Sony Unveils Digital Media Hub for PlayStation, PC, Tablet, Phone Lines

Sony Computer Entertainment said the "nasne" device, which expands on a previous peripheral for the PlayStation, will go on sale in Japan from July 19, with a 500GB hard drive and inputs for terrestrial and satellite TV. It will cost $210. An SCE spokesman said the company currently has no concrete plans to sell the device outside of Japan but is considering various options.

The device is the latest in a series of products and services from the electronics giant that aim to interconnect its disparate product lines. New CEO Kazuo Hirai has made providing a unified "Sony experience" a major goal for the struggling company, putting most of its electronic products into a single business unit and emphasizing its network platforms.

The nasne is a successor to an external TV tuner Sony sells for PlayStation game consoles in Japan, branded "torne." But while that device is marketed as a PlayStation peripheral and relies on the console for storage, Sony says the newer nasne is more of a stand-alone product, with its own hard drive and network presence.

The nasne also supports an external hard drive for more storage through a USB port.

Sony sells a tuner for the PlayStation in Europe called "PlayTV," which is similar to the torne in Japan.