Monday, May 31, 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

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This player is unbelievable. You can stream all of your Video, Music, and Pictures wireless from your PC with the included Nero software. The WiFi is built in no need for a wireless dongle - sorry Samsung - LOL.

The menus are easy to use and fun. It is like having a second computer in my living room. I love this player so much that I am going to buy the extended warranty today so that nothing happens to it. I am an electronics geek. I have had the samsung 1600, 3600, and LG BD370. This one takes the cake. I don't care that I paid full price. I would have paid another $150 for this unit. Trust me you WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! I am in love with this unit. LG you blew me away with this player.

I have been having so much fun with this unit I can't explain. Do your selves a favor and buy this unit. You can respond to my review and I guarantee you will agree.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

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I would just like to warn everyone considering purchasing this player, that it is NOT compatible with MAC/Apple hardware! When I asked LG, their response was, and I quote; "LG does not support the MAC OS. You will not be able to stream anything over the BD390 since LG does not support your OS"!

From what i understand, it is a great player, but if you are going to connect it to a MAc computer, it will not work! I don't know if the Samsung BD-P3600 will work with a MAC, but I doubt it! Just a word to the wise!Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Friday, May 28, 2010

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Took this unit out of the box, plugged it into my TV. Powered it up, and went through the easy, relatively short menu to set it up, including getting it to talk on my wireless network. My network needs to be set up more thoroughly (our original computer - the 'server'- has died and we haven't quite figured out how to get the new one designated as the server), so I haven't been able to stream stuff from my computer yet, but YouTube is readily available.

Most importantly, it sends a GREAT image to my TV. I only have a 1080i unit at the moment (1080p coming soon!), but the Planet Earth BluRay DVDs are incredible!Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

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After one problem after another with a less than a year old Sony blu-ray, I purchased this unit and could not be happier. There is no comparison. Set up was a breeze--within 5 minutes I was laughing at my favorite You Tube clips, hooked up to Netflix and was set to go. Don't hesitate, these units will not stay on the shelves so get yours NOW! Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

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Bottom line, this is simply the best network Blu-ray player on the market. Blu-ray playback, flawless. Streaming Netflix via wireless internet connection, flawless. Any complaints are most likely user error or due to slow internet connection speed, so I have an important bit of advise to potential buyers. HD Netflix requires an internet data rate of ~8mbps. Entry level cable or DSL data rates are 5 and 3 mbps respectively. You will need to upgrade (usually costs $5-$10 per month) to stream HD Netflix. Cable users will be able to watch SD no problem at ~5mbps but SD requires about 3.5 mbps minimum, so entry level DSL users will have some problems streaming SD Netflix. Some DSL service is only 1.5mbps which is well, silly.

One more note: I am a Mac user and I can connect the BD390 to the internet and run all the available applications advertised just fine. The only thing you can't do is route iTunes directly from your computer to your TV via the BD390, which you don't really need if you use Netflix. Not a deal breaker.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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I have a Vizio GV47L 1080P LCD TV, and this LG DG390 will not work with it. I just get noise for the picture. I called LG and Vizio. The Vizio Tech. told me that they been having issues with the LG players not working with older TV's with a older spec. HDMI interfaces. I have tried the TV with a new Panasonic BD player, the DMP-BD80K with no issues. I am not interested in trashing LG in any way, just to warn folks that this unit may not work with your older TV. When I took the player back to BB and we connected it to a new Sony, the LG BD390 looked fine. I think the menu looks nice. I like all the features. I am very disappointed with LG for being incompatible with a older TV like mine, the mfg date on the Vizio is Nov 2006.

I am giving LG a one star for releasing a product which should work with a wide variety of TV's out there. My TV was made in late 2006, it is a 2.5 year old TV. I feel that the customer should not have to run out and update their TV just 2.5 years after buying a TV. or is this something which has to be done when you buy a new BD player?

