LocationFree TV on PSP becomes reality

If you've recently sat in an airport departure lounge for too long, having previously installed the latest PSP firmware upgrade (version 2.70), you will probably have already noticed the small print informing you that in addition to the other enhancements version 2.70 prepares the handheld as a receiver for LocationFree TV.

What you may not know is what LocationFree TV actually is. The basic concept is actually fairly straightforward but as there's several facets to the service, it can come across as more complicated than it actually is. Allow us to take you through it.

First and foremost, LocationFree TV is concerned with remote TV viewing. Kind of hinted at in the title, isn't it? For the purposes of pocket gaming, this effectively means watching TV on your PSP, regardless of where you are on the planet.

For this you'll need a LocationFree Base Station, a secure, compact unit that offers two connections for AV equipment such as a DVD/HDD recorder. The unit can either be plugged directly into an existing home network or it can establish a wireless link to a PSP with LocationFree software installed (as found in the latest firmware update), enabling you to watch TV remotely within minutes of setting up.

Not only can you watch television, but you can also control a set-top box or HDD recorder through your PSP, regardless of where you find yourself in the world (assuming you're within range of a network or wireless connection, naturally). Controlling the Base Station over the internet is no different from connecting up in your home for when you decide to watch, say, the last third of Newsnight in bed. But the beauty is that you need never miss another programme again – or indeed your favourite television – even when you're away on holiday.

And it's not just remote live viewing that guarantees this because when you know you'll be too busy to watch something simply program your HDD recorder to store it until your next visit to the Base Station.

With a little thought, you can start to really explore the versatility of the system. You can even watch a pre-loaded DVD by having your DVD player hooked up as part of the set-up, for instance, or connect a camcorder in order to see family and friends or monitor home security when you're away.

We won't trouble you with the really clever bits of the technology – not that we don't understand it, of course – but suffice to say that the system has been designed with user-friendliness (and security) at the forefront, meaning that wherever in the world you connect from and regardless of the bandwidth of the broadband connection, you're guaranteed safe access to your Base Station.

LocationFree TV will be available in UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands from this month, with other European countries joining later this year. One thing is for certain – you'll never be bored in a departure lounge again.