LG BD390 - More than merely a Blu- ray movie player

In 2009, it may not be ample for a Blu- ray player to only play Blu- ray movies. Using the ubiquity of internet media streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand, consumers already expect Blu- ray players to offer up all sorts of standard- definition, instant- gratification media options to go along well with their high- definition Blu- ray experience. LG was the first company to realize this trend with the BD390- - 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 quality 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 amazing Blu- ray player, with top- notch image quality, lightning fast load times, and onboard decoding for all the high- resolution audio soundtracks. 

The LG BD390 has a more usual and refined look. The front faceplate is a polished, 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 ensure it is clear to understand from across your home theater, even though some will be disappointed that it can’t be dimmed. You’ll find 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 together with the Samsung BD- P3600 in our lab incase we had to pick one, we’d give the nod to the BD390. 

The bundled 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 main buttons like disc menu and home. Playback controls are right below and they’re sensibly separated, instead of being cluttered together with infrequently used buttons. You’ll find additional controls under a slide- down cover, which is surprisingly stiff and tough to open. Fortunately we found ourselves rarely using those buttons, albeit if you plan on using the BD390’s remote to manage your TV also, you’ll be peeved that essential buttons like volume and channel controls are under the cover. 

The interface on LG’s Blu- ray players and now that there are plenty of additional streaming services, the simple menus are even nicer. The home menu presents your options in seven simple icons: Movie, Photo, Music, My Media, Netflix, YouTube, CinemaNow, and Setup. The colorful high- definition graphics are also a good touch. All of LG’s 2009 Blu- ray players consist of Netflix Instant streaming. The YouTube user interface is surprisingly responsive. The BD390 also offers streaming CinemaNow access, which provides pay- per- rental pricing, comparable to satellite and cable video on- demand services. 

Like almost all 2009 Blu- ray players, the BD390 is Profile2. - compatible, which means it access playback BD- Live features available on some Blu- ray movies. It has 1GB of onboard storage, so you will not need to go through the hassle of plugging in a USB memory stick to download extra content. For anybody who is still not convinced, you may take a look at what are the Top 10 Blu-ray players for a model that suits you best.