I think LG needs to do a better job with QC. Again I like all the nice features the LG offers, too bad it will not work with my TV. Bottom line is they lost my business. Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Save LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player


I bought this unit from a local retailer and had high hopes for it. So far, all my expectations have been met. Although I have a network connection at my TV, I decided to go the wireless route since I did not have a spare LAN cable handy. I entered in the SID of my wireless-N router (it is not broadcast), entered my WPA2 (AES) code, and the unit acquired an IP address without any issue. I then went to the Netflix setup on the BD390, where it provided me with a code to enter on the Netflix website. I entered that number via my laptop and bingo, I could watch any instant movies already in my Netflix queue. The YouTube was just as easy; I entered my account name and password, and my favorites showed up. On my Windows XP desktop, I ran the Nero MediaHome 4 CD that came with the BD390 and installed the UPnP server. It took forever to index 20 GB of music but now that is also available on the Home Media network icon on the BD390. One interesting thing is that the BD390 also found my DirecTV HD DVR. It could list all the shows I stored on that unit but unfortunately could not play them. So far, we have played regular DVDs and the picture on my Samsung LCD (1080p) has been fantastic. I used an HDMI connection to the Samsung TV and an optical connection to my Onkyo AVR. Sounds great. I have yet to try a Blu Ray disk but I just added Blu Ray to my Netflix subscription and look forward to that. Also, via the setup menu, you can check for firmware upgrades, which I did. All set there.

Pros: Easy menu. Easy to set up. Supports hidden WiFi SIDs (WEP, WPA, WPA2, AES and TKIP security options). Fast loading (faster than my Onkyo DVD player). Access to home media files on a PC. Netflix. YouTube. Can connect my 2 TB Western Digial Mirror drive via the USB.

Cons: No USB in the back. Ejected DVDs are really hot.

Wish list: Pandora music (maybe in a future firmware upgrade). Ability to browse instant Netflix titles and add to my queue.

As you can see, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Get this one over the Samsung 3600 and you will not be disappointed.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

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This player is simply awesome! I only have a 1080i Olevia hdtv but the picture is super clear and I'm now starting to collect blu-ray movies. The LG BD390 even plays dvd-rw which is a plus and plays a variety of different formats such as .avi which is a surprise since it was not listed in the specs. This is also an upscale dvd player and will make your dvd movies look even better! For some movies (Into the Blue) the LG BD 390 will resume where you last left off even if you eject the movie out and play it again at a later time.

The menu is very user friendly and I was able to connect to my computer wirelessly in minutes so that I could stream movies and music to the tv via the LG BD390. Connection to Netflix and Youtube.com was a snap.

This is my first Blu-ray player so I can't compare the load speeds of other players but to me, it loads pretty fast...it takes about 10-12 seconds to get to the menu screen (I used Transformers as an example).

For $379.99 it might be pricey for some but if you love movies in high def...this is a must! Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

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I have to say that I'm impressed with this unit. The wait times are not too bad at all, and as others have said, the picture quality is excellent. Standard DVD upconversion is excellent. There are a few minor issues that I've found, which I'll get to.

Setup out of the box was quick and simple. I plugged it in and set a few audio options, video needed no adjustment from the defaults.

The network setup wasn't too bad, but I did have some issues with encryption. I also purchased a new wireless router (the Netgear RangeMax WNDR3300 Wireless-N Router) to replace the near-decade-old Linksys I have. I tried two different encryption types, and both both times the player could connect after entering the key, but refused to obtain an IP address. Disabling encryption on the router caused the player to obtain an IP address quickly, and setup was complete. Currently I'm running without encryption but with MAC address filtering. I'm okay with that, but I might go back and try encryption again now that I've downloaded a firmware update for the router. Other reviews state no problems setting up with encryption, so the problem might be specific to my setup.

Netflix functionality took a few seconds to set up. Anything in your "Watch Instantly" queue is displayed in the Netflix menu and you can rate any of them from the player. Unfortunately, at this time there is no ability to browse or search for anything that's not already in your queue. With the right connection, the higher quality video is quite good - as good or slightly better than standard definition cable. At this point, audio doesn't get any better than stereo, and while it's not crystal clear, it's not bad. Hopefully some new features will be added in future firmware updates.

The YouTube player is nice too. This supports searches, "Top Rated", "Most Viewed", "Recent Videos", etc. It's fun to play around with, and I'm glad the feature exists on this player, even if the novelty might wear off a little over time.

I did a firmware update this morning (it wasn't available yesterday), and now there is a new menu item for CinemaNow. I haven't messed with it much, but apparently you can "rent" a movie for around $3.99 or "buy" a movie for $15-$20. There's a section for TV, but it merely says "Coming Soon". I don't see the point in this really, since Netflix covers the rentals (for much cheaper), and the movies seems to be the same price as going out and buying the DVD. I'd rather have the DVD than an over-compressed soft copy for the same price.

