Guest blog by Louise.
Having used a standard DVD player for years I decided to try my hand at a new LG Blu-ray player, the LG BP350. I was amazed to find that the only thing I needed to do was plug it into in a mains socket and then just connect an HDMI to get this to work. With its sleek design and few buttons on the front it certainly looked like it would be really easy to use… and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t wrong.
Upon startup the unit was surprisingly quick to get going (one thing I had read about Blu-ray players prior to my purchase was that they were notoriously slow to startup); so this was a refreshing find.
I had chosen Avatar to be my first 1080p full HD experience, having only ever seen this in a shop, I wondered what awaited. I had seen it once in the cinema and wanted to see if it lived up to my expectation. I was filled with a sense of excitement as the opening scene of Avatar took me back to the night in the cinema in 2009; who knew nostalgia was a feature of a Blu-ray? I wasn’t let down at all by the picture quality, in fact I could see far more detail than I thought was possible – a true revelation.
What had slightly put me off buying a Blu-ray player previously was that I thought you could only play Blu-ray discs. As someone with a vast DVD collection, I was worried that I’d want to replace many of my favourite films with Blu-ray version, so thought it best to avoid temptation! Those thoughts were blown away, however, when I discovered that a Blu-ray player can not only play Blu-ray discs, but can upscale any DVD to 1080p quality. The decision was made and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
This Blu-ray is a very versatile unit. With smart streaming services and built-in Wi-Fi, I can watch Netflix or Amazon Instant video along with YouTube and I can even have music streaming through Spotify or Rhapsody. This means I can catch up on the new series of “Orange Is The New Black” or play my gym playlist while doing the housework. Incidentally these features make a “non-smart” TV, smart.
LG have kindly added on a USB input so I can view home videos, my albums or even anything my friends decide to bring round and make me sit through. This is really handy as my current TV doesn’t have that feature.
Despite its impressive spec list the actual player is surprisingly small; a great example of “less is more”. Just when you thought this nifty little machine couldn’t impress me any further, you can control the unit through your smartphone via a downloadable app, meaning if your other half is watching a film you don’t care for, you can turn it off on the sly. Not that I would class this as a feature or condone such behaviour (but he is a fan of Star Wars after all)!
The LG is a keenly priced unit and for what it offers me it’s worth every penny. They do a higher spec model that offers 3D for just a few pounds extra, so if you have a 3D TV, it’s definitely worth the extra. Find out more online or pop to your local Hughes store and ask about a demo.
