WEBmikey: Entering the world of Blu-ray

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Entering the world of Blu-ray
2.06.2010 7:26 AM \| Link 2 comments	I've really been enjoying my new LG BD390 Blu-ray player that Mom & Dad got me for my birthday! Although I've only scratched the surface of Blu-ray coolness, there are still tons of little features that I love. When I first hooked it up, I had some trouble getting it on my wireless network - it just couldn't see my Airport Extreme router at all. I read that this model has a fairly weak Wi-Fi antenna, so I decided not to worry about it and just order an Airport Express to extend my network (and actually connect the player with an ethernet cable). But then a couple days later I decided to check again, and suddenly it could see my network and connected easily! I have no clue why it started working (possibly from upgrading and then downgrading my router firmware), but I was thrilled to check out the online features like Netflix and YouTube! I can already do this with my TiVo (and I can watch YouTube on my Apple TV, meaning I now have three ways to check out YouTube on my TV!), but the LG interface is really cool and works well. I had so much fun watching my first Blu-ray disc, the new release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - even the trailers that I always skip were magnificent! What really impresses me is getting close to the TV and realizing the pixelation I'm used to seeing with standard DVD is almost non-existent! I also love how menus can be much more advanced and animated now. After my network connection started working, I had a blast checking out BD Live, which let me stream some Disney trailers right there on my player, and I was really blown away by the interaction that's possible now that the player is totally a computer. I loved it when the Magic Mirror said, "Good morning, Master. The winter cold has come to chill your bones. Shall I throw a log on the fire?", all because it could get time and weather information from the internet behind the scenes! I'm even enjoying some added convenience when watching standard DVDs. They definitely load much faster and menu transitions are much smoother, but the best feature of all is that this player detects when to switch aspect ratios automatically! I watch a lot of cartoons on DVD, which are usually 4:3 but often have 16:9 menus and features. With my old DVD player I had to pick one ratio and suffer (or keep switching myself), but the LG does the right thing for me. I still have to keep my old Philips around to watch Japanese DVDs, but 90% of the time I'll be using my new LG and loving it! Labels: life Comments 2/6/10 2:33 PM Kimberly OK between this entry and the Snow White entry, I'm really thinking I need to get a Blu-ray player soon. Was already thinking of it but being able to play Netflix on it would rock. Great info! 2/6/10 3:44 PM Mikey Watching streaming stuff on the TV is so much better than sitting in front of a computer. Lots of players have Netflix integration now! Post a Comment