Simplify your laptop buyingLG BD390
Manufacturer: LG Electronics U.S.A. Part number: BD390
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The LG BD390's combination of excellent image quality, superfast loading times, and its currently unbeatable feature set make it our top choice among premium standalone Blu-ray players.
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CNET editors' review
LG BD390 price range: $2.00 - $349.00
- Reviewed by: Matthew Moskovciak
- Edited by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 05/27/2009
- Released on: 05/19/2009
The good: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies; integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi; Netflix, YouTube, and CinemaNow streaming; superfast disc loading; plays music, videos, and pictures off a connected USB drive or over network; Profile 2.0 compatible; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; 7.1 analog outputs; 1GB onboard memory.
The bad: Costs as much as a PS3; CinemaNow doesn't stack up to Amazon Video On Demand.
The bottom line: The LG BD390's combination of excellent image quality, superfast loading times, and its currently unbeatable feature set make it our top choice among premium standalone Blu-ray players.
In 2009, it's not enough for a Blu-ray player to just play Blu-ray movies. With the ubiquity of online media streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand, consumers already expect Blu-ray players to offer up a wide variety of standard-definition, instant-gratification media options to complement their high-definition Blu-ray experience. LG was the first company to realize this trend with the BD300--the first Blu-ray player with Netflix streaming. The company's flagship Blu-ray player, the BD390, stays a step ahead of the competition with its outstanding feature set--Netflix, YouTube, CinemaNow, built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi (a first), 7.1 analog outputs, geek-friendly MKV-video file playback over USB, and 1GB of onboard memory. Even better, the BD390 is an excellent Blu-ray player, with top-notch image quality, lightning fast load times, and onboard decoding for all the high-resolution audio soundtracks. The biggest knock against the BD390 is its $400 list price; that's the same as Sony's PS3, which is still a better value if you're into gaming. If you're not, the LG BD390 is our top pick for premium standalone Blu-ray players, narrowly besting the competing Samsung BD-P3600.
Design
Samsung has a lock on otherworldly designs, but the BD390 has a more conventional and refined look. The front faceplate is a glossy, reflective black accented by a strip of silver metal on the top and silver feet below. The LCD screen is just off center, and its large size and bright white color make it easy to see from across your home theater, although some will be disappointed that it can't be dimmed. There are four playback controls across the front of the unit, along with a removable plastic cover that reveals a USB port. We had it sitting right next to the Samsung BD-P3600 in our lab and if we had to pick one, we'd give the nod to the BD390.
The included remote control is one of the better ones we've seen on a Blu-ray player. LG keeps it simple, with a big direction pad toward the top, surrounded by important buttons like disc menu and home. Playback controls are right below and they're sensibly separated, instead of being cluttered next to infrequently used buttons. There are additional controls under a slide-down cover, which is surprisingly stiff and tough to open. Luckily we found ourselves rarely using those buttons, although if you plan on using the BD390's remote to control your TV as well, you'll be peeved that important buttons like volume and channel controls are under the cover. (As always, a good universal remote is the easiest fix.)
User interface
We've always liked the interface on LG's Blu-ray players and now that there are so many additional streaming services, the simple menus are even nicer. The home menu presents your options in seven straightforward icons: Movie, Photo, Music, My Media, Netflix, YouTube, CinemaNow, and Setup. The colorful high-definition graphics are also a nice touch, compared with the more drab menus found on the Panasonic DMP-BD60.
All of LG's 2009 Blu-ray players include Netflix Instant streaming. The user experience is nearly identical to that of the Roku Digital Video Player, and we recommend you check out that review for more information. In short, you can stream anything in Netflix's "Watch Now" section, and while there are some flaws--much of the SD content is not wide screen, for example--it's a pretty great user experience overall. The initial catalog of movies and TV shows was fairly lackluster, but recent deals with CBS and Disney have significantly improved the content selection. (CNET Reviews is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS.)
The BD390 also offers streaming CinemaNow access, which provides pay-per-rental pricing, similar to satellite and cable video on-demand services. CinemaNow's catalog contrasts with Netflix's in that it offers more new releases, similar to Amazon's Video On Demand service. We did a full hands-on report with CinemaNow on the BD390, but the short story is that we were mostly unimpressed. It's a decent additional feature on the BD390, but it shouldn't tip your hand for or against the player.