I can't get the Media Server stuff to work at all [fixed! -- see updates below]. So far, I've dedicated about 6 or 7 hours to getting this to work. None of the other reviews have mentioned a problem with this, so I guess it must be me. I installed the included Nero MediaHome 4 Essentials software, and added a directory to share. I started the server fine, but the player constantly tells me "No Server Found". I have tried two different wireless routers and an infinite number of settings adjustments. My firewalls are off. I just can't get a break. As a software engineer with a degree in the field, you can bet that it's pretty frustrating for this to beat me. I'll update the review if and when I get it working. Others have not had the same problem as me, though. So I imagine that this is NOT a problem with the player.

There are also a number of little features related to the playing of DVD's and BD's that I like. The player remembers each movie's last position when it was stopped and/or removed. So the next time you start up that movie, it will resume where you left off.

The video settings are reasonably full-featured as well. Brightness, Contrast, etc. are all adjustable, and you can adjust colors manually (just the reds, just the yellows, etc.) Upconverted DVD's have a couple of NR options, and there's an auto-contrast feature which seems to work pretty well. There's also a zoom feature that let's you zoom in on a part of the screen to get a closer look. That's cool.

Overall, this player was definitely worth the money for me. I'm looking forward to the day when I can get the media server working, but even without that feature, I love this player. It's worth every cent. Great video, great audio, and instant Netflix that doesn't involve me using composite cables to mirror my laptop screen to the TV. Progress!

---------------- Update 05/27/2009 ------------------
Now I seem to be having an additional problem. I tried two DVD's that have an alternate picture-in-picture track that can be enabled. They pop up with a small video in the corner of the screen every so often when the option is turned on (like a video commentary track). I can't get either of them to play with sound. The video shows up but you can't hear anything. There is no mention of this in the manual, and nothing that I can find online about it. One person with the same problem (but a different player) said that their player had a "Secondary Audio" option that was turned off by default, and turning it on fixed the issue. This player does not have that option. None of the standard audio tracks contain the PIP audio. I've just about given up. If someone can tell me how to fix this, I'd be grateful. Otherwise I'd knock this down to three stars until it's fixed in firmware. For reference, the two Blu-Ray discs I'm talking about are Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder and Groundhog Day.

---------------- Update 06/05/2009 ------------------
Following the recommendation of xoco (see Comments), I changed the audio from Primary Pass-Through to DTS Re-Encode. This fixes the PIP audio track problem. I'm satisfied with that, although I'm not sure if I have lost anything by making the switch.

---------------- Update 08/25/2009 ------------------
SUCCESS!! Finally, I can see my PC as a media server. Whatever issues I had were fixed with the latest firmware download (BD.8.08.498.B). As soon as I finished the download and rebooted the player, my PC was visible in the My Media section. Nero MediaHome 4 still does not seem to work, but the standard sharing built into Vista works fine. That's the (very) good news. The bad news? I immediately shared one of my video directories to try it out. I tried a couple of videos that I had scaled down to 720p to put on Flickr, and even scaled down they were horribly choppy and slow. I may need to start messing with router settings again to see if I can fix this. Currently, the streamed videos are completely unwatchable.

Additionally, one of the previous firmware updates added high definition support for Netflix streaming. And they seem to have fixed an issue where the video quality was always lower than it should have been, given the speed of the connection. With a 22MBps connection, I was previously getting generally 50-75% "bars" on the quality scale. Now I'm usually getting 100% (HD), and sometimes one or two steps down from that when I'm using at peak times. It's a vast improvement. And the HD quality is better than I could have imagined for streaming video.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Friday, May 21, 2010

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First, let me state that I am not an expert. Just an average consumer. I just received this player about two weeks ago. It shipped quickly and was in perfect condition on arrival. Set up was easy and I had no problems. I was able to connect to my wireless network easily. I just entered my password and it connected. I have it connected to a SONY KDL-40S4100 40 inch LCD HD TV. The Blue-Ray discs load quickly (about the same amount of time it took for my regular DVD player to load). Image quality is incredible with the blue ray discs and my old DVDs look a lot better on this player. I have a slow DSL connection but I don't have any problem playing YouTube videos and Netflix movies. My connection is too slow for HD movies or cinema now movies. I will probably upgrade my DSL. I would highly recommend this player based on ease of use and quality of the images.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

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I'll make this short and sweet. This player works...and extremely well!!

Hooked up via multichannel 7.1 to an older Onkyo receiver...sounds absolutely fantastic! HDMI to DVI on an older Hitachi 57" for 1080i(next stop...new 1080p set). Looks phenomenal!
Set up Netflix, Youtube, MyMedia, within 10 minutes or less...works flawlessly. And no dongle hanging out. Software updated over net...no problem. Was looking at the Sammy 3600, but too many problems reported, external wireless dongle (why?) and feels much more flimsy. The LG feels and looks like a quality product. They hit a home run with this one!!!

