PlayTV, the external device for PlayStation 3 that allows users to watch and record free-to-air digital TV, has run into problems. It seems like the device is giving all the PlayStation 3 owners (those who own the HDTV/DVR add-on unit) a hard time.
While some users of PlayTV have long complained that the add-on freezes after every recording and forces a manual reboot of the console, others have reported that their console crashes after simply searching PlayTV.
The number of threads on the PlayStation forum about the issues has also built up over time, with fans and users complaining about the crash at different instances. The latest problem has arrived after a recent update for the device and a number of Eurogamer followers say it hasn't worked properly since the update’s release.
“This morning the PS3 hadn't shut down after a recording last night and was frozen on the 'PlayTV is recording' screen,” wrote theflatboy. “Incredibly annoying, the main reason we got the super slim to replace the YLODed fat console was our frequent use of PlayTV. Complete waste of money as it turns out, we would have been better off getting a standalone PVR and binning the PS3 for good. Not happy."
The PlayTV problem has been a persistent one and there have been a lot of posts on the official forum. However, Sony has yet to fix the problem.
“I'm aware of Play TV crashing on the startup screen, but has anyone else encountered Play TV not turning off the PS3 and freezing the system during the Auto Off feature? My PS3 has started to do this a couple of weeks ago, I notice that the PS3 is on when it shouldn't be,” Munky, another member, wrote at that time. “I then come across the ‘Play TV is recording etc.’ Auto Off screen, press O on the Joypad and......nothing!!!! so then I have to turn off by the mains and go through all the HDD checking and rebuilding. It is a 160gb slim PS3 and 2 years old (approx) and I'm running the latest updated version of Play TV.”
Eurogamer received a response from Sony about the issue, with a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe spokesperson stating: “We are aware of this issue, it is currently under investigation and we are working on it.”
