LG BD270 Blu-ray Disc Player
by LG
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Our Price: $219.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $69.99 (click here) Category: Home Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of LG BD270 Blu-ray Disc Player
Customer Review: Excellent Bare Bones Blu-ray Player
Summary: 5 Stars
As the title implies, this is an excellent entry level Blu-ray player*; however, this is my first experience with a Blu-ray player, and as a college student, I wanted a brand name with a digestible price, and as for functionality, this player has thus far been up to the task.
Set-up was a breeze. Plug it in and enjoy. That's all there is to it.
As far as Blu-ray discs I've had the pleasure of viewing, I've seen Planet Earth, Hellboy 2 (boo!), Slumdog Millionaire, and Watchmen. And I must say that they all are fantastic, picture-wise, that is. But the one that takes the cake is Planet Earth - absolutely gorgeous. As for DVD upconversion with this player it has been solid. The DVD's that I have watched (too many to list) have had a noticeable facelift, albeit nothing in the realm of Blu-ray.
Sound, too, has been superb. Listening to the movies has been just as enjoyable as watching them. For someone that lacks the resources and space to acquire a proper sound system, this is important, but I suspect that that has more to do with the television rather than the player itself. Nonetheless, the sound has been fantastic.
With that said, some things do need to be pointed out for anyone considering this player. The first is that this player lacks any support for a component connection, so that leaves the user with two options: composite** input and HDMI input, and really, that is no option at all (watching Blu-ray with composite is like driving a car with square wheels, but I digress). I knew this beforehand so I knew what I was expecting going into the purchase and promptly ordered an HDMI cable along with the product at the date of purchase, but for anyone who is planning to use component with this player, note that it will essentially be worthless.
Another is that it does not include BD-Live or any other 'important' extraneous feature for that matter. As was the case in the preceding paragraph, this certainly was not a deal breaker, and in fact, it wasn't a consideration. For me, I just want a decent, reasonably-priced piece of technology that does what it was intended to do and to do it well. For some that want some bells and whistles attached to their BD-player, you may want to look elsewhere.
And lastly, the remote has a cheap feel to it. Certainly not a remote you want to step on or drop too many times (not that any of you would plan on doing so), but I can most certainly deal with it. One surprising thing with this remote was that it was able to control my TV (Vizio) without any configuration beforehand - not anything important but merely interesting.
For anyone who is looking for a reasonably priced Blu-ray player, one couldn't go wrong with this piece of equipment. Nice job, LG.
* - Setup is a VIZIO 26" 1080p Class LCD HDTV - Java (VL260M) (however, I'm in the process of acquiring an LG 32LH30 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black and ridding myself of the Vizio) and a HDMI (2 meter) 6 foot cable HQ 1080P 1.3b.
** EDITED: Sorry, I had put s-video when I meant composite.
Customer Review: Does not play Dolby TrueHD
Summary: 1 Stars
Below is my letter to the President of LG USA...
Mr. Wayne Park
1000 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632
Dear Mr. Park:
Recently I purchased a LG Blu-ray DVD player, model BD270 from Amazon. The unit doesn't function. I had the opportunity to return the product to Amazon at no cost to me but instead unwisely decided to call LG customer support to get the issue resolved.
To say that it has been a frustrating and time consuming ordeal would be putting things mildly.
Below, I provide you a history of my calls to LG and a summary of the discussion:
Date and Time n(EST) LG Representative Discussion
1/25/2010 @ 5:45 pm Mr. Darryl Provided details of issue; Case # CNM10012538862 assigned; I am told that a return label will be emailed to me in 24 hrs so LG can repair the unit.
1/26/2010 @ Evening Ms. Monica I inquire why I haven't received the return label. Monica tells me that the model number was incorrectly entered as BD300 instead of BD270. She corrects it and tells me that a return label will be emailed to me in 24 hrs.
