Sony’s latest innovation can bring internet AV content to any system, says James Vesey

When it comes to the big TV trends of the moment, 3D is only part of the story: limited content, the relatively high price of suitable sets, and the big drawback of having to wear glasses in audio to get the stereoscopic effect are all factors in what has been a somewhat slow uptake of the technology.

Yes, the TV manufacturers are talking a good game, and announcing impressive numbers, but market research figures suggest overall sales are lagging some way behind expectations. Of more interest to a greater number of buyers may well be internet TV, enabling a range of programmes to be streamed into the home via a broadband internet connection.

And if that has you thinking ‘Hmm, but what’s worth watching on YouTube?’, the answer is that not only are there some fascinating historical performances on some of the video-sharing sites, but also that commercial operations are opening up their own channels online, in what many are saying may bring about a complete shift in the way we watch television.

Most TV manufacturers now offer internet-connected TVs, which can be hooked up to a home network using an Ethernet cable or a (usually optional) wireless (or Wi-Fi) link. Once connected, they can stream music, video or photos stored on the home network to the TV via DLNA compatibility, as well as linking you up with services such as the BBC iPlayer, internet radio, and paid content such as film rentals from Lovefilm.

What’s more, such facilities are now available in some Blu-ray players, so you can add them on to an existing TV simply by plugging the player in using an HDMI cable, and connecting it up to the network.

All well and good, but what if you don’t want to upgrade your TV or disc player, or even if you just want these facilities in a second room? The Sony solution comes in the form of the SMP-N100, a little box designed to bring the company’s Bravia Internet TV services to any room in the house.

Selling for around £110 and standing just 4cm tall and 18.5cm square, with a gloss front panel, the Sony box features both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity has no controls in evidence, and is ‘driven’ either from the supplied remote control or using a free iPhone/iPod Touch ‘app’ available from the iTunes store.

Everything is accessed using on-screen menus, and the unit connects to the outside world via an HDMI socket, or using analogue stereo and optical digital audio outs, plus component and composite video sockets. There’s also a USB socket on the front panel, to which hard drives or memory keys can be connected to play back their content.

PERFORMANCE
Setting up the Sony really is plug and play: unless you’re running it on a protected wireless network, where you’ll be held up for a few seconds tapping in your security key, as soon as it’s connected to network, mains and TV you’re ready to go.

As standard the UK version delivers services including the BBC iPlayer and Demand Five beside Sony Pictures Entertainment content, YouTube and the like, but of great interest to the classical music fan is likely to be The Berlin Philharmonic’s subscription service, which allows you to watch the orchestra’s concert season, and a growing archive, from the comfort of your armchair, in both high-definition video and high-quality sound.

The Digital Concert Hall costs €9.90 for 24 hours, €29 for 30 days, and €149 for a year; if you’re a fan of the orchestra that looks pretty good value, and having viewed some of the excellent concerts available via the service, the quality of both sound and vision is exceptionally good.

But then so is this excellent box with everything from BBC iPlayer content to music and video stored on the home network. It can handle content up to 1080p, and has built-in upscaling for standard definition programmes, making even documentaries on Demand Five look good – in fact, indistinguishable from much ‘live’ broadcasting – on my large plasma screen, while the sound quality, whether over HDMI or using the analogue or digital audio outputs, is also remarkably good.

True, it won’t handle high-resolution audio contents such as FLAC or Apple Lossless files, and the tumbling prices of Blu-ray players means you could get a Sony machine with this functionality built-in for not a huge amount more than the SMP-N100, but as a simple, cost-effective internet TV solution, this is a very well-sorted little product.

Sony SMP-N100
Type Bravia Internet TV client
Price £110
Inputs Ethernet, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n), USB, 12V DC from power supply provided
Outputs HDMI with video upscaling to 1080p, component and composite video, stereo analogue and optical digital audio
File formats accepted via network/USB MPEG and DivX/DivX HD video; MP3 and WMA audio; JPEG photos
Additional file formats accepted from USB AVC-HD, WMV, Simple MPEG and MPEG-1 video Accessories supplied Remote handset, power supply
Dimensions (WxHxD) 18.5x4x18.5cm
www.sony.co.uk