First things first - again, wrong picture on Epinions, this picture is of the BD390...
This is my second Blu Ray player, the first being a PS3, which I recently sold as it never really did what it claimed it should for more than a few minutes at a time. I got so frustrated with the PS3, I was worried that I might slam it in against the wall, so I thought I'd sell it while it still had some value.
The LG BD370 is much better player in every imaginable aspect. If it played games I am sure it would do that better than the PS3 too. Set up and installation was very easy, it worked right out of the box, with only two little adjustments - by default the audio settings for both HDMI and Optical/Coax digital out are set to 2 channel PCM. This way you won't get any type of surround formats. I have an older receiver, which is unfortunately limited to Dolby Digital, so I set both the HDMI and the other two outputs to "default bit stream" - I little confusing I know, but all it means it that it would pass whatever the original format is encoded on the disc to the receiver for processing.
Connecting to the internet was instant - I simply plugged in a cable from my router to the back of the LG and it immediately recognized my connection. After that it prompted me to check for firmware updates, which it found and installed fairly quickly.
The first thing I tried was the Netflix streaming. I've used computers, XBOX 360 and now this LG to stream netflix. Out of all of those the XBOX 360 is still my favorite. The BD370 has several advantages, but unfortunately the video quality was noticeably worse than the 360. It consistently produces a lot more artifacts and noise, and seems to hang up and buffer quite frequently - nothing unacceptable though, on its own it's perfectly watchable, but compared to the XBOX 360 I can definitely see a difference.
Its main advantage over the 360 is not limited to streaming, but works with everything else - it's the ability output the video simultaneously to both HDMI and component, as well as the audio to HDMI and digital outs. This is the one thing that drives me nuts with both the PS3 and the XBOX 360. I have front projector and a small LCD TV, both of which need to be connected to the same sources. The 360 is the worst offender, because it will not even output signal to the component out while the HDMI is plugged in, not to mention that it's total PITA to connect both HDMI and optical out at the same time. The PS3 requires a constant switching of settings in its menus - also a major pain.
Anyway, back to the BD370. It's other advantage is that it clearly indicates which shows on Netflix are available in HD, and overall navigation is quite simple and straight forward. Activation is done in the same manner as the 360 - the player generates I code, which must be entered on the Netflix website before it pulls your queue. The good thing about this is that it does not require you to log on with user name and password from the player itself. Once it is activated, you can only view movies and shows already added to your instant queue. You can rate and remove things from the queue, but you cannot browse and add new shows. Another odd little problem is that in Netflix streaming the DISPLAY button doesn't do anything, the only way to see the elapsed/remaining time is to pause playback.
YouTube is also available for streaming from the player and it is a lot more comprehensive than I thought it would be. You could browse and search for videos, and even log on to your YouTube account. It worked really well actually, the only problem is inputting text with the arrow keys and the on screen keyboard, but it does offer suggestions as you type.
Now to disc playback. I don't have many Blu Ray discs, actually I only have two, I mostly rent from Netflix, and that's not that many yet, but so far every disc I've tried has played without any issues. Actually this is one thing that I never had problems with on the PS3 either, but I keep reading people complaining about various discs not playing, so I guess it is a concern.
Another thing people have complained about with Blu Ray players is slow loading times. Perhaps I've got used to long loading times from my DVD recorder, but the BD370 seems to load discs almost instantly, certainly at least twice as fast as the PS3. I am talking any type of discs - Blu Ray, DVD, or CD.
The image quality from discs seems outstanding to me, despite CNET's review saying otherwise. I would say it is at the very least as good as the PS3, but honestly I do think it's better. Up-scaled DVDs certainly look a lot better than my LG DVD recorder. And unlike with the PS3, I haven't had any problems with the audio - on the PS3 I used to have occasional issues with distorted audio. Then again I haven't had the LG that long yet.
To wrap up my excedingly positive impressions so far - I am also very impressed by the entirely silent operation of the unit and the moderate amount of heat, which it generates.
Oh wait, there's more! I was very pleased that the regions hack I used for my DVD recorder worked on the BD370 too. I tested it with DVDs, but I don't have any other region Blu Ray discs, so I don't know if it worked for those too, my guess would be no.
The remote control is also quite nice, with a simple layout and a little sliding cover, which hides the less frequently used buttons. I just don't care for the pseudo leather finish of the remote, and more importantly - my DVD recorder and the BD370 obviously use the same remote codes, now it is a problem because both units respond when I use the remote.
There are a few things I wish this player had, but it would be unfair to call them cons, since they are all available on the higher end model - the BD390 (pictured above!)
My number one wish was for the WiFi connection - I hate wires. And since my older receiver does not have HDMI inputs, I wish there were 7.1 analog outs...
Last and certainly least - I wish it could stream from networked PCs, and I wish the USB port was on the back.
Well if I find more, I will certainly update this review, but so far I am super impressed by this player, my biggest problem so far is the shared remote codes with my DVD recorder, I might just have to get rid of that one, we'll see.
*Updates:
Just a few more things:
1. I had initially connected the BD370 with HDMI to my LCD TV and with Component to my Projector. Naturally I saw a lot more noise and artifacts from Netflix on the projector - everything is easier to see on a big screen. Just to make sure it wasn't the component cable vs. the HDMI I switched the connections. I can confirm that the digital artifacts are just as noticeable with the HDMI connection. It does look slightly sharper though, especially with DVDs, they look decidedly better than any other player I have tried.
2. I forgot to mention in my original review that this LG player resumes playback with both DVDs and Blu Ray discs consistantly and reliably even after ejecting a disc. This was always a hit or miss with the PS3 and I was never sure if a disc would continue playing from where I left off or if I would have to scan and search - the latter was the case far more often.
3. Just a cute little design touch - there is a nice ring around the big round BluRay/Power button in the middle of the player. When a DVD disc is inserted it glows red and when a Blu Ray disc is inserted it glows blue.
4. The front display has very nice and large numbers, easily recognizable from some distance. I only wish there was a clock. At this point I am basically keeping my DVD recorder for the clock! Just kidding.
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