By James Danielson

You have been researching for months on Blu-ray disc players and the LG-BD390 keeps coming up as the top runner. Why search any longer? If you’re looking for a feature-rich standalone Blu-ray player that delivers excellent image quality and performance, the LG BD390 has you covered. It supports 802.11n Wi-Fi networking (also supports 802.11b/g) and Ethernet for wired connections, and provides access to Netflix, YouTube, and CinemaNow, so you’ll have plenty of online streaming content to keep you entertained. Like last year’s model, the LG BD390 will offers Netflix access in addition to YouTube videos and CinemaNow’s pay-per-view HD movie content. This Blu-ray player is profile 2.0, meaning it’s compatible with BD-Live and BonusView, which can give users access to additional downloadable movie content through the internet. If you’re not, the LG BD390 is our top pick for premium standalone Blu-ray players, narrowly besting the competing Samsung BD-P3600. As far as entertainment is concerned, the LG BD390 smokes!

Once we associated the LG BD390 with our CinemaNow account, it was easy to browse through the available movies by cover art (similar to Netflix’s interface). And once you make a selection, the movie starts playing in a few seconds. I have updated to the latest firmware on both the DS207 and the LG BD390 and have a static IP on both. All the other network functions on the player seem to work fine (netflix, youtube, firmware update,etc). The new LG BD390 makes music and video fun and easy with its super fast loading mechanism. With the new Player, you can connect your portable media such as a pen drive and play the audio or video over the USB connection.

The LG BD390 includes all of the features of its little brother–DVD upscaling, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, BD-Live/Profile 2.0 support, and the ability to stream online video from Netflix, YouTube, and CinemaNow. But it also adds some nice upgrades: built-in Wi-Fi (so you’re not limited to wired Ethernet), 1GB of on-board memory (no need for a USB stick to access BD-Live features), and 7.1-channel analog outputs (maximum compatibility with older, non-HDMI AV receivers). LG BD390 Blu-ray player is equipped with 1 GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi module and support for the Blu-ray Profile 2.0 standard, which provides additional material on demonstrated films from the Internet. In addition, it is possible to play streaming videos like YouTube.

By adding DivX support to the BD390, now consumers can play DivX video up to HD 1080p burned to DVDs or stored on USB flash drives. DivX HD 1080p content can also be streamed directly from a network with a DLNA server making it simple for consumers to playback their library of favorite HD videos. The BD370 and BD390 are essentially the same with both featuring BD Live etc, with the main difference between the two being the LG BD390 includes 1GB of internal storage for BD Live, and 7.1 discrete analog output. No word on the price of either, but the BD370 is due in Q2 while the 390 is due in Q3. Note that instant streaming content from Netflix to an HDTV via the LG BD390 requires a broadband connection and a Netflix membership (free trials are available if you want to test it out).

When internet connectivity was this years mantra for Televisions at CES, the BD390 went a step ahead to include WiFi connectivity. To complement the built-in WiFi, the player has 1 GB onboard memory and 7.1 channel analog outputs for some thumping sound and compatibility. LG also does not want to be left out of new Blu-ray player releases, featuring CES 2009 debutants BD370 and BD390. Both models are new Network Blu-ray players equipped with NetCast Entertainment Access as well as Wi-Fi connectivity, featuring extensive content-on-demand options for instant access to Roxio CinemaNow, Netflix and YouTube content for instant entertainment right out of the box.

Featuring built-in, internal wireless connectivity for easy home networking, allowing BD-Live and streaming HD content without the need to hookup an Ethernet cable to the LG BD390. The LG BD390 also features 1GB of built in memory for BD-Live content, without the need of a flash drive. Whereas the BD370 lacks internal memory and only allows for a hard-wired connection to your network, the BD390 offers Wi-Fi support and 1GB of onboard memory, as well as 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. So yes, the LG BD390 will work with the DLink DIR655 but you may have to do a little work if the firmware is outdated.

The LG BD390 has discrete 7.1 channel analog audio output so consumers can enjoy premium Blu-ray audio quality. In addition, the LG BD390 offers discrete 7.1 channel audio outputs for exceptional connectivity and performance. Whereas the BD370 lacks internal memory and only allows for a hard-wired connection to your network, the BD390 offers Wi-Fi support and 1GB of onboard memory, as well as 7.1-channel analog audio outputs.

About the Author

James Danielson is an electronics buff. He can be found at local electronics stores testing the latest and greatest Blu-ray disc players such as the LG BD390. Check out his web site, http://lg-bd390.com for more information. He offers some smokin’ great deals on the LG BD390!

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