The LG Wi-Fi Network Blu-ray Disc Player

This column is actually a review of a home media device rather than a specific Windows tip or trick. I’m doing this not just because the subject equipment works and brings a new level of entertainment integration into the home theater system, but it also represents a direction in home entertainment that is unsettling the industry.

Many companies have tried to bring the Internet to the television, but in unneeded forms. It is much easier to browse the Web with a computer than on a TV. The television is foremost an entertainment device. The current Internet-connected devices—whether a game console such as the Xbox or a Wi-Fi-enabled DVD player—seem to suggest that the Internet can now become the new center for home entertainment. I talk more about the implications of Internet-connected entertainment devices in this week’s Edgeword. While Windows can certainly be part of the new networked home entertainment systems, it seems likely that the computer may be relegated to the role of server. Specialized equipment such as Blu-ray DVD players with networking capability may become the new entertainment controller, since when compared to a computer they are relatively easy to set up and use and relatively inexpensive.

After a good bit of research, I picked up the LG Wi-Fi Network Blu-ray Disc Player Model BD570 (lg.com/us/tv-audio-video/video/LG-blu-ray-dvd-player-BD570.jsp). The fact that it is a Blu-ray drive is almost incidental since I don’t own any Blu-ray videos, but if I’m to have any DVD capability, there is no point in (or possibility of) not getting Blu-ray. (While there are Internet-connection devices without a DVD player, there are times when the capability may come in handy.)

I picked the LG BD570 player for a number of reasons. First, the Wi-Fi for the network connection was built-in. Although it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, I’ve found that built-in Wi-Fi is generally more reliable than add-ons such as a dongle. Second, it immediately supports a number of Internet services such as Netflix. Third, it supports DLNA, which means that I would be able to access the media on my networked Windows computers. Fourth, it was one of the most affordable network DVD players at under $200. (One of the big pushes in more expensive Blu-ray models is a 3-D capability—which I consider a joke, or a novelty at best.)

This Blu-ray player was easy to set up and quickly connected to my wireless network. The player can also be connected directly to any Ethernet port or router. It will work with virtually any computer network as long as there are shared DLNA (the media standard) compatible computers attached. (Windows computers support DLNA.) My television was instantly turned into an Internet-connected screen without the complications of attaching a computer. The player has five basic modes of operation: Movie, Photo, Music, Home Link and Netcast. The first three categories can play from a disc or USB drive inserted into the front of the player—your choice. The Home Link is for accessing other DLNA devices or servers on your home network. Netcast is for receiving content over the Internet such as Netflix video, Vudu HD video rental, Cinema Now video rental, YouTube Web video, Pandora Internet radio, Picasa photo albums and even the local weather.

The first step was to connect to the network and the Internet via Wi-Fi. This was easy to do through the Setup option and very similar to connecting a laptop at any Wi-Fi hotspot. Once I entered the router’s code, the device connected without problem. (If you have the player in the same room as your network router, then you can make a direct connection, which would offer more network speed.)

The LG Blu-ray player almost immediately installed a firmware update—plus there has been one more update since I’ve started using it. My guess is that these updates will be how more Internet entertainment services will be offered in the future. Obviously, when connected to the Internet, the device automatically checks for the latest version of the software.

The Netcast option is dedicated to accessing Internet services (see Figure 1). Netflix was of particular interest since my kids had given me a subscription. It was easy to follow the on-screen instructions and get Netflix working. Once I dug into what Netflix offers for Internet streaming I was suitably impressed, although it was only a small percentage of what Netflix offers on DVD by mail. I expect that as time goes on, Internet streaming will crowd out direct DVD rental as quicker, easier and less costly to deal with.

Figure 1. The LG BD570 Blu-ray Player offers a number of Internet services on an easy-to-select screen.

I wasn’t expecting some of the other features, such as YouTube and Picasa photo viewing. I mostly use YouTube for that informal game “remember that song,” when we need to hear the original version of the tune. Doing the YouTube search on the player was awkward since there is no keyboard for touch typing, but it did work with the cursor and letter select. I did keep a history so you can pre-load favorite videos and quickly get back to them for later viewing.

Note: While you can do almost everything on various Internet services with only the player, it is much easier to do many functions, such as searching and setup, on your computer. They work well together. Anything that you do on an Internet account on the computer will show up on the player’s Netcast.

My brother had uploaded some pictures of his first grandchild to Picasa and sent me a link. Once I attached my account to his, I was able to log on to Picasa with the Blu-ray player and view his photos on the television. If you need to view photos in a digital form, it much easier to share them over a television rather than huddled around a computer.

The Home Link option is for accessing your local home network. When I opened the feature, the computers on the network appeared, plus the Windows DLNA media servers (with logo) for each Windows computer. If the media servers are sharing, then they can be accessed. I was able to run playlists of music off one of the Windows computers that could be connected to the stereo speaker system. The same can be done with photos and videos in MP4 format.

The LG player comes with Nero MediaHome 4 Essentials, which, when installed on a networked computer, will set up a DLNA media server automatically including and indexing all of your current playlists on your Windows computer. You can also log into each shared computer as you might with any other computer on the network and directly access folders and files. Of course, you will only be able to view or hear compatible graphic, sound, or video files. A network hard drive would be the ideal media server for this player.

Without the Home Link feature for accessing your home computers and the Netcast feature for Internet services, the LG Wi-Fi Network Blu-ray Disc Player Model BD57 is merely a DVD player. However, with the addition of those two features, your entertainment options are greatly enhanced. At some point, I would expect that live television programming will be offered via this type of device. Then the only other requirement would be a hard drive for recording programming. The BD590 (www.lg.com/us/tv-audio-video/video/LG-blu-ray-dvd-player-BD590.jsp) has a 250GB hard drive that can act as a media server and record videos purchased from Vudu. You could connect the BD570 player to a receiver in your computer and use the computer as a DVR (Digital Video Recorder), but unless you have live programming, there are few reasons to record. The Internet services are always there.

If you have a decent Internet connection (probably at least DSL speed), then this type of Internet-connected DVD drive will provide more entertainment than you can possibly consume—there’s not enough time to do everything you would like to do. You will probably completely give up on any reruns on broadcast television—you can get them on Netflix without the commercials.

Send mail to ceeditor@computoredge.com with questions about editorial content.
Send mail to cewebmaster@computoredge.com with questions or comments about this Web site.
Copyright © 1997-2010 The Byte Buyer, Inc.

ComputorEdge Magazine, P.O. Box 83086, San Diego, CA 92138. (858) 573-0315

www.computoredge.com

07/30/2010