Features
Like virtually all 2009 Blu-ray players, the BD390 is Profile 2.0-compatible, which means it access playback BD-Live features available on some Blu-ray movies. It has 1GB of onboard storage, so you won't need to plug in a USB memory stick to download extra content. You'll need an Internet connection to access BD-Live features and the BD390 is equipped with both an Ethernet port and built-in Wi-Fi. The BD390 is the first player we've tested to support a faster Draft-N Wi-Fi connection and it will still work with slower 802.11b/g networks.
In addition to Blu-ray playback, the BD390 can play back an extensive variety of media formats via its USB port. Video, music, and photo files are support and the list of supported formats is lengthy: MP3, JPEG, PNG, AVI, WMA, DivX-HD, XVID, and yes, even MKV. We plugged in a 250GB USB hard drive and tested a large variety of files, including some high-definition MKV and MPEG-2 files, and for the most part our experience was excellent, with only some very high bandwidth MPEG-2 files occasionally showing some artifacts.
The BD390 is also capable of streaming media from networked connected PCs, although we found we couldn't stream MKV files off the network. Otherwise, we had no problem streaming DivX and MPEG video files using only the wireless connection. Our network connection wasn't 100 percent reliable--sometimes it took a while for our media servers to be recognized--but it worked well once we were connected. LG provides a Nero server software for Windows, but the free TVersity program worked well for us, and we suspect any UPnP-compatible software would do the job. (The included software doesn't support Macs, but the BD390 should work with any UPnP or DLNA-compliant software on the network.) It's worth pointing out that the experience was significantly better than the streaming functionality on the Samsung BD-P3600, but you're better off using the USB port if you want better reliability.
The BD390 has onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. That means it can decode those soundtrack formats so they can be played back on almost every HDMI-capable AV receiver. Bit stream output is also supported, if you'd rather the decoding be done in your AV receiver. Those looking to play DVDs with legacy DTS formats, like DTS 96/24, ES, ES Matrix, and Neo:6, will be happy to note the BD390 has decoding for these formats, unlike players that feature the step down DTS-HD Master Audio Essential.
The BD390's connectivity is nearly comprehensive. The main port is the HDMI output, which can output both 1080p HD video and multichannel high-resolution audio. There is also a component video output, which is capable of outputting Blu-rays at 1080i and DVDs at 480p, as well as a legacy composite video output. For audio, there are 7.1 analog outputs, which can enable those with older AV receivers to listen to Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio at full resolution. There are also both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, along with a separate analog stereo output. Rounding out the connectivity is an Ethernet port (if, for some reason, you don't want to use Wi-Fi).
While the inclusion of CinemaNow, YouTube, and especially Netflix streaming is a big selling point for the BD390, we'd love to see the online content selection grow. Amazon Video on Demand and Pandora (the latter already available on LG's network-connected home theater systems) would be ideal candidates for future firmware upgrades.
Blu-ray performance
To test image quality, we put the BD390 head-to-head with its main competitor, the Samsung BD-P3600. Both players were connected via HDMI to our Gefen distribution amplifier, which passed the signal along to the LG 42LH30.
We started off looking at Silicon Optix's "HQV" testing suite on Blu-ray. First up was the Video Resolution Loss Test, and the BD390 handled it perfectly. It depicted all the resolution of the test pattern without significant jaggies on the rotating white line. The BD390 also passed the next two jaggies tests, with solid performance on both a rotating white line and three pivoting white lines. Last was the most important test--the Film Resolution Loss Test--and again the BD390 performed well, cleanly rendering the test pattern and the subsequent panning shot across Raymond James Stadium.
We switched over to program material and the BD390 continued to perform well. We fired up some of our favorite test scenes, and "Mission: Impossible III" was up first. The BD390 had no problem with the beginning of Chapter 8, as the staircase in the background was moire-free. Chapter 11 looked great, too, with the trimming of the limo looking crisp and devoid of any jaggies. Next up was "Ghost Rider" and the BD390 handled the end of Chapter 6 nicely, too; the grille of the RV was clearly defined and lacked moire. Finally we took a look at the video-based "Tony Bennett: American Classic" and the BD390 did well, with only minimal jaggies showing up on the clapperboard at the beginning of the Diana Krall segment. Overall, the BD390 offers excellent image quality on Blu-ray Discs, and we found its performance to be nearly identical to the BD-P3600.
