| Sony BDP-N460 |
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Last Updated
December 24, 2009 Editor's Rating 
 
Sony is definitely a "big player" when it comes to home multimedia systems, and their latest Blu-ray player, the Sony BDP-N460, offers a whole bunch of new streaming features and functionality. It now offers streaming similar to players from other competitors, like Netflix Instant and YouTube streaming. The lower price point is another thing that Sony hopes will attract users to this new model. The design of the Sony BDP-N460 is the exact same of their other Blu-ray DVD players, including the entry level models. It measures 8.1 x 2.2 x 16.9-inches (dhw) and weighs just under 5 pounds. The front panel is made of glossy black plastic and looks pretty slim and stylish. On the right side of the front, there's just two buttons, play and stop. Above that is the eject button and opposite that along the top is the power button. When one first sees this player, they might ask, "where is the disc tray?". Well, it's hidden and is revealed when the front panel flips open when the eject button is pressed to reveal the hidden disc tray. It's a good style design, but one might be worried that it will break down the road. In the middle of the front panel offset to the right a little bit is the LCD display that is very basic, but functional for what it is needed for. It's also big and can be read from afar. Under this area beneath the aforementioned buttons is a front USB input. On the back, you'll find the following outputs: 1 composite, 1 component, 1 HDMI, 2 analog audio, 1 digital audio coaxial, and 1 digital audio optical. There's also another USB port and an Ethernet input for network connectivity. Unlike the front USB port, this one on the back is recessed, which impedes the use of larger USB thumbdrives, so be aware. This player supports both 1080p/60 & 1080p/24 outputs through HDMI. There is also onboard Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio decoding built right in.
There are a few limitations with regards to features on the Sony BDP-N460. One such disappointment is the lack of Wi-Fi built in, but you can add an optional Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge. There is also no internal memory, so if you want to download any BD-Live content, you'll have to connect an external storage device to it, which is what the back USB port is for. Besides firmware updates, the Ethernet (or wireless bridge) can be used for Internet streaming from various sources, including: Netflix Instant Streaming, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Sony Pictures Television, Slacker Radio, Wired, Blip.tv, and a few others. This can be a great buy if you're a subscriber to Netflix because you can use the BDP-N460 to stream movies instantly to your TV at no additional cost. Video and audio quality on the Sony BDP-N460 are pretty good, with only a few minor issues here and there. Some jagged edges were seen, but that's nothing out of the ordinary with other Blu-ray players and they are certainly not of the level that would hinder DVD viewing. The disc drive supports Blu-ray, DVDs, CD audio, AVCHD, MP3s, and JPEG playback.
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