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BD640 Short Review - LG Wi-Fi Blu-ray DVD Player

LG BD640 Blu-ray Player Review - One of the best entry-level Blu-ray DVD players, with Wi-Fi, USB playback and online streaming services.

LG is one of the leading manufacturers of smart and innovative Blu-ray Players. Producing excellent performing players that have unique and efficient Blu-ray features. However, LG is aware that not everyone is looking for cutting edge technology. Many of us just want a basic player that can play Blu-ray movies and DVDs at great HD quality. LG provides consumers this option with the BD640. It is not filled with all the bells and whistles of higher-end models. But the BD640 Blu-ray Disc Player delivers stunning picture quality and has many appealing features and that will give you endless hours of home entertainment.

The BD640 has a solid build with a sleek black coating. On the front you have a slide out disc loading tray in the center and basic control buttons on the right. Also located on the front is a USB port that can be used to playback media files. Files supported include avi, mpg, mpeg, mkv, asf, wmv, m4v, mp3, wma, JPEG and png. Its disc loading speeds and boot up time is much faster than previous LG players.

VIDEO QUALITY: The BD640 is capable of Full HD 1080p video playback on Blu-ray disc. The video performance is extremely good and produces stunningly clear detailed images. Video connections for the player include the HDMI output, Composite Video output and the Component Video output. The HDMI output will produce the best possible picture and will up-scale your DVDs to near HD levels. There is no need to replace your DVD library; your old DVDs will never look as good.

AUDIO QUALITY: The audio performance of the BD640 Blu-ray player is just as outstanding as the video. It is equipped built-in decoders for Linear PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. You can get up to 7.1 channel of the highest quality surround sound that will make all your movies and streaming content immersive and realistic. Audio connections for the BD640 include HDMI output, 2.0 channel Analog outputs and Digital Coaxial Audio output.

The BD640 lacks any 3D or DLNA support, but it does have a host of other features that will win over a lot of followers. First it can connect to the internet via an Ethernet port or connect wirelessly with a USB Wi-Fi adapter. The good news is that the wireless USB adapter is included, saving you $50.00 to $70.00. The bad news is that there is only one USB port and it is located at the front of the player. This is not only aesthetically unappealing, you will have to keep removing the wireless USB adapter if you are using the USB port for media playback or downloading BD-Live content.

But you will want to connect to the internet to gain access to the BD-Live content and the online streaming services. You can watch movies, videos and TV shows from Netflix, CinemaNow, Vudu and YouTube. Unfortunately, you do not have access to the full set of online services that is provided with LG Smart TV.

Even though the LG BD640 is lacking some key features like 3D and DLNA support, it is still one of the best Blu-ray players for those of us on a budget. it provides many of the basic Blu-ray features we come to expect and delivers great quality images and sound. The BD640 is an impressive entry-level Blu-ray Player.

THE PROS:
The Blu-ray player form LG, the BD640, will provide you with stunning Full HD 1080p images and high-resolution sound – Dolby True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio. It also has great online streaming services like Netflix, CinemaNow, Vudu and YouTube. Access to the internet through an Ethernet Port or go wireless with a LG Dongle – Dongle is supplied. Other positive features you may like is DVD up-scaling, USB playback, quick loading and LG’s SimpLink Connectivity.

THE CONS:
Some features missing in the BD640 include 3D capability. You can find this feature in similar priced players, such as Samsung’s BD-D5500 and Sony’s BDP-S480. No internal memory for downloading BD-Live content. If you want to use this feature, a USB storage device is needed. Also missing from the BD640 is any DLNA capabilities. A USB LAN Adapter will need to be used, but unlike most Wi-Fi ‘Ready' players, the wireless dongle is supplied. Unfortunately, there is only one USB port and it is located on the front of the player.

THE FINAL WORD:
The BD640 from LG does offer a lot of features, despite missing 3D disc support. This missing feature will not be much concern to the many consumers who have not yet adapted 3D technology. With great Blu-ray and DVD playback, as well as internet streaming and USB playback; the BD640 has all the basic Blu-ray features. The price list for the BD640 is $149.99, which seems high; but most online stores are selling the player around the $120.00 price range. — Price you should look for when purchasing — Under $140.00

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