LG's new Blu-ray players get Picasa, better Netflix interface
LG announced two mainstream Blu-ray players at CES 2010, adding Picasa and a better Netflix interface to the feature set of the popular BD390.
LAS VEGAS--LG's Blu-ray line-up has decided to skip 3D, opting for more evolutionary updates. Along with the flagship BD590, LG also announced two standard Blu-ray players, the BD550 and BD570, which are largely similar to the company's Blu-ray offerings from 2009.
Key features of the LG BD550
- Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
- USB port capable of playing photos, movies, and music
- LG's NetCast suite of streaming media services, including Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow, YouTube, Pandora, Picasa, and AccuWeather
- Ethernet port
- No release date or pricing announced
Key step-up features of the LG BD570
- Built-in 802.11 Wi-Fi
- No release date or pricing announced
Like the flagship BD590, neither the BD550 or BD570 has drastically new features compared with last year's BD390. However, given the success of the BD390, that's not necessarily a bad thing. One slight change is that LG's new Blu-ray products will feature the latest iteration of Netflix's streaming software, which allows you to browse some titles that aren't in your instant queue (nearly identical to the experience of Netflix streaming on the PS3).
Of course, without pricing it's hard to gauge the value of these new Blu-ray players, but at first glance they look poised to continue the success of the BD390.
