 LG BD-570 Network Blu-ray player
Christo van Gemert
Multi-format media
Part of the original specification for the Blu-ray disc format was internet interactivity. Basically, Blu-ray players had to support a certain number of web-enabled functions, meaning they’d need internet connectivity, to give punters up-to-date trailers and access to exclusive content.
Of course, these additional features have been a bit of a lame duck. The original specification for DVD included stuff like multiple camera angles and interactive out-takes, but those also amounted to naught.
Unfortunately, the investment in Blu-ray’s extra features came at a hardware cost. BD players need network ports and powerful processors to handle the Java engines, but people simply aren’t using this technology to download high-def trailers, like planned. Thankfully, the manufacturers are thinking on their feet.
While others have offered a few expanded functions, LG’s BD-570 is the first where we’ve seen a fantastic execution of the network features. It will play all the regular DVD and Blu-ray discs, but when hooked up to a network, it can play MKV files – the high-definition digital video files available on the internet – as well as DivX files. Its network integration is superb, with the BD-570 recognising plain old Windows shared folders in addition to DLNA-compliant shares. For good measure, a software disc is included with server software to make sharing movies and music easier.
It works wonderfully, and offers an alternative to more obscure devices like the WDTV Live or Popcorn Hour. Internet functions are a bit limited for the local market, but users can still access YouTube, browse Picasa or get high-def weather reports from Accuweather.
But perfect it isn’t. The menu interface is a bit gimmicky, with bouncing icons and pretty graphics attempting to cover up a lack of fast responses. It doesn’t take an age for it to respond but there’s a noticeable lag between button presses and things happening on screen. The remote control is also not the most ergonomic we’ve used, and feels a bit flimsy.
This is something we’ve been awaiting for a while, and now it’s up to competing manufacturers to offer similar multimedia-enabled Blu-ray players.
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