Load times have improved on many 2009 Blu-ray players, and we put the BD390 through our suite of disc loading tests. The BD390 got off to a great start, loading "Mission: Impossible III" in 11 seconds with the player on, and 25 seconds with the player off; that just about ties our speed champion, the BD-P3600. On discs with more elaborate menus, the BD390 is still very fast, but is just a hair behind the BD-P3600. It loads the main movie of "Spider-Man 3" in a minute and 4 seconds (the BD-P3600 does it in a minute, 3 seconds), and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" in a minute and 22 seconds (the BD-P3600 does it in a minute and 15 seconds). While the BD-P3600 may be slightly faster, both players are fast enough that you really don't notice a lag.
DVD performance
We also tested the image quality of the LG BD390 on standard DVDs. Test patterns courtesy of Silicon Optix's HQV suite were first on our plate, and the initial resolution pattern looked crisp and detailed, with none of the image stability issues that we sometimes see. The BD390 also did well on the next two jaggies tests, with only some slight jaggies showing up on a test with three pivoting lines. Some test footage with a racecar sometimes trips up lesser players, but the BD390 showed off its 2:3 pull-down processing and had no trouble with the clip.
LG's player did similarly well with program material. The introduction to "Star Trek: Insurrection" looked smooth, with the curved edges of the bridge and boat hulls rendered without jaggies. Last up was "Seabiscuit," which is a torture test for DVD image quality, but the BD390 held its own, with only minor artifacts occurring on the opening sequence of black and white photos. All but the pickiest videophiles will be satisfied with the BD390's DVD performance.
User reviews
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I so want to love this...but really...
by RogueWolf13 on July 6, 2009
Pros: When it connects, it works great.
I love the streaming content.
Works pretty well with my v1 HDTV (i.e., component connections to 1080i)
Fairly good DVD player.Cons: When the connection fails its abysmal. And it drops of its own accord.
I get a little bit of left/right overscan in 1080i.
The WPS function seems to work but doesn't take.
It has 1GB of memory, why can't it buffer ahead when streaming content?Summary: So, right now, I am really frustrated. I purposely use a wired connection. Last night I was watching a Netflix movie, missed something and tried to rewind. No connection. I ...
Summary: So, right now, I am really frustrated. I purposely use a wired connection. Last night I was watching a Netflix movie, missed something and tried to rewind. No connection. I JUST HAD IT A SECOND AGO! The network drops for no apparent reason and comes back when it feels like it. And both the wired and wireless become non-functional. I tried the WPS process to get a wireless connection. No dice. When it was complete, I could see it from the router management-view...and then gone. I came across a similar reference that suggested putting the device in the router's DMZ...really, that's the best option?There is nothing on the LG website to remotely be of assistance (I think there are four knowledge base articles related to all of their video products). The live chat didn't function.
The quasi-keyboard navigation is another pet-peeve. The advanced form of "hunt and click" required for YouTube searches or (gawd forbid) trying to set up a 64-character WPA key) for the wireless connection is cumbersome. It would be nice to be able to connect a USB keyboard.
So with all of this, I really don't hate the product--if I did, it would be a lot easier to return it. When it has a mind to, it is a pretty incredible device. I used "The Fall" to test the Blu-Ray out, and other than some overscan (mostly noticeable during the credits), I was really happy. It's been hit and miss as it relates to the DVD display, with one title forced to 480p no matter what I tried and the other upscaling fine to 1080i.
So yeah, I am frustrated. I get a glimpse of nerd-nirvana, and then it gets yanked away. And what I am left with (for the moment) is a pretty expensive DVD player.16 out of 16 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The player your Blu-Ray discs have been asking for!!
by Tbear1130 on May 11, 2009
Pros: Speed, quality of audio and picture, streaming of Netflix and YouTube.
Cons: Doesn't stream Pandora. I'm hoping this can be added via firmware update. This is the only thing keeping the BD390 from getting 5 stars.
