LG BD390 Network Blu-ray Player with Wi-Fi Review

[admin]

Network video and downloadable content seems to be catching on, and companies like LG Electronics are bringing it to consumers in droves through the use of BD Profile 2.0 players like the BD390. What sets this player apart, however is the integration of wireless n technology which means that users can cut the hard line and enjoy Netflix, YouTube and CinemaNow movies with simple wireless connectivity. Don't think this is a big deal? Consider that 4 out of the top 5 television manufacturers are now integrating Netflix and other streaming video technologies into their newest sets. With a product like the LG BG390, now you can bring that same functionality to your existing flat screen television while also playing back standard DVD’s and Blu-ray discs - all from one machine.

Discuss "LG BG390 Network Blu-ray Player with Wi-Fi Review" here. Read the article.

 

[rnatalli]

I wonder why the 390 went with a different look than the 370; the 370 is a good looking player. I really like the LG GUI too. The only annoying thing about the LG players is they power down on their own with no way to disable it.

Any idea what LG 390 sets the crossover at?

 

[corey]

Towards the end of the review, you describe your reference theater with "subwoofers that pump out incredibly tight bass all the way down to 28Hz." All the way to 28Hz? You might want to try a nice pair of SVS or Hsu subs.

 

[Audioholics]

You'd be surprised what tight bass down to 28Hz sounds & feels like...

 

[Adam]

A tempting choice. My Panny BD60 performs well, but it's kind of slow in operating, isn't wireless, and doesn't do Netflix. I was looking at the Oppo, but it's also not wireless and doesn't do Netflix.

Does anyone know if you can manually set the bitrate for Netflix on this player?

 

[Kolia]

Is the BD390 a BD370 + wireless ?

 

[corey]

You'd be surprised what tight bass down to 28Hz sounds & feels like...

Why do think I'd be surprised???? As well as I can remember, I'm not yet suffering from short term memory loss.

While sub 30Hz bass is fine for almost all music, there are many here among us who feel that sub 20Hz bass is a goal for movies.

The article's not even about subs, I was just commenting on what seemed to me to be a somewhat odd turn of phrase & didn't expect to have my understanding of HT basics questioned.

 

[termin8ted314]

A tempting choice. My Panny BD60 performs well, but it's kind of slow in operating, isn't wireless, and doesn't do Netflix. I was looking at the Oppo, but it's also not wireless and doesn't do Netflix.

Does anyone know if you can manually set the bitrate for Netflix on this player?

I was thinking of buying the panny 60 but now i read this review. I dont care about the netflix or wireless but this seems like a great player.

 

[allargon]

I know all about that 480i HDMI limitation w/ the Broadcom players. My BH200 has the exact same limitation.

So, the upscaling on this one is good? My worry after LG went cheap and abandoned the Marvell was that the newer BD3xx players would have subpar upscaling.

 

[Kolia]

I need some blu ray player

Yeah well take your time!

I just got a LG BD-370 and sent it back when I found out it didn't have full BD-Live capability...

Amazon added some lines from the description of the BD-390 in the BD-370 listing...

 

[allargon]

Yeah well take your time!

I just got a LG BD-370 and sent it back when I found out it didn't have full BD-Live capability...

Amazon added some lines from the description of the BD-390 in the BD-370 listing...

Define lack of full BD-Live capability?

 

[Kolia]

Define lack of full BD-Live capability?

In the case of the BD370, it says BDLive on the box.

But...

Click the BDLive button in a movie menu and you get a message telling you you need a BDLive player with memory to access these extras.

I'm considering getting the BD390 now. Although it's pretty close to the price of a PS3.

 

[rgriffin25]

In the case of the BD370, it says BDLive on the box.

But...

Click the BDLive button in a movie menu and you get a message telling you you need a BDLive player with memory to access these extras.

I'm considering getting the BD390 now. Although it's pretty close to the price of a PS3.

You need to add a thumb drive/ external memory to use BD Live on BD370. (Not a big deal considering USB memory sticks are dirt cheap.)

The differences between the 370 and 390 are..
The BD390 has 1GB of internal memory, has 7.1 Channel analog out, and wifi capabilities. Everything else is basically the same.

 

[Kolia]

Thanks.

I'll test drive a PS3 this weekend.

 

[allargon]

You need to add a thumb drive/ external memory to use BD Live on BD370. (Not a big deal considering USB memory sticks are dirt cheap.)

The differences between the 370 and 390 are..
The BD390 has 1GB of internal memory, has 7.1 Channel analog out, and wifi capabilities. Everything else is basically the same.

You can get a 4GB DaneElec (sp?) microSD w/ USB reader at Target for $9.99 right now. It's tiny and discreet. However, the PS3 might be a better fit for you depending on the gaming and multimedia player stuff.

 

[Omega Supreme]

I noticed at the end of the review the 390 received a "Very Good" for the analog audio output. But I thought Clint did not test the analog audio outputs only HDMI. Did I miss something?

 

[Audioholics]

I didn't measure it or do extensive listening sessions. I tested them in two-channel mode and they seemed to handle everything very well.

 

[Audioholics]

I was just commenting on what seemed to me to be a somewhat odd turn of phrase & didn't expect to have my understanding of HT basics questioned.

Not my intent to insult. I often respond to things for everyone's benefit, even when I quote. Lots of people think that if a sub doesn't go down to 20Hz you don't have a lot of bass.

 

[myoo]

upconversion hassles?

Hello, I'm pretty new to the home theater ballgame, and I'm assembling my shopping list. Trying to choose between the BD-390 and the Oppo.

Can the BD-390 be set to automatically output a signal in the format of the source? I see that it can auto-match the format of the display, but that's not what I'm after... I want my Denon AVR 3310CI(Same video processor chip as the Oppo has, I think) to do the upconversion to 1080p. It seems like a bit of a pain to have to change formats each time I play a disc with a different resolution, not to mention having to figure out what resolution the disc was originally recorded in. . .

And, will there be a significant loss of fidelity using component output to get a 480i signal to my Denon AVR (as opposed to what I'd see if HDMI throughput were possible)?

Is netflix on-demand 480i or 480p?

thanks,
myoo