1/28/2010 @ Evening Ms. Gina I inquire why I haven't received the return label. Gina tells me that it will be emailed to me in 3 to 5 business days and not 24 hours. She tells me that I was misinformed.
2/1/2010 @ 5:40 pm Mr. Victor I inquire why I haven't received the return label after 5 days. Victor tells me that Wendy will email the label immediately.
2/2/2010 @ Evening Ms. Nicki I call back to inform LG that I have received the label but the model number on the label is incorrectly noted as BD300. Nicki now tells me that I do not have to send in my machine, and LG will send me a firmware upgrade in 7 to 10 business days. I express my complete frustration; and indicate that I will be write to the president of LG to complain. Later I get a call from LG to call back.
2/3/2010 @ Evening Mr. Victor I call back, and I'm informed that I have a new case number CNM100203523335 assigend; and that I need to send my machine in for a firmware upgrade; and that I will receive a return label in 24 hrs
After I received a new return label, I immediately send the machine in for repairs. The machine is returned to me on 2/15/2010, but the problem has not been resolved. I place a call back to LG and speak to Ms. Nicki, who informs me that she has informed her supervisor who will research the issue and get back to me. She cannot give me a time frame for the LG response; but that I should keep checking.
This is my first experience with the LG brand and it's a terrible experience. I suspect my case is not unique and many of LG's customers are probably going through similar frustrating transactions. Perhaps you are not aware of this situation, and me taking this very unusual step of writing to you will hopefully put in place some needed remedies. It is my anger at having to deal with a completely incompetent crew that has compelled me to write this note, a first time for me. You can understand why I will not be buying another LG product in the future or speak favorably of LG.
Sincerely,
Buyer beware!
Customer Review: entry level blu-ray player from LG . . . so far so good . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the LG BD270 for $99.95 as a Black Friday special. Even at its regular price, the player is still a competitive performer, and good value, providing 1080p output.
Naturally perceived picture quality is a subjective matter, that is largely dependent on the type and quality of the television used for viewing, and the type of connection. Using a HDMI cable with a Sony Bravia 720p HD television, picture quality of blu ray discs is impressive, particularly for newer movies. The appearance of regular DVD's played on the BD270, appears improved on a non-HD television, but not so much on the HD Bravia.
Blu-ray is an evolving technology, and there are issues with some blu-ray discs, not playing properly in certain players. The recommended fix is to update the firmware for your player, and see if it helps. At this time, there are no updates listed for this model. So far, there have been no problems playing a half dozen blu-ray titles, including The Dark Knight, and Quantum of Solace. There are some instances of momentary freezing, but that is about it so far.
The open/close button is located right next to the tray. It might work better if there was more separation, so you don't have to worry about pushing in the tray, instead of the button. The tray itself is thin plastic, and seems a little loose and flimsy. The open/close button is actually on a `see/saw' type arrangement with the power button on the opposite side. Since power comes on when you open the tray, the power button is more for just turning power off.
There is an LED on the front face that displays the run time when a disc is playing. Other controls on the front include, play, stop, skip forward, and skip back buttons. There is a USB slot where audio, image, and movie files can be accessed. Viewing photos on a CD, using a conventional DVD player, can be a slow process, especially if the files are large. Unfortunately it is much the same story with this player, very slow going. The player has a variety of connectors, including HDMI out, SPDIF out, composite video out, audio line out, and the previously mentioned USB in.
The design and layout of the remote while not perfect, is better than some other remotes, as the most commonly accessed buttons are located in the middle area, and not at the bottom. Increasing the size of commonly used buttons like Skip Forward and Back, and Fast Forward and Fast Reverse would have helped. There are also some buttons to control your television power, channels, and volume.
Having not yet encountered any blu-ray discs that will not play, I am very pleased with the performance of this player so far. The price was right, and I am enjoying very much my introduction to the world of blu-ray. The BD270 has gone on sale several times, so you may want to put it on your wishlist, and see if you get lucky.
Customer Review: NO MORE LG PRODUCTS!