Waiting for them to add Pandora via download. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Get it now...before everyone else buys theirs! And if you do a little negotiating...you can get a real deal.

Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Buy LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player


I owned the previuous model, BD300 and was not totally happy with it, as it was not wireless and easily overwhelmed the memory when downloading programs. The 390 is a totally different product, and very good. It was easy to set up, and works extremely well. Ordered from 6th Ave Electronis, and everything arrived on time and in good condition.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

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Works great on my DVI TV with a HDMI to DVI TV which is HDCP compliant but will not work yet with the HDFury2 v 1.51 to hook up to my old Component TV. They are working on it though-then I might give this 5 stars.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Monday, May 17, 2010

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I was hesitant to purchase this blu-ray player due to reported problems with LG blu-ray players and Vizio TVs. I have a Vizio GV52LF 52" 1080P LCD TV. I'm happy to report that the LG BD 390 works perfectly with my TV.

Set-up was quick and easy. All I had to do was plug in the power cord, connect the player to my TV with an HDMI cable, and enter the security code for my wireless network using the 390's very easy to use menu. I also performed a firmware update immediately once I was connected to my wireless network. The firmware update was easy to do using the 390's simple menu.

I have viewed a few blu-ray discs so far, mostly concert DVDs. I can honestly say that I was blown away the first time I inserted a disc (Foreigner - Soundstage concert). Just an awesome picture with this player. The discs load pretty quickly too.

I have also experimented with some of the other internet features including YouTube and NetFlix. YouTube was pretty cool through my TV. The only drawback is that there's no keyboard to type in the searches. You have to use an on-screen keyboard, and it can be cumbersome entering in the letters.

I also joined NetFlix, and activated my 390 with NetFlix so that I can stream movies. This was easy as well. I simply joined NetFlix using my computer, then went to a specific NetFlix address that was on my blu-ray screen, then entered a code that was also on the screen. From there, all I had to do was set up a queue for the content that I wanted streamed to the 390, and then all of the choices in my queue magically appeared on my TV screen.

One note regarding the NetFlix streaming. Not all movies are available for streaming. Most new releases are not available. Also, most movies are not streamed in HD. The picture quality is closer to DVD quality, maybe slightly worse, but definitely acceptable. I have streamed a movie (in HD), a documentary (stadard definition), the Showtime series Weeds (standard definition), and a concert (standard definition). I must say, that even though most content is not HD, I really love the ability to instantly stream movies, TV series, concerts, etc. Also, there were no issues with the picture pausing, buffering, etc, once the program starts. Once you select a show, it will buffer for about 10 seconds, and it's smooth sailing from there. You can also pause, fastforward, rewind, etc.

I haven't tried out any of the other functions, like the Neuro software, etc, and I do not intend to. I don't want to put anything on my computer that might bog it down.

The only con that I can say so far is regarding the disc tray. It does appear to be flimsy, and has a lot of "play" in it when ejected. Others have noted the same thing. Other than that, this is one heck of a player. I'm glad that I waited until now to purchase my first blu-ray player.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

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Pros: I really like the unit the blu ray picture is outstanding the up conversation is great. It plays most files correctly.

Cons: I have tried two units now. Both have the same issues. The .MKV files only play thirty minutes.The Network was a real problem when using a DLink 655 router, their tech support has been NO help! You can connect with this router if you set up a DMZ use a static IP and 4.2.2.2 /4.2.2.3 DNS. The Remote needs to be pointed exactly right to work correctly. They state universal remote, yeah but very limited selection.

Other Thoughts: I have tried countless times to get THEM LG to take one off the self to try a .MKV file (size/time) to see if it needs a firmware update. They refuse to even accept there may be an issue. I can opt to send my second unit in and wait for who knows how long to get another replacement. I give up and will keep it but I have ordered a Samsung BD 3600. I'll use the LG in a less used room until a fix appears. (Maybe someday they will consider that they could possibly have a problem)Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

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This player does it all, as promised.

Great blu-ray quality. Nice easy setup and interface to Netflix and Cinema Now. The built in WIFI makes the whole set up process painless.

I can't say enough good things.

Its worth the money.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Friday, May 14, 2010

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player


I picked up this player after reading an overwhelmingly positive review from CNET. From a feature standpoint, this unit has everything I was looking for. Built in wifi (no crappy Samsung dongles, or the required archaic ethernet cord connections), onboard memory, super fast operating speed, and Netflix streaming. I'll start with the positives.

