PlayTV expands the capabilities of PlayStation 3 (PS3) to include television entertainment. The PS3 TV tuner allows the gaming console to function as a DVR (digital video recorder). Users have the ability to watch live TV, record favorite programs and even pause a television program. Recording and pausing uses the PS3's hard drive to save the television program so there must be adequate space to save the data. Once the TV tuner is installed, making use of its features is as straightforward as watching cable TV.
Power on the PS3 and then navigate to the "PlayTV" icon. Connect the PS3 controller cable or press a button on the wireless controller to turn it on.
Use the left and right controller arrows to select "Live TV," "Electronic Program Guide," "Library", "Schedule" or "Settings." Press the "X" button to select the option you want.
Select "Live TV" to watch television. Press "L1" or "R1" to change channels, the "square" button to display the guide or the "triangle" button to return to the main menu. The "L2" button rewinds your program while the "L1" button fast forwards. Finally, the "Start" button pauses and resumes Live TV and the "X" button opens the "Now" and "Next Bar" controls, which displays a status bar of the current program and channel. Pressing the left and right arrows display the previous and next programs, respectively.
Pick "Guide" from the main menu to display a list of available channels, program names, show times and descriptions. The "up", "down," "left" and "right" arrows move the cursor allowing you to highlight programs. Press "X" to view options for the selected program, the square button to toggle between all channels and favorites, "L1" to page up, "R1" to page down, "L2" to see the previous day's guide and "R2" to see the next day.
Select "Library" to see the programs you chose to record and are saved to your PS3 hard drive. Pressing "X" brings up the "Library Options Menu" and the "square" button allows you to adjust how your recordings are displayed.
Pick "Schedule" to view your upcoming recordings. Use the arrows to highlight the row you want and then press "X" to view status reports or the "square" button to adjust your settings.
Press "X" while highlighting "Settings" to manage your favorite list or turn on parental lock. You also have an option to select "Always" or "Only when paused" for the "Live TV Buffer" feature. This buffer is a saved portion of the program you watch in Live TV which allows you to scan forward or backward. Finally, the "Background Recording" feature can be toggled on or off. When turned on, your TV tuner will record when you are playing PS3 games or Blu-ray discs.
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Writer Bio
Iam Jaebi has been writing since 2000. His short story, "The Alchemist," reached over 250,000 readers and his work has appeared online in Thaumotrope and Nanoism. His novel, "The Guardians," was released in 2010 by Imagenat Entertainment. Jaebi is also a business writer specializing in company naming, concept designs and technical writing. He graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering.
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