Sony SMP-200 review

If you prefer not to worry about networks, you can also plug a flash drive into the SMP-N200 and play files from that. The streamer could play our MKV, WMV HD, MPEG4 and XVID files, but it only played sound from our H.264 file, not video. It didn’t recognise our DivX or MOV files at all. Similarly, the streamer could only recognise MP3, WAV and WMA music files, not FLAC, AAC or OGG.

It’s a shame its menu is slow, as otherwise we really like the SMP-N200. It gives you access to a tremendous amount of online entertainment, media streaming and local file playback for the bargain price of £80. It’s also easy to get on your network and has a versatile collection of ports to plug into your home cinema system. At this price, its main rival is the Roku 2 XS, which has a bright, colourful and fluid interface that runs much more smoothly than the SMP-N200’s. The Roku 2 also has a good selection of games and channels, but you must pay for the best and it can’t stream media from your network unless you install an app. If you want to play your own media conveniently and enjoy the best that web has to offer, the SMP-N200 is the media streamer for you.