LG BD390

Reviewers looking at the LG BD390 have all come away impressed. Image quality with Blu-ray Discs is terrific. While DVD image quality is not quite as good, reports say that it is better than that of many competing Blu-ray players, and good enough to satisfy all but the pickiest of viewers. The BD390 is one of the speediest Blu-ray players available, keeping up with or beating all comers, including the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (*Est. $300). Audio support is first-rate, and it includes built-in decoders for the latest high-definition audio formats and multichannel (7.1) analog outputs for compatibility with older audiovisual receivers.

In terms of features, the LG BD390 is loaded. The built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi radio means you won't need to run an Ethernet connection to your home theater's location to enjoy BD-Live features on Blu-ray Discs. Additionally, the LG BD390 can connect to the Internet to stream content from partners such as Netflix, CinemaNow and YouTube. This player meets Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standards and includes software (Windows only, unfortunately) to add a DLNA server to your PC so you can stream videos, photos and other types of files directly from it as well. If you have a smaller budget, the Panasonic DMP-BD60K (*Est. $150) delivers rock-solid image quality with Blu-ray Discs and standard-definition DVDs, but it is slower and lacks some bells and whistles, such as Wi-Fi and multichannel analog outputs. It does offer Internet streaming, but despite the recent addition of Amazon Video on Demand as a content partner, critics say that the streaming content available via the LG BD390 is more compelling.

We found a number of helpful reviews of the LG BD390. CNET and PCMag.com provide testing-based reviews that might not be the longest but still do a good job conveying the editors' impressions in detail. The review at Audioholics.com is also testing-based and delves deeper into technical details. ConsumerReports.org tests the BD390, but it offers fewer details than we typically like to see in a report. E-Gear.com also reports in, though its review is somewhat less rigorous. You can read user-written reviews at Amazon.com and BestBuy.com.