Sony's menus are increasingly based on its Xross Media Bar (XMB) layout, so you may already be familiar with the PS3's user interface. Although it is generally seen as very user-friendly, we will now quickly run through how it's used.

Very user-friendly: Sony's XMB interface will already be familiar to some users.

You will see nine types of functions arranged horizontally, three of which are for playing back movies, music, and photos. While flicking through the available functions, the currently selected element remains centered on the display, with the list moving across the screen as necessary. When selecting one of these three functions, all the available sources are then displayed in a vertical list, which includes the internal hard disk, any devices connected by USB, and any UPnP servers in the network.

The home-theater feel: Sony's Bluetooth remote control makes the system even easier to use (optional extra, about 26 GBP).

Files are sorted according to artist, album, or genre and can be selected by stepping through the menus that appear vertically and horizontally. We like this function: The cursor returns what you selected when you last opened the menu. During playback, there is another form of menu that's plain but clearly indicates each symbol's function, such as adjusting the picture format or the subtitles. Extra functions such as slow motion, or playback at up to 120 times the normal speed, work without delay in network operation.

Simple but functional: During playback, you can use this on-screen menu to adjust various parameters, including the picture format and playback speed.

The preset themes for slideshows and music playback are good, but the delay of several seconds between songs can be irritating when listening to live mixes.