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Netflix Instant StreamingNetflix instant streaming enables you to watch movies and TV programs from a selection of over 12,000 in total. The multi-device, partially backlit remote controls it all, although I'm not a fan of the layout. We also took Indiana Jones for a spin and its Dolby True HD track is also presented with plenty of detail and vitality.
JPEG photos and MP3 and WMA music files can be played from a USB stick or streamed from a computer. For the technical answer, I fired up our trusty HQV demo discs, starting with Blu-ray at 1080p output. On HD Noise Reduction, the HT-BD8200 delivered very good image detail but definite noise as well, on both the flowers and the sailboat segments. In terms of Video Resolution, the fine horizontal lines in the corner boxes were evident, proving full resolution processing. But the Stadium portion of the exam displayed a general noise in the upper deck, giving way to definite moiré on the right side near the end of the panning shot. Bought individually you can find this pairing online for around £100 more, so you save money as well as enjoying the added convenience of getting everything you need in one hit.
Big Picture Big Sound
Add to that some excellent hi-def picture quality and you’ve got yourself a very satisfying 2.1-channel system. The audio capabilities of the sub unit aren’t bad, but there are limitations. For example, it only offers plain old Dolby Digital, DTS and Pro Logic II decoding instead of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio, which would have made more sense on a Blu-ray-centric system – after all, there are still sound quality benefits to be had through two speakers. But the good news is that it supports LPCM via HDMI, and because the BDP-S350 can output Dolby TrueHD as LPCM you can still enjoy the higher sound quality, although the player’s inability to decode DTS HD Master Audio means you’ll only get the 5.1 DTS core. If you upgrade to a more advanced receiver, rest assured that the player can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks in bitstream form. LG Sound Gallery provides 7 sound options to maximise the audio experience.
It's a Blu-ray player, and a speaker system, and a wireless streaming media device. But I believe that its substantial price tag reflects the esthetics, the convenience and the underlying technology more than its audio/video performance in typical use. Even so, the wireless internet