Furthermore, a USB port on the unit allows users to instantly access content stored on a USB drive.

Lastly, the N100 has 802.11n wireless technology built in—no external adapter required.

Given these on-board features, “It does more than Roku” for the price, says Muto.

SMP-N100 Connections and Additional Features
SMP-N100 connectivity. The unit features a 10/100 LAN port; composite, component and HDMI outputs; and stereo and digital audio outputs.

Here, Muto grins: “There’s no proprietary [Sony] connection.”

System control. Obviously, the N100 comes with a handheld IR remote control.

In addition, Sony already has an iPad app for its Bravia Internet service, so you can bet they have it also for the media player.

There is also an Android app, which is especially nice for voice-based search. No, the system is not yet smart enough to enable greater voice-control functionality.

“Right now, there are no playback controls [for voice],” says Muto. “Eventually we would like to be able to say, ‘Play Netflix.’”

Favorites. Sony lets users pare down the 30-plus Bravia Internet offerings via a “Favorites” tab.

Simply press the “favorites” button on the remote (or other controller) to add Netflix or the Spanish station to the page. No, you can’t drill down through the favorites. For example, you can’t bookmark a specific YouTube video.

Things You Can’t Do with N100
Currently, you cannot use the device to:

• Skype
• Perform a universal search of content across online services and local content
• Drill down into Netflix (you can only play what’s in your queue)

Some more images:

Simply press the “favorites” button on the remote (or other controller) to add Netflix or the Spanish station to the page.

Sony’s Jeff Muto gives us a sneak preview of the SMP-N100 at Sony headquarters.

Sony brings its own exclusive content as well, including Michael Jackson videos and the Qriocity VoD service.

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Julie Jacobson - Editor-at-large, CE Pro

Julie Jacobson is co-founder of EH Publishing and currently spends most of her time writing for CE Pro, mostly in the areas of home automation, networked A/V and the business of home systems integration. She majored in Economics at the University of Michigan, earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and has never taken a journalism class in her life. Julie is a washed-up Ultimate Frisbee player with the scars to prove it. Follow her on Twitter @juliejacobson.