Summary: I tried to save money by buying the Sharp BD-HP16U to match it to my Aquos TV. What a piece of junk. Once I returned it, I decided to do ...
Summary: I tried to save money by buying the Sharp BD-HP16U to match it to my Aquos TV. What a piece of junk. Once I returned it, I decided to do my homework. I looked at Sony, Samsung & LG. I finally selected the LG BD390. Once I hooked it up and played my first Blu-Ray (The Police Certifiable concert) I haven't looked back. What's not to love. This unit is fast and plays a gorgeous picture. the big thing for me was the built in WiFi capability, including Draft-N. Unlike the Samsung, there is no dongle necessary. I am streaming Netflix, YouTube, and viewing movies, photos, and listening to music all from shares on my network. Be careful. This unit will turn you into a bonafide couch potato. I purchase a lot of gadgets and I can say honestly that this is one of most satisfying purchases. I would recommend it wholeheartedly. The $400 price tag is tough to swallow at first, but it was worth it once I started using it. For those of you wondering, I am not affiliated with LG in any way. I just like the unit that much and decided to share my opinion with the masses. Espicially since CNET has not reviewed it yet.
14 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Far short of expectations
by caseblue on June 19, 2009
Pros: Integrated streaming Netflix
Integrated WiFi for access to PC based media
Adequate remote control layout and clean, simple, sharp user interfaceCons: HDMI does not work with Vizio GV47L LCD flat panel TV, rainbow static only
Slow responsiveness, I can't believe this is considered fast by Blu-Ray standards
Connected to wireless network with ease but won't access PC media (Vista issue)Summary: This is my first Blu-Ray player and I have to say that I'm VERY underwhelmed by it and will be returning it as soon as BestBuy opens up today. ...
Summary: This is my first Blu-Ray player and I have to say that I'm VERY underwhelmed by it and will be returning it as soon as BestBuy opens up today.
I love integrated WiFi for NetFlix and PC media access but the HDMI output does not work with my Vizio GV47L LCD flat panel TV so I'm stuck with using the component outputs which can't do 1080p. Hours with first & second level tech support at both manufacturers was futile with both claiming ignorance and disinterest in developing a solution. LG obviously released this product without ensuring full compatibility to existing televisions (firmware update to the LG did not help). This Vizio TV is 1080p and less than 2 years old. From an engineering and testing standpoint, there's no excuse for this and LG's dismissive customer/tech support failed to invoke any brand confidence in me.
Not sure yet but I'm either going PS3, Samsung BD-P3600 or just wait for Blu-Ray players to mature for another year or so. The key functionality I want is Blu-Ray playback (in 1080p), streaming NetFlix, and network access to PC media. Gaming is a low priority.
With respect to the playback and uses I did experience with the BD390, the unit seemed to work quite fluidly and flawlessly. Upon isolating the HDMI compatibility issue with absolute certainty, I ran the device for a few days on 720p and 1080i through the component cables. All video and audio performance was great as far as a Joe average consumer like me can discern. Resolution, color, fluidity as well as basic 5.1 audio attributes were great while watching Quantum of Solace which stoutly challenges all such measures.
All connections and menu settings are quite simple with system navigation tasks feeling intuitive from first use. Unfortunately I didn't quite develop the same fluency with the playback functionality (resume, skip, markers, slow, fast-forward, etc.) which had me feeling very clumsy.
I connected the BD390 to my security enabled wireless network (n router on a 15MBS Comcast cable line) seamlessly on the first try and got a NetFlix trial account started in a flash. NetFlix worked great even though resolution is very poor on the 47? LCD panel. The value of experience equation for streaming NetFlix is certainly the algebra between convenience and picture quality with the latter suffering greatly. I still like it very much though. Connection to my wireless network was a breeze but I never bothered to sort out the Vista side issues that made my PC media access attempts from the BD390 result in ?PC Media Sharing not Authorized? slaps in the face.
So overall I'm neutral to dissatisfied with the LG BD390 and also now less enthusiastic about Blu-Ray in general. I?m somewhat annoyed with the value tradeoffs of the experience and will likely hover for months hoping for product developments before advancing.12 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fails to provide its basic function
by dtv74 on October 21, 2009
Pros: Easy setup, Wireless network feature works well.