The unit's aesthetics are quite appealing. It has a nice, swanky, upscale look to it, and looks even slicker than its $399 price tag. As advertised, the load times on blu ray movies are terrific. Setting up wifi was also a breeze, and allowed me to quickly update the firmware. Netflix streaming was executed well. I didn't like that you had to add movies to your queue from your computer only (as opposed to browsing titles online directly from the unit), but this is still a nice feature to have if you're a Netflix subscriber. I kept getting error messages when accessing Cinema Now, but this is not a big deal if you use Netflix. Also, this unit deserves credit for displaying a nice looking picture on blu rays as well as DVD's. There's also a really slick scan mode that lets you jump to any part in the movie by using only your menu arrow keys from the remote (works great when programmed to a universal remote).

With all these pluses, why the two star rating? Where do I begin? Let's start with the remote. Without question, this is the cheapest, most thoughtlessly designed remote I've ever seen for such an expensive player. The button layout is uninspired, and there's a crappy, hard-to-slide compartment for TV commands on the bottom. On my remote, I wasn't able to get any of the commands to work initially. I later figured out that the copper ends of the battery compartment were not pressed against the battery properly. So if I manually pushed the battery up into the copper, the remote worked fine. Thank goodness for universal remotes. Not a good start, LG.

Next up is audio. I listen to the majority of movies through my TV (via HDMI from the player directly to the TV). I also pass an optical cable from the DVD into my receiver for movie listening through the stereo (about an 80/20 TV speaker/stereo split). While this unit had no problems passing sound through both outputs, I could not get my TV speakers to play movies loudly enough. I went to the audio setup and tried every combination of settings to get sound to play at a sufficient level, but nothing I did would allow movies to be played with any sense of fullness from my TV speakers, even with the TV volume set at maximum. I never had any sound loudness issues with my Sony BDP-S350 player.

And now for the two issues that killed this player for me: first, I noticed while watching several movies that the audio was not synching with the actors' mouth movements. While watching Major League on blu ray for example, I noticed that the ballplayers' lips would move a split second before the sound would output. Again, I tried adjusting all setup options to remedy this, with unsuccessful results. This became extremely distracting, and ruined my enjoyment of the movie. I did not notice this issue at all watching the same movie on my Sony.

Second, and most unforgiving, the player refused to play my blu ray copy of The Wrestler. It would attempt to load for 30 seconds, and eject the movie. This happened after repeated attempts. I wonder what other titles this player will not play. I popped it right into my Sony player, and it played immediately. Maybe LG will fix these compatibility issues with a future firmware update, but I refuse to wait until they do. Needless to say, I returned this player shortly after testing it.

I'm pleased to see that LG has incorporated features that should have been standard in players for a long time; built-in wireless for profile 2.0 discs (which access online content called "blu ray live") is an essential feature. And incorporating Netflix streaming should be a given (this means you Sony and Panasonic). I would also like to see "resume play" allowable in all players, regardless of whether the blu ray software supports it. Losing your spot in a movie by pressing "stop" is a ridiculous shortcoming of the format, and now that players are incorporating onboard memory, disc resetting should become a relic. However, despite LG's attempt to release a feature packed unit, audio and lip synching issues, as well as disc compatibility issues make this player a bust.
Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Review


And I mean, 'so far.' This is my third BD player, since my last two did not make it past one month. My first was a SONY BDP S350. After a month, it broke down (see my review on that player's Amazon page). I figured, it happens. I traded that player in for a Samsung P3600, based on rave reviews (including those of the Best Buy sales people). The Samsung did not last 24 hours! (again, see my review on that player's Amazon page). Now I started getting frustrated.

After spending enough (way too much) time on-line looking at reviews of several players on various sites, I decided to go for the LG BD390. Sadly, the Best Buy by me said it did not have this latest model. I was happily surprised to find out, when I got to the store to bring in my Samsung player, that they DID have the 390! I snatched the last box they had!

While this may all change in time (I sure hope not), based on my past BD experience, so far this player is AMAZING. Where do I start...

The owner's manual: the easiest to understand, best written I have seen in a long time.

The remote: flawless. The Sony one was too bulky. The Samsung one did not respond unless you pressed each button several times, completely directed at the player. The LG remote responds fast and is simple and to the point. It even responds when not aimed directly on the player's face!

Picture quality: No complaints either from the Sony, Samsung or LG. All were/are beautiful, using an HDMI cable on my 42 inch SONY WEGA. The LG makes connections and settings much easier to understand than the other two brands I mention. Of course, this being my third player, I can do the connections and settings almost in my sleep by now!

