Sony Reveals Plans For PS2-Based Television Recorder

In an interview reported this morning by Reuters, Sony spokesman Kenichi Fukunaga explained that the company is close to releasing the PS2 expansion kit, but the timing and details of the product launch have not been decided. According to Fukunaga, Sony Computer Entertainment is considering whether to sell television PS2 tuner kits containing hard disks and software to manage recording, or whether the company should market a new PlayStation 2 with the functionality built in. Regardless of the decision, however, Fukunaga said that the new product will hit the Japanese market first. Fukunaga also said that company is analyzing how it should handle competitive conflicts that could arise within the overall corporation, since Sony's Electronics division markets DVD recorders, Tivo-enabled DirectTV receivers, VCRs, and other television recording products.