LG BD300 Blu-ray player review
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Feb 2nd 2009 12:00PM
posted Feb 2nd 2009 12:00PM
Another day, another Blu-ray player and of all the players we've tested this is our favorite one so far. It's taken over two years and we've finally came to a point where a standalone player easily out classes the PS3 as a Blu-ray player. Sure the BD300 from LG still isn't perfect, but what is? Either way, read on for the good and the bad of LG's latest BD Live Blu-ray player.
The Good
The Bad
Speed daemon
A lot of fuss has been made about how slow Blu-ray player are, but it looks like those days are over. The BD300 was the first player we've ever tested that even came close to loading discs as fast as a PS3, and in fact beat it by 2 seconds in our test -- admittedly not a wide margin. But maybe more importantly, the BD300 uses less than 1 watt of power in standby and still manages to eject its tray in under 4 seconds from off (the PS3 takes 23 seconds in its lower power mode).
Conclusion
- Fastest player ever tested: 4 seconds to eject tray from off, 37 seconds to load BD-J title (Ratatouille).
- Netflix HD streaming.
- BD-Live and BonusView support (Profile 2.0).
- Good looking menus.
- Search and bookmark feature is slick with it's own scrub bar.
- Zoom is also nice for those who don't like OAR.
- USB port on front is useful for pictures and music.
-
Coaxial digital output is appreciated for those in need.
- DTS downmix option is a must for those without AVRs that feature the latest codecs.
- We appreciate the standard power cable that isn't permanently attached.
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Discrete IR for on and off is a must have for programmable remotes.
- Resolution button on the remote makes it easy to change.
- Auto resolution setting did a good job of detecting the appropriate resolution for our display.
- HDMI and component both work at the same time as long as 1080p output isn't enabled.
- For non-BD-Java discs there is a last disc resume, which unfortunately only remembers the last disc.
- Built in screen saver after 5 mins.
- Dolby's Dynamic Range Control can be used, of those who don't like dynamic audio (loud explosions, soft voices).
- USB firmware update in addition to CD ISO and network is a very nice 3rd option.
- Low power consumption at 0 watts off, 16 idle, and 19 playing a BD (Netflix playback is also 16).
- Bitstreams all the codecs for those with an AV/R with HDMI 1.3.
The Bad
- Display menu should include more info like codec and bit rate and output resolution.
- No way to tell if the TV is accepting 24p if your TV doesn't tell you.
- No resolution passthrough.
- Eject button should be near the tray instead of on the other side.
- No internal storage for BD-Live, and USB port on front is less than ideal for BD-Live storage since it has to stay there most of the time.
- Can't change the resolution while a disc is playing.
- Had problems connecting to the internet, in the end we had to use our ISP's DNS instead of our router's.
- Doesn't internally decode all the codecs which is pretty important if you need that feature.
- Second rate DVD upconverting and deinterlacing.
- Higher than average suggested retail price at $350.
Speed daemon
A lot of fuss has been made about how slow Blu-ray player are, but it looks like those days are over. The BD300 was the first player we've ever tested that even came close to loading discs as fast as a PS3, and in fact beat it by 2 seconds in our test -- admittedly not a wide margin. But maybe more importantly, the BD300 uses less than 1 watt of power in standby and still manages to eject its tray in under 4 seconds from off (the PS3 takes 23 seconds in its lower power mode).
Conclusion
The BD300 is really second to none when it comes to doing what Blu-ray players are meant to do: play Blu-ray Discs. While those who still enjoy DVDs might want to pass on this one because of its second rate DVD upconverting ability, for most it shouldn't be a big deal -- it isn't that it is bad at upconverting, it's just that it isn't as good as others like the BD-P2500 from Samsung. But overall, when compared to just about everything else in its price range, there really is no comparison. It is fast, uses very little power, is nearly silent, outputs all the latest audio codecs via bitstream, features discrete IR commands for power, and produces the stunning picture quality we've come to expect from Blu-ray. Now this alone would make it a great player, but add in Netflix Watch Now streaming in HD, and you have yourself a great value at $350. Of course this crown is sure to be short lived as we've already heard plenty about the next generation of Blu-ray players at CES, but for now LG can rest easy knowing it has one of the best Blu-ray players on the market.
Great player, but unfortunately, two more "bad's" to list;
Does not come with an ethernet cable (which makes zero sense for such an IP based device).
Does not come with an HDMI cable (really? not even a short patch cable? c'mon...).
Other than that, after a quick order from Monoprice, I'm satisfied with the player.
Computers don't come with Ethernet cables either....
Better to just go buy or make the appropriate length.
Since they couldn't possibly know what length Ethernet or HDMI cable you'll need, why do you want them running up the bill of materials cost (and the MSRP) including those things?
@Liam worse list of cons ever...
Clearly it must be my mistake by getting used to the majority of electronic components that I've purchased to actually come with accessories in the box. Guess I've just been lucky.
TrentD - I agree with the premise of your comment. And Drew; reasonable point.
Would it drive up costs? Sure. Do most people need the accessories anyway? Probably. Where each person chooses to shop to obtain said accessories is up to them. But it's likely that the majority of consumers would prefer to have what they need in one solution.
My notations were simply a measure of contents that *I* would have expected to see in the package. Perhaps I was wrong for thinking that, much less, posting a comment regarding such thoughts on a public forum.