BD experience: So far the discs I have watched all played with no issues. Loading time is lightning speed. While I expect the other shoe to drop, based on people's reviews of just about every BD player out there, so far it has not. Considering my Samsung player died 24 hours after I bought it, I am happy that this player actually turns on still!

Sound: While the three are comparable, the LG's sound output is not only gorgeous, but it is also EASY to set up. I use a DTS/Dolby Surround 5.1 receiver and hook it up with an optical cable. Setting the player for it was easy. The Samsung, on the other hand, spoke a language of its own and I had to do some hit or miss until I got it to work with the receiver. LG gets the thumbs up.

The look of the player: flawless and smart. The player is a little large, so it has its own shelf on the entertainment module...but it almost deserves it. The buttons are on the front of the player (imagine that! Samsung's are useless ON THE TOP!), except for the ON/OFF and EJECT buttons, which are on the front/top. Still accessible from the front.

Network Connectivity: OK, so I may not be a lot of help here. The other two players were a nightmare to set up, and the Samsung's wireless was almost useless (see everyone's review on this). However, I use a wireless bridge anyway, so I simply hooked that up to the LG player's ethernet input port and, within a minute, had it all set up and running smoothly. The player was happy and so was I.

The LG player needed one update, but I do not see this as a bad thing (I wish the darn Samsung would have had several!)as updates can --usually, though not always--improve your player's performance. The Sony had 9 updates when I got it! (now THAT was not a good thing).

Netflix works great so far. Some people have complained that after an hour or so the movies will not stream any longer, or stop and then restart. This is, in my view, an internet set up issue, not the player, and LG even tells you that. They recommend a wired connection for streaming, so we can't blame them. I used to watch Netflix movies streamed wireless on my MACBOOK PRO and, every so often, that would happen. Wireless connectivity is not flawless. On the upside, Netflix let's you start the film from where you last stopped, or from the beginning. So, if the first stream should fail, try, try again! So far I have not had to. Only once, after streaming on Netflix, the player froze and I could not move around the Netflix menu. I had to force shut off the unit. The player reset itself and worked fine after that.

Netflix also keeps the movie on your queue until you manually delete it, which is great. It also saves the spot you were watching in case you have to stop the movie. Also, while not everyone likes it, I enjoy having control of my Netflix queue from my computer, not the player. I can then sit in front of my TV and have all the choices I have made earlier right there before me.

The LG does not offer PANDORA (as of yet, but I have a feeling it is coming), but it does offer YouTUBE and CinemaNow. The latter I find useless when one has Netflix. YouTube is a personal thing. I do not care for it (not to mention the YouTube video quality is usually awful on a computer screen, let alone on a 42 inch screen).

So, while I may be missing some other great things about this player, right now I am happy for one thing: IT WORKS! I may need to update this review at a later time but, for now, I can say this is the BEST BD player I have owned thus far. It works, it plays the discs, it streams Netflix and seems happy doing it all. I can also say that, if it should ever die on me, I will probably get another one of the same. I cannot say the same for the SONY or the SAMSUNG.

UPDATE:

Nearly three months later, the player is flawless. Only two updates were encountered in that time. It has played EVERY disc (DVD, Blue Ray, DVD+R, DVD-R) with no issues at all. None. All played great. The Netflix streaming has also been great (and for the MAC users who have been complaining, I am a MAC user too, I just do not use Airport to connect). Considering what I put up with from the other two brands of BD Players, I would replace this one with another LG anytime! My ONLY pet peeve: the player will shut itself off after a few minutes of inactivity and there does not seem to be any way to bypass this. That's all. Not bad I'd say!
Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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I picked up a 390 at BestBuy after reading a rave review on Cnet and another forum. The 390 is a reasonable performer at deinterlacing - better than Panny 80, but not as good as the JVC XV-PB1, Pioneer 320 or Oppo BDP83. In terms of real-world content, it is very good, but not nearly as sharp and detailed as either the Pioneer 320 or JVC. It is clear that the JVC and the Lg 390 are close cousins. The JVC in my opinion offfers better out of the box SD DVD PQ, but the LG has much better PQ adjustments. The remotes are similar - both powered by a single AAA battery - would not be surprised if these were made in the same plant. The same power cord. Almost identical input/output layout. The GUIs are the same as well. They clearly share a lot of similar heritage. I am going to do some more tests, but at the moment, I think the JVC has the edge in PQ on SD DVDs (pioneer 320 and Oppo are superior to both).

