Test of the LG BX580 video player

Built-in W-Fi, advanced networking features, good ergonomics.

No convenient storage for BD-Live data, long loading time, problems with loading some discs in 3D.

3D Blu-ray player

Main advantages of the player over its competitors are built-in Wi-Fi, a wide range of networking possibilities and 3D support. In combination with displays of a similar price range the obvious problems in the image will not be, but it is illogical, by definition, to combine such a device with expensive projectors and plasmas. An important plus should be noted thoughtful ergonomics, settings are fully automated, are available to understand and do not require spending long evenings reading the user manual. For the future it would be desirable to see in future models built-in memory or additional USB on the back panel, it is not quite correct to put the user before the choice between the appearance and functionality.

Design features

LG designers worked hard on their new Blu-ray player. Sleek, slim body is distinguished by a high degree of minimalism. All controls and the tray are hidden under the translucent cover, so the device is ready to melt into any interior without disturbing its harmony. Back set of ports is traditional for inexpensive Blu-ray players: HDMI, component, composite in case of wrong digital video settings , stereo output and both variants of S/PDIF. If you want to watch 3D disks with audio tracks in TrueHD or DTS-HD, you will need a receiver with HDMI 1.4. Options to connect to the “old” with HDMI 1.3a and save the picture volumetric image is not provided here. The network department is represented by LAN and built-in Wi-Fi. That last point is a very strong argument in favor of the BX580, as more and more people are not bothering with wired networks and prefer to connect everything over the air. In this price category the built-in receivers of wireless networks are very few, and to buy adapters separately is often not as trivial task as it may seem at first glance.

The only drawback is the USB port is on the front side under the hinged front, and the lack of built-in memory makes it necessary to have a flash drive to access BD-Live.

Service features

In addition to the titular functions, namely the playback of Blu-ray 3D discs, DVD and CD, the player has a number of multimedia features. Firstly, it is the connection to the service NetCast, providing access to Internet content: streaming videos on YouTube, photo albums Picasa and weather forecast on Accuweather. Unfortunately, these services are not yet very friendly with the American language, but the situation is steadily improving over time, so do not neglect them. Secondly, DLNA protocol compatibility opens up a lot of prospects in case you have a media network with DLNA servers at home. The device can play music and movies, and the decoding takes care of the software player on the server, so that the emergence of new codecs do not threaten BX580 premature old age. High resolution is supported. Also major multimedia formats can be played by the device itself from disks and USB-drives. Moreover, it can transcode CDs to mp3 or lossless WAV and burn them to flash drives, automatically providing titles and even pictures of the covers directly from the Internet. The menu is wonderfully designed and intelligently laid out, except that button responses could be a little faster. The remote control is smartly organized and can be learned to use it blindly in just a couple of days.

Picture quality

Blu-ray disc loading is painless, typically taking 30 seconds to a minute. The device creates an excellent surround picture, no significant problems with the video in 3D revealed. Minor stuttering in panning can occur, and some objects occasionally have artifactual halos. But as always happens with new technology, at first no one manages to do everything perfectly. And with two-dimensional discs there are no difficulties at all, the picture may not be the best we’ve seen, but taking into account the price category of the player is more than adequate. With high-end plasma and LCD panels no difference to more expensive devices would be noticeable at all.

8 000 Dollars.