow users to schedule recordings, and it can record those programs in the background even if the system is doing something else, like playing a DVD or a PS3 game. (However, background recording is not possible while players are using older PS3s to play PlayStation 2 games.) Other features include support for closed captioning, multiple languages, and program guide navigation with a standard PS3 controller or Sony's official Blu-ray remote.

The Torne's usefulness extends to the PSP as well. Once programs have been recorded, they can then be transferred to a PSP for watching on the go.

Recording TV shows can eat up hard drive space in a hurry, so Sony is coordinating the Torne's launch with the Japanese debut of a new 250GB model of the PS3. The PS3 Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Recorder Pack will include the system and Torne for ¥42,800 ($471). The 250GB PS3 will also be released in Japan February 18 without Torne as a limited edition bundle with a ¥34,980 ($385) price point.

A different limited edition 250GB PS3 was released in Japan last month, with a white-and-pink casing design to commemorate the launch of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII. That ¥41,600 ($458) bundle included the game, which sold 1 million copies in 24 hours on its own.

Torne is not Sony's first attempt to merge gaming and DVR functions. Gamers in Europe and Australia already have access to PS3-enabled DVR thanks to Sony's Play TV service.

The electronics giant has been working at integrating the two technologies for years. In 2003, Sony unveiled the PSX, a combination PS2 and DVR that could also burn recorded programs onto discs. One knock against the system was its consumer-unfriendly price point. The PSX came in configurations with 160GB or 250GB hard drives and sold for ¥79,800 ($878) and ¥99,800 ($1,098), respectively. Although the PSX had been scheduled for launch internationally, the lukewarm Japanese reception to the system led those plans to be shelved.