Been watching a wide gammut of sd dvds to really put this LG thru the paces. At the end of the day, its upconversion is reasonable, but the JVC is sharper on its default settings and I cannot seem to find a custom setting on the LG I am happy with. Pioneer 320 seems superior to both in real world tests.

LG is going back to bestbuy tomorow; upconversion is inferior in my synthetic and real-world testing to the JVC. The load times on the LG are impressive and think overall it's a great improvement over the LG BD300 I owned. That said, it's relatively expensive for its featureset and was rather disappointed at its ability to deinterlace in objective synthetic tests.

The JVC stands as an ubeleivable bargain for a pure HDMI transport at current pricing. If you're looking for a higher quality machine, the Pioneer 320 stands out with the best PQ and AQ in the $300-$350 range over the Samsung 3600, Sony 560, and Panny 80.


Load Times of LG and other Players:
Dark Knight: to anti-piracy page
JVC: 17 seconds
Oppo: 16 seconds
LG 390: 13 seconds
Pio 51: 45 seconds

Pirates of the Car: Black Pearl
JVC: Medallion 16 seconds; Disney 27 seconds
Oppo: Medallion 21 seconds; Disney 31 seconds
LG BD390: Medallion 22 seconds; Disney 32 seconds
Pio 51: Medallion 49 seconds; Disney 1 min 13 seconds

Casino Royale: to Sony screen
JVC 18 seconds[/quote]
Oppo: 16 Seconds
LG 390: 12 seconds
Pio 51: 42 secondsGet more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Monday, May 10, 2010

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player This instant


After getting past the initial sticker shock of the lg bd 390 its a fantastic device. This is my first blu ray player so can't compare to others but I love the video streaming from Netflix and YouTube. The video quality is perfect and with the 7.1 surround sound capabilities it has the ability to be the heart of the most advanced home theater system around! It's so easy to use my 3 year old can use it whenever he wants to watch a movie. It also has a usb port on the front so you can view pictures or listen to mp3s through it. The remote isn't anything fancy(no backlighting) but it does the job. I would recommend this product to my closest friends with my utmost confidence.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

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The LG BD 390 is touted as a Blue Ray Player with wireless connection to the internet to allow downloading of NetFlix movies. It turned out to be an attractive unit which functions exactly as advertised. With my DSL connection the downloaded movies are not as clear as movies on DVD or Blue Ray Disc but they are acceptable - and unlimited in quantity. It would probably be better with a cable connection. However, the unit is great. It also allows download and viewing of YouTube clips as well as other stuff I don't use.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Best Quality


I bought this and had it connected to our wireless network and watching NetFlix, YouTube, and discs in a few minutes without even opening the bag containing the manual. Paid $349 at BestBuy last week.

What I would like to do is be watching a disc, press STOP, turn the unit off, then come back later and press PLAY and have the unit turn on and commence playing the disc from the point where I pressed STOP. Doesn't seem to do that.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Friday, May 7, 2010

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Like many who've purchased this player, I had difficulty connecting to my wireless network. If you've had similar problems and you own a Linksys router, call Linksys! Their support team remotely reconfigured my WRT150N router settings. Since then, not only is the BD390 working well, but the wireless signal in general is much stronger. The only drawback is that my router was out of warranty and I had to purchase an extension plan for $39.00. But it was well worth the money!

As to the other features of this excellent machine I have only good things to say:

Disc Playback: A major, major improvement in boot up and BD loading times! Comes much closer to regular DVD speed. Menus are far more responsive as well. Image and audio quality are superb! DVD upscaling looks to be on par with my old Samsung BDP-1400--excellent! CDs play as they should and have a very nice navigable playback interface.

Netflix: Since I took care of the router issue, this feature has been great! There isn't a lot of HD content available yet, but there are plenty of SD movies and TV programs. The image quality is generally good for SD content. HD content can be very good, but doesn't always stream at its full resolution. Even when it does, purists will notice a slightly softer image when compared to Blu-ray. The audio only streams in two-channel stereo, which is a bit disappointing. Still, this is a very cool feature that will please avid A/V-heads and thrill casual viewers.

You Tube: I like this more than I thought I would. Could I have lived without it? Yes. But it's nice to quickly check out the latest viral video without booting up my laptop.

Cinema Now: I haven't used this feature as yet. I don't think I'll have much use for it with Netflix mail and instant service.

