Sony is set to take on Sky by turning its PlayStation 3 games console into a digital video recorder.

The new add-on, called PlayTV, will go on sale early next year in Europe.

The current freeview channels will be available, as well as the high definition channels when they begin broadcasting.

Programmes can be stored on the PS3' s hard drive and can be watched back via Sony' s PSP portable games console.

Although Sony refused to confirm a price for PlayTV, it confirmed users will not pay a monthly fee.

A seven-day TV guide and a button that sets it to record an entire series will be other features.