LG BP620

The Best Reviewed LG BP620 delivers powerhouse performance for a price that would've been unheard of a year ago. Not only does it pack in superb Blu-ray and DVD playback alongside a laundry list of features, but the LG BP620 also sports speedy load times and a terrific interface.

Picture quality

You won't be disappointed. Every current Blu-ray player tackles even the most demanding 1080p Blu-ray discs with stunning results, and the LG BP620 is no different; it sports a crisp, clean picture with deep black levels and minimal visual artifacts. Reviewers say its DVD upscaling is fairly impressive and superior to most of the competition, though like almost all DVD conversion efforts, it's nowhere near perfect. In particular, the LG BP620 doesn't achieve much noise reduction on upscaled DVD video.

Performance

One blazing Blu-ray player. The LG BP620 is among the fastest Blu-ray players you can buy, booting up and zipping through screens at a comparatively breakneck pace. In terms of speed, it runs neck-and-neck with the well-regarded Panasonic DMP-BDT220 (*Est. $115), but falls just slightly behind the enthusiast-level Oppo BDP-95 (*Est. $1,000).

Usability

A great interface with an average remote. Several reviewers appreciate the clean, straightforward look of the LG BP620's interface, though you'll have to wrap your head around the manufacturer's odd naming scheme before you get the hang of things: Streaming Internet services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus are in the Premium Services menu, whereas the Apps menu is limited to a handful of subpar, mostly useless LG-supplied apps, such as games and other diversions.

The Blu-ray player's remote control is sturdy and straightforward as well, but experts wish it had dedicated buttons for Netflix and other streaming Internet apps.

Features

Everything you could ask for. Like most modern Blu-ray players, the LG BP620 is chock full of all the features you could want, including 3D video and DLNA support, Wi-Fi, and a full complement of streaming Internet apps -- with two notable exceptions. Despite being available in LG's older Blu-ray players, the LG BP620 lacks apps for MOG (music streaming) and Amazon Instant out of the box. That's the only major flaw many reviewers find with the machine. Reviewers especially love that the DLNA compatibility just plain works, as most other Blu-ray players run into at least some file streaming issues.

Value

A high-value, low-cost Blu-ray player. Between the top-notch audio/visual performance, speedy and effective interface and the bevy of bonus features, you get a lot of bang for $120.

The Bottom Line

A truly well-rounded machine, the LG BP620 is the Best Reviewed Blu-ray player of 2012. The Panasonic DMP-BDT220 comes close in overall performance, but users report some serious Wi-Fi and Netflix woe. The Sony BDP-S590 (*Est. $120) is another strong pick but it sports significantly slower loading times and a slightly less intuitive interface.