Home Screen and Interface. One of the best things about the BD390 is the clear, easy-to-understand user interface. The Home screen neatly displays large icons which clearly navigate you to Netflix, You Tube, BD/DVD or Audio discs and all other features.

If not for the initial wireless problems I encountered, I would have given this 5 stars. But don't let that scare you away. This is a great product!
Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Buy Now


When I initially purchased this player I was very happy. However, six months later I find that the player simply stops working. It no longer connects to the Television showing a no signal error. I contacted LG and they explained that the 90 day warranty was expired. So I would need to pay a minimum of $70 plus shipping and handling to have it repaired.

I am shocked that a product from such a major company would not have better support. And frankly will shy away from LG products from here on out. Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

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This is my first Blu-Ray Player. I only have 1080i (50 in Panasonic Plasma) resolution on my set. I am very pleased with the picture and vastly improved audio over my previoulsy hooked up Sony DVD Upcovert player when playing a Blu-Ray title. Setup was a breeze. Very happy with the Netflix/Watch It now functions. I am running a wireless connection and I am very happy with the picture quality (slightly below standard DVD) but considering it is wireless, I am amazed of the quality on a 50 in TV. Very impressed with the overall unit itself. Very sturdy and does not feel cheaply made. Overall, a great purchase. Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Monday, May 3, 2010

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Right now


Menus are clear and intuitive -- I had this unit connected to my wireless network very quickly (WRT-54GL w/Tomato firmware). I put in a Blu-ray disc and had no issues playing it. Most of the films I've watched so far take no more than 10 seconds longer than a DVD to load.

The Netflix interface is familiar if you have a Roku Digital Video Player. I saw only minor cosmetic differences between the two.

The CinemaNow service strikes me as completely pointless. It only offers standard definition movies -- no TV shows and no HD content. I would have much preferred Amazon Video on Demand. Given CinemaNow's limited offerings, I'm concerned they won't make it, and I'll have a "dead" feature on my device.

YouTube works fine and it's...well, it's YouTube. Video quality is generally VERY poor. You can log in to your account, but it doesn't seem to pick up favorites correctly.

I set up network file sharing with MediaTomb running on Linux. It worked fine -- I was able to access movies, pictures, and audio files from my PC. Streaming over Wi-Fi works great. You can also access the files with a USB drive -- I found that MKV files wouldn't play over the network, but would play from a USB drive.

BD Live stuff worked fine on the few discs I tried, though I haven't seen any particularly compelling content there.

Firwmare upgrades are quick and easy over the network.

The remote control is absolutely awful and you'll want to replace it with your favorite universal device. It's very light and cheap, and some of the buttons have gray labels on a black background which is very difficult to read in low light.

The front panel design is a bit confusing. The loading tray (which is rather flimsy) has a button just above it -- which turns the unit on. The button to open the tray is on the OPPOSITE side of the unit. There are also play/pause/skip buttons on the front, but strangely, they only illuminate when the unit is booting up. Their labeling is almost unreadable otherwise. The time display is big and easy to read, but ONLY displays the elapsed time. Most DVD players I've owned allow it be configured to display different information, like time remaining and/or chapter number.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Lowest Price LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player


I bought LG BD390 over Samsung 3600 seeing the reviews here. So far, I have only used Youtube/Netflix streaming and DVD/CD playing (no blu-ray). Wireless connected without a problem and the interface is intuitive (though many times its confusing why certain things in remote dont work in streaming modes).

The biggest problem I am having right now is with the player cropping top and bottom parts of a movie when streamed through netflix. I have connected my Panasonic 720p plasma to the bluray using component cables and setup the player accordingly. The only way to get the complete picture after lot of trial and error seems to be (1) set the resolution to Auto instead of 720p; (2) set the aspect ratio to 4:3 letterbox (even though I have a 16:9 HDTV!). This is strange and it seems it will be a trial and error for every video source.

I called up LG support and the guy was just plain incompetent. He did not have much clue about 4:3 or 16:9 or my problem. He just kept saying that something must be wrong with the player and take it to the repair shop.

I will try the HDMI cable soon and if the problem persists, I would rather return the player, given the horrendous experience with their technical support. Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Low Price LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player


This gadget does what it claims to do. Set up was quick: 2 mins after connecting I was watching a movie via Netflix. I browsed and watched movies on YouTube. I haven't tried the wireless setup yet but I believed it will be a breeze.
The quality of the pictures and movies were unsurpassed. The load time for discs, for both Blu-Rays and normal DVDs is the fastest I've seen yet. (Let me know if there is a faster one).
In all, its a great product.Get more detail about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player.