Loading ... 
There’s a handful of manufacturers who keep pushing Blu-ray technology forward inch by inch, then watch as the competition scrambles to catch up. LG is one of them, and this time it’s come up with the most technologically advanced Blu-ray deck ever seen – the LG BD390. Read our full LG BD390 review to find out how it fares in our home cinema den.
In aesthetic terms the LG BD390 isn’t particularly progressive, looking like any number of other Blu-ray decks past and present, but that’s not to say it’s unappealing. The slim dimensions, mirrored fascia and minimal clutter make this a piece of kit you’ll be proud to slide into your AV rack.
Of this player’s many features the most compelling is its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity – the LG BD390 is the first machine we’ve encountered that can pluck BD Live content from the web wirelessly without the use of a costly USB dongle. Turn up your nose at BD Live if you must, but a lot more people will be tempted to download new trailers and featurettes if they’re this easy to access.
Read our Sony BDP-S360 review now
Even more impressive is that the DLNA-certified LG BD390 can stream music, video and photos from PCs on your home network, and because it supports the high-bandwidth 802.11n Wi-Fi spec it can do so a lot faster than b or g networks – plus you can stream hi-def video. Nice.
The LG BD390 also boasts YouTube access through the dedicated portal in the excellent GUI, and thanks to the USB port on the front, playing your digital media has never been easier. As for format support the LG is obsequiously obliging, handling DivX HD, MKV, MP3, WMA, AAC, AVI, JPEG and more.
Amazingly we’ve only scratched the surface. The 1GB of built-in memory in the LG BD390 means you don’t need to insert a USB stick for BD Live downloads, while the deck can decode any HD audio format and output the signals from the multichannel analogue ports (but they can also be transferred as bitstream or PCM from the HDMI port).
The LG BD390 loads up Blu-ray discs almost as quickly as DVDs, and the scalpel-sharp picture quality belies the £250 price tag. It draws out detail from even the murkiest movie scenes, splashes colour across the screen like Rolf Harris on acid and reaches levels of depth and clarity that you don’t expect from a player at this price.
If there’s a flaw it’s audio performance, as stereo music material sounds more coloured than, say, the Pioneer BDP-LX52, but it’s only likely to bother those with demanding sound systems to feed.
To call the LG BD390 a Blu-ray player is grossly underselling it – it’s an all singing, all dancing multimedia hub that uses its Wi-Fi connectivity to full effect. And because it backs up its obscene amount of features with stellar picture performance, we have no choice but to proclaim the BD390 as the finest Blu-ray player money can buy.