Either way, I obtained the needed accessories, and I am satisified with the experience overall.
Liam, I understand.
The main reason an HDMI and Ethernet cable aren't included has nothing to do with BOM cost...it's all about the retail store's profit margins.
Stores don't like included accessories, because that prevents them from selling $60 HDMI cables and $30 Ethernet cables. That's the real reason.
Cons:
Doesn't come with a TV to watch the Blu-Rays on. Doesn't do any good without one!
:-|
But really, including accessories that not everyone needs just adds unnecessary costs. I don't need a patch cable, I already have boxes of them. I don't need an HDMI cable, because I already had one, as I am just replacing a DVD player with this. Why would I want to pay for some cables I don't need?
If does'nt come with a hdmi cable it should at least come with wi-fi 802.11g:)
Does your PS3 really take 23 seconds to eject? Mine does it within seconds.
The power requirement and explanation of multiple outputs being active at the same time is really useful, nice job.
Eko,
The PS3 only takes that long if you have standby off, otherwise the PS3 is drawing power all the time.
Ben, I don't have ethernet running to my living room (as mentioned in my comment you read on air last podcast). How do you think the Netflix would work if I used a bridge on my wireless "N" network? Would the content look decent on my 32" 720p?
It should work fine, the throughput requirements of Netflix HD Streaming is crazy low.
Blu ray players should not come with come with rca video cables! & should not even have rca video inputs. Why do that to people!
I'm with you on this one, I'm convinced this is some sort of requirement as every player includes them.
They have outputs, not inputs.
I agree it's stupid they come with composite cables, but since composite always works, it's a nice troubleshooter. Imagine having only an HDMI cable connection and being unable to make your TV and player sync up. How would you access the menu for troubleshooting?
hdmi should always work, no more excuses, theres component out
I have this player for my bedroom. Had a bad experience with HDMI and audio via Westinghouse 42" 1080p LCD. Netflix-instant movies sounded fine. Every blu-ray made constant scratching sounds via HDMI. Using the same HDMI cable via HD-DVD and Tivo Series 3 high def sounded awesome. Not sure what the deal was, tried every audio setting possible via the LG with no luck. Ended up switching the HDMI back to HD-DVD and using the component hookups for the Blu-ray and voila, everything is fine. Could be the TV I know, but strange that it sounds fine via the Netflix-instant.
Forgot to add, the LG will not play some Netflix instant movies that both my Tivo S3s and my Xbox360 will play. It just pops up an error saying that specific movie is not available, I then switch to either Tivo or Xbox (or both during testing) and the movie plays just fine, go back to the LG and get the same error.
Oh and all of that is when the LG feels nice enough to actually connect to the internet, which apparently it is deathly-afraid to do.
Note: this is all with the most current firmware available.
Now, other than all of that, it puts out a great picture!
Nice review!!
Amazon is selling this for $550. Are you sure the MSRP is $350??
That is a crazy price. I paid $300 for it at Best Buy not even a week ago. I just checked and it appears they are sold out.
I suspect we are about to see new Blu-ray players hit the market sooner than originally thought.
@Jeff - Amazon isn't selling this item as of yet. You are referring to a 3rd party seller called "Action Packaged, Inc.".
Oops - you're right. Never mind :)
Glad to hear you're enjoying your hardware player, Ben. I love my new Panasonic BD35, though it seems that all of the manufacturers will be releasing even newer players this March/April.
@Jeff- I've noticed that Amazon seems to overcharge when these players are scarce. I got my BD35 at $250, and Amazon had it for about $400! When the major retailers sell out, it seems like Amazon goes to smaller sellers who jack the price way up!
@Cap I understand that you are trying to help explain something but you seem to have the same misconception as some of the other posters over at AVS. Amazon does not “jack the price way up” or “go to smaller sellers” when the players are scarce. Amazon never sells anything above MSRP, rather they sell at their usual discount until they run out of stock. The item page would then default to a third party seller. Selling through Amazon is something that anybody can do, even you. You can charge whatever you want, just like on Ebay. Unfortunately (like on Ebay), when items are scarce people take advantage of this and demand a premium.
the msrp on this is indeed $350. It was just reviewed by HomeTheater mag as of last month, and very favorable review.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/discplayers/lg_bd300_network_blu-ray_player/index.html
And is now discontinued, with a new model to follow. Let''s home the next is as good/better, and reviews come sooner!
This just might be the BluRay player for me. Great review Ben!
So will this be $99 by next Black Friday?
Ben,
I picked one of these up at BB ($300 in Winston-Salem, FYI) this past weekend, and have two questions:
1) Where did you get your discrete on/off codes? I have URC MX-900s and one MX-880 and don't see this player on any list. Remote software is up-to-date.
2) Have you played WALL-E? I can't get any of the BD-Live functions to work, though it may be the DNS issue you mentioned. When I first selected BD-Live the on-screen menu informed me that there was a required update, presumably from Disney. The update ran fine, but then I got a blank screen. For like, 20 minutes. I tried this several times, making sure to clear off my 4GB USB stick in-between. Same result every time. So is DNS playing with my mind, or is there another issue that I just can't figure out?
Thanks for your help, and an excellent post!
I got the discrete IR codes from here.
http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-discrete/thread.cgi?3917
As for the BD Live. I had this problem at first, but had to enable full BD Live functionality in the settings.