(23 August 2007 4:18 pm)

MUMBAI: Sony will form a joint venture company with European television provider Sky to start download service to the PSP.

The service which will be branded under Sony's existing 'Go!Entertainment' label for non-game PSP functions, is slated for launch in early 2008.

Under the service, customers will be able to pick and choose from individual programmes offered by Sky or subscribe to content packages like sports, entertainment or animation.

Sony has also added a TV tuner that can be plugged into its PS3. This will allow users and owners to record and playback digital TV on their gaming consoles. Called as Play TV, it will allow users to stream live and recorded videos from PS3 to the PSP with the help of the remote play, thus allowing them to watch TV on their handheld device.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves stated, "The introduction of PlayTV really will extend the already broad entertainment credentials of PS3, and makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition for the whole family."

The electronics major has also announced two more Go! services to be available in 2008. One is Go! Messenger, a voice/video/text chat service that will be placed on PSP's main menu bar and allow the user to communicate with other PSP owners. The other service is Go! Explore, a GPS navigation product.

Meanwhile, Sony America is considering offering similar services in the US.