Cons: Can't playback all blu-ray discs without purchasing a seperate, additional USB flashdrive.
Summary: I am attaching all my email communication with LG. (Start From The Bottom)
Dear Mr. ,
Thank you for contacting LG Electronics. Your e-mail regarding your concern has been received.
I ...Summary: I am attaching all my email communication with LG. (Start From The Bottom)
More communication with LG:
Dear Mr. ,
Thank you for contacting LG Electronics. Your e-mail regarding your concern has been received.
I sincerely apologize for the delay and inconveniences; unfortunately some movies have more data than others and it will require more space, the player already have 1 GB, make sure to clean the memory and try to use the USB.
Virginia Q.
E-mail Administrator
Customer Interactive Center
LGEAI
-----Original Message-----
From:
Received: 10/20/2009 4:06 PM
To: "Daniel" <customerservice@lge.com>
Subject: Re: LG Customer Inquiry
Thank you,
I really feel I have been short changed, to have to buy additional hardware to get my player to work is not really acceptable. You are basically selling the public an incomplete item. Why doesn't LG provide sufficient internal memory for this player? Why make the customer pay additional money out of pocket to run the most basic feature?
I have a few days before my 30 day return policy expires, I will test your fix. If it doesn't work, I will return the player. I may return it even if it does work.
I am disapointed because this player got a good review on Cnet.com. I will be forwarding this whole email string to them so they will be aware.
From: Daniel <customerservice@lge.com>
To:
Sent: Tue, October 20, 2009 6:58:33 AM
Subject: Re: LG Customer Inquiry
Dear ,
Thank you for contacting LG Electronics. We are always glad to assist you.
Regretfully, although you may not be using the BD Live features within the disc, this and other couple of movies will automatically download BD Live content or try to save information to the receiver in order to achieve successful playback, which is the reason why an external USB memory key is needed to play such movies.
Alfred Q.
E-mail Administrator
Customer Interactive Center
LGEAI
From:
Received: 10/19/2009 6:23 PM
To: "Virginia" <customerservice@lge.com>
Subject: Re: LG Customer Inquiry
Thanks again,
I think there is some miscommunication, I was not using any of the BD live features. My wireless was not even on at the time. The problem is just when the movie is played in the normal manner.
From: Virginia <customerservice@lge.com>
To:
Sent: Mon, October 19, 2009 5:19:26 PM
Subject: Re: LG Customer Inquiry
Dear Mr. ,
Thank you for contacting LG Electronics. Your e-mail regarding your concern has been received.
I sincerely apologize for the inconveniences, use USB memory of at least 2 GB, unfortunately some of the BD Live features are bigger than the internal memory of the player.
Virginia Q.
E-mail Administrator
Customer Interactive Center
LGEAI
-----Original Message-----
From:
Received: 10/19/2009 3:47 PM
To: "customerservice" <customerservice@lge.com>
Subject: Re: LG Customer Inquiry
Thank you for your response.
What size and type of USB memory drive do you recommend?
Why is LG telling me I need to add an additional component to their brand new Blu-ray player? Shouldn't the player have the capacity to play Blu-ray discs out of the box? Shouldn't LG be providing a product that works as advertised?
Thank you,
From: customerservice <customerservice@lge.com>
To:
Sent: Mon, October 19, 2009 2:42:27 PM
Subject: LG Customer Inquiry
-----------Reply to Customer Inquiry------------
Dear ,
Thank you for your email. We apologize for any inconvenience this may be causing.
We?ll be glad to assist you with this situation. In order to fix this problem insert a USB MEMORY DRIVE while playing the movie.
Pablo C.
E-mail Administrator
Customer Interactive Center
LGEAI
-----------Original Customer Inquiry------------
Received Date : 10/17/2009 21:33:37
The type of inquiry : Product Operation
Product/Model No. : DVD&VIDEO&SET TOP/BD390
Just played my first blu-ray disc "watchmen." Started great for the fist
30 to 45 minutes, then I had a problem with the audio and video sync-ing up. It seemed that when the disc changed ?layers? the audio would lag by a good half second or more. This happened 3 or 4 times during the movie when the ?layer? changed. (I could tell the layer was changing due to a slight skip in the picture, similar to DVD?s I have viewed in the past.) The strange part is when I paused the movie and rewound a few seconds, the audio and video would sync back up. Do I have a defective player?
Updated on Oct 22, 2009
Dear Mr. ,
I sincerely apologize for the inconveniences; I will need you to turn off the player and the insert the USB memory and turn on the player again and try to play the movie. I will also send your information to the engineers to check on this, I need to know the connection you have between the BD390 and the TV or if you have a home theater in between, also I need the audio settings on the player.
Virginia Q.
E-mail Administrator
Customer Interactive Center
From:
Received: 10/21/2009 9:02 PM
To: "Virginia" <customerservice@lge.com>
Subject: Re: LG Customer Inquiry
Ok - Went out and bought the usb flashdrive as told by you, cleaned the internal memory, cleaned and initialised the usb memory, I even downloaded and installed the software update from your players settings menu. Put the movie in and it had THE SAME PROBLEM. thank you for wasting all of my time and money. Is anyone at LG interested in this?
What is your response?7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Solid Picture, Nice Streaming Features; Has Mac Issues
by Twocifer on August 24, 2009
Pros: Picture quality is great. Netflix integration is nice...streaming looks "Good" to "Fair". YouTube feature is as expected. WiFi is Awesome Feature.
Cons: Slower access times (on BD) then I was expecting. No ability to add Netflix movies to queue (Why???). YouTube interface clunky; hard to search (w/ on-screen keyboard). Issues with Mac's a bit of a heartbreaker. USB drive support fickle.
Summary: This is my first BD player, and I really do like it. Though, I wonder if I'm more enthralled with the Netflix integration than anything. I had an upscalling ...
Summary: This is my first BD player, and I really do like it. Though, I wonder if I'm more enthralled with the Netflix integration than anything. I had an upscalling DVD player, and honestly, I can't tell the difference between the upscale and the BD. I was a bit dissapointed by access speeds, but it wasn't a deal breaker.
Netflix streaming is pretty good. I wonder how long until they can stream true HD? YouTube integration is honestly a cool feature, but at the end of the day, it's still YouTube uber-compressed content, blown up on your big screen. I know more HD content is coming to YouTube, but till then, it's just "sub-par" to "OK". YT interface is awful...who want's to type in searches with a remote (does offer smart-searching though).
Connected to my Airport Extreme draft-n with no issues...the router is fast and so is this unit.
But...there are some issues with integrating your Mac computers with this unit. There is no native Upnp on Mac, so you have to find something compatible. I used Vuze, and while the unit is able to see the Vuze player, Vuze does not know how to stream to the BD390. Hopefully Vuze will add this a supported device. Tried EyeConnect and it worked. The unit does not support iTunes (obviously), nor does it support .MKV files (but I was able to stream .mpg files).
USB drive support seems to be shaky at best. I hooked up my Western Digital My Passport Firewire/USB drive to the BD390...and it would not recognize. This is probably my biggest frustration with the unit (Thanks for making me have to explain to my wife why the external drive I thought would work does not, and now I have to go by a completely new one...she'll "LOVE" that expenditure).
Overall, I am happy with the player....Dark Knight looked fantastic...and even with the issues with the Mac and USB drive, I probably would have still purchased this. I wanted Netflix streaming. I don't use Pandora so I didn't care about that service with the Samsung. I know I could have waited a few days to by the PS3 Slim which would have been a few bucks cheaper, offers streaming, and obviously Blu-Ray and gaming...but I have my heart set on an Xbox 360 (for gaming)...wife wanted a Blu-Ray player...I wanted gaming, and Netflix...and since the 360 Elites aren't coming down in price just yet...well..I wait...but happy with our purchase.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Lipsynch issues on the two players I tried! Junk!
by winston9332 on August 2, 2009
Pros: On paper, should be a great player
Cons: Lipsynch issues on all media. Mediocre deinterlacing - cannot resolve 2:2 and numerous film cadences without heavy moire
Summary: Quality control must be terrible at LG. I tried two players at BestBuy that both had terrible lipsynch issues on all media. If you want truly videophile quality, get a ...
Summary: Quality control must be terrible at LG. I tried two players at BestBuy that both had terrible lipsynch issues on all media. If you want truly videophile quality, get a pioneer 320 and a roku for netflix for the same price.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Performs as advertised!
by jpaulvid on June 20, 2009
Pros: Excellent picture/audio quality, execution speed, user interface.
Cons: Manual not always clear, remote hard to open to access secondary interface.
Summary: I'm returning it not because Netflix is not streaming multichannel sound. What you get is stereo (2-channel) sound only. I discovered this after 2 calls to Netflix and 1 ...
Summary: I'm returning it not because Netflix is not streaming multichannel sound. What you get is stereo (2-channel) sound only. I discovered this after 2 calls to Netflix and 1 call to LG support. The unit looks fine, though.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great picture and feature set for the money.
by bmplumley on November 10, 2009
Pros: Much more than a BD player. Watching home movies and pictures from my PC over wi-fi without getting out of my chair. Watching movie trailers on Vudu (for free). YouTube is cool too and works great though the picture is low quality.
Cons: User manual tells you how but not why. Had to do some research to figure out which audio settings to use. My Wi-Fi is too slow to stream HD content. Can't read video files with camcorder codec so you need to convert home video.
Summary: I went out looking for a BD player and never expected to get all the rest at this price. I have a full 7.1 theater set up with quality ...
Summary: I went out looking for a BD player and never expected to get all the rest at this price. I have a full 7.1 theater set up with quality equiptement and wasn't expecting to see (or hear) much difference over standard DVD's but was interested in some of the additional features found on BD's. I was suprised at the difference, particularly with the sound. My AV Reciever was already doing a good job of upscaling the video to 1080i but most DVD's didn't take advantage of all the speakers. I played around with the audio settings a bit as you can select from PCM 2 and multi channel, DTS re-encode, and Direct Pass-through. I decided to use the pass through and let my reciever do the decoding when necessary but the players DAC's were equal to the task as well using the PCM multi channel. The manual, by the way, gives you no help here so unless you live this stuff be prepared to do some research.
I never really considered VOD but having the NetFlix and Vudu built in is cool. I am not sure I will ever pay $10 or even $4 to rent a VOD movie since my wi-fi isn't fast enough to stream HD content but watching trailers in SD works fine and it is fun to see what is coming soon to theaters from my sofa.
What really excited me was the ability to grab the remote and throw the most recent pictures and videos of the kids onto the TV when Grandma and Grandpa drop by without having to dig for cables, find the camera or load anything.
If I could change anything it would be to add codec's for video cameras so I didn't have to mess around with home movies before I was able to play them back through the media center. Maybe they will add it later in a firmware upgrade. Also, although the remote is simple and easy to use, the buttons don't match up to my harmony universal remote very well so I end up with a second remote in my hand. The remote signal is also weak so, whereas I can easily bounce the IR from my harmony off the TV to hit the AV equiptment at the back of the room I have to point the BD players remote directly at the machine. No biggy for most but a pain in the neck (literally) for my setup.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This would be an excellent product, if it worked.
by brewl21 on November 5, 2009
Pros: Blu-Ray capabilities, boot time, streaming Netflix, built in wireless networking, and media center capabilities are all great.
Cons: The unit doesn't work...it periodically freezes and shuts down.
Summary: Out of the box, within a number of minutes, the unit would freeze and then shut itself down. This problem would happen periodically while watching movies, either Blu-Ray, standard definition ...
Summary: Out of the box, within a number of minutes, the unit would freeze and then shut itself down. This problem would happen periodically while watching movies, either Blu-Ray, standard definition DVD, or streaming Netflix. I contacted support, and they had me send it in for service. The unit came back in about 1.5 weeks, and I set it up again. Within a minute of watching a standard definition movie, it froze and shut down. I restart the machine, and 11 minutes and 26 seconds in, the unit freezes and shuts down. I contact support the following morning and they have the gall to tell me that nothing is wrong with the unit. In my mind, if the unit freezes and shuts itself down while watching a movie, there is something wrong with the unit.
Then they tell me that if I were to directly connect the unit to my broadband modem, it would solve the problem. My question is this: why would LG build in a wireless connection if it has to be connected directly to the modem, and why would the internet connection have anything to do with the unit shutting down during DVD playback? According to LG support, this can happen if the internet connection isn't fast enough or doesn't have a good enough signal strength. I have a wireless-N access point that is plenty fast, and streams just fine to an X-box 360 which sits about 12 inches from the LG BD390...
Unfortunately after going through all of this, I can no longer return the unit to retailer since the window to return the unit has passed.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Player, But Don't Count on Networking
by markdoiron on November 5, 2009
Pros: Wonderful picture, both Blu-Ray and DVDs.
It's black (okay, maybe a hint of blue in the too-glossy faceplate, but it really appears black except in many photos).Cons: Foget the Internet connectivity features; they are extremely unreliable.
Summary: Forget Netflix. YouTube is iffy. Wireless N connection is flaky. Tried everything to fix the problems--new firmware, turn off SecureSpot, static IP. On N network it refused to play Netflix ...
Summary: Forget Netflix. YouTube is iffy. Wireless N connection is flaky. Tried everything to fix the problems--new firmware, turn off SecureSpot, static IP. On N network it refused to play Netflix 90% of time. On G network it has poor picture. VuDu is stunning. Go figure. LG denies that it's their problem, and the router manufacturers say that there's nothing they can do. And you, the customer, are stuck in the middle.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: LG Electronics U.S.A.
- Part number: BD390
- Description: Wirelessly tap into streaming entertainment like CinemaNow, direct to your TV from the Internet. All that, and you still get unmatched picture quality from your Blu-ray discs. This is no ordinary Blu-ray player. It's something better.
General
- Product Type Blu-Ray disc player
- Form Factor Tabletop
- Width 17 in
- Depth 10.9 in
- Height 2.2 in
- Weight 6 lbs
- Enclosure Color Gloss black
DVD
- Media Type CD, DVD, BD-R, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, BD-ROM, DVD+RW, DVD-RW
- Media Format NTSC
- BD Profiles Profile 2.0 (BD-Live), Profile 1.1 (Bonus View)
- Video D/A Converter 12bit / 148MHz
- Audio D/A Converter 24bit / 192kHz
- Built-in Audio Decoders DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio
- Media Load Type Tray
- Upscaling Yes ( Up to 1080p )
- Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, DivX, VC-1, AVCHD, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX VOD
- Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC, MP3, PCM, WMA
Network & Internet Multimedia
- Network Connection Wi-Fi, Ethernet
- Connectivity Protocols IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.11n (draft), IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet), IEEE 802.3u (Fast Ethernet)
- Internet Streaming Services Netflix, YouTube, CinemaNow
- Home Network Media Sharing DLNA
DVD Features
- Parental Lock Yes
- TV Screen Saver Yes
- Additional Features Cinema mode, JPEG photo playback, Progressive scanning, x.v.Colour technology
Audio System
- Sound Output Mode Surround Sound
- Response Bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Dynamic Range 95 dB
- Digital Audio Format DTS digital output, Dolby Digital output, DTS-HD digital output, Dolby Digital Plus output, Dolby True HD digital output
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio 100 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion 0.008 %
- Additional Features Upgradeable firmware, Built-in 1GB flash memory
Remote Control
- Type Remote control
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x SPDIF output ( TOSLINK ) - Rear, 1 x SPDIF output ( RCA phono ) - Rear, 1 x Component video output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear, 1 x Composite video output ( RCA phono ) - Rear, 1 x Audio line-out ( RCA phono x 2 ) - Rear, 1 x HDMI output ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - Rear, 1 x Ethernet ( RJ-45 ) - Rear, 1 x USB ( 4 pin USB Type A ) - Front, 1 x 7.1 channel audio line-out ( RCA phono x 8 ) - Rear
Power
- Power Device Power supply
- Power Consumption Operational 21 Watt
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts - 1 year, Limited warranty - Labor - 90 days
Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)
- Width (Shipping) 19.7 in
- Depth (Shipping) 13.9 in
- Height (Shipping) 5.7 in
- Weight (Shipping) 9.5 lbs
Manufacturer info
- LG Electronics U.S.A.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse LG Electronics U.S.A. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://us.lge.com/
- Address:
1000 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