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this LG BD270 BluRay from Amazon.com. While I've purchased products from Amazon before, I have no beef with them. The LG BD270 BluRay player in my opinion is a piece of crap. I set the BluRay player up with not too much difficulty. While I only had regular DVD movies on hand, I tried some out. O.K. so the picture quality was a little better and the sound about the same. But, the reason I purchased it was to view Blu-Ray movies that I've heard so much about. Went to my local Blockbuster and rented a Blu-Ray movie. Very excited I rushed home to see what everyone was talking about. Had some friends come over so we could all watch the movie. I insert the Blu-Ray disc in the unit only to see flag appear stating "Check Disc". WTF! I try it again with the same results. Now remember it played regular DVDs so I figure it must be the Blu-Ray disc I rented from Blockbuster. Apologise to my guests and hop in the car back to Blockbuster. Tell them at Blockbuster what had happened and they give me another Bul-Ray disc. Rush back home to my waiting guests. I insert the new disc only to see the same "Chech Disc" appear on the screen. Now I'm really pissed! Get the phone and call LG Customer service. Mind you this is Sunday evening. After about an hour someone gets on the line. I tell them my problem. They tell me to unplug the unit to reboot. I try this only to have the same results. She tells me I'll have to return the unit to LG for servicing. Ain't that friggin' great! Now she tells me she can't handle the return because the system in down! Call back tomorrow she says. Needless to say I had to tell my guests that we won't be watching any Blu-Ray movies tonight or any time soon. Well, to day is Monday....called back again and they have no record of me calling the night before. Here we go... I had to explain the whole situation all over again from the beginning. Now they tell me the Blu-Ray player has to be upgraded and they will send me a disc which will fix the problem ASAP...yeah right! My question is Why would you sell a product that has to be upgraded in the first place? Oh, by the way, the disc should be here in about 5 days or so. Nice way to enjoy my Christmas present! This is the first LG product I own...and I can garuntee this will be the LAST! Again I don't hold Amazon liable for this, but, if LG sells a product that is outdated...shame on them. Think twice before you purchase anything from LG (Lifes Good) Yeah, O.K.Customer Review: Needs better support to walk owners through DRM issues on newer Blu Rays
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought the BD-270 on a Black Friday sale in 2009. I wanted a no-frills blu ray player and this unit fits the bill. I'm not crazy about the controls and I wish the remote lit up but they are not really issues considering the cost.
Here is the real issue:
My primary use of this player is to watch movies that I rent from Blockbuster Online. It worked just as it should until recently when I started to have problems with most every newer blu ray. They just wouldn't play! At first I thought I had a bad disc or two but then I realized that was not the issue. I went to the LG site, downloaded and installed the new firmware, but that didn't change anything. I called LG's 800 number on a weekend evening and within two minutes I got though to tech support (big plus!). After they put me on hold for another 10-mins they told me that the would need to mail me a firmware update that was not on their site and could not be downloaded. Sure, it sounds idiotic to not put the latest updates on their support website, but I suspect (hope) there is a reason for it. A few days later, I get and the software update discs (with no instructions whatsoever) and update the software. Unfortunately the problem persisted. The player would play DVDs and older blu rays, but not the newer three I had in my possession from Blockbuster. After searching online I found a suggestion to unplug the HDMI cable after the update. I did that and now the newer blu rays play.
Bottom line:
LG support was easily accessible, even on the weekend. Updates were mailed to me free of charge even though they should have been downloadable online. The updates solved the problem with the unit not originally being able to handle new DRM, but a simple note telling me to unplug the HDMI cable after updating would have saved me a lot of frustration. For all that I know the update that I downloaded online would have also solved the issue should I have tried to unplug the HDMI after upgrading. LG got me most of the way to the solution but they stopped a bit short. I will hesitate before buying another one of their products.
I hope that the "unplug your HDMI" tip helps out others who are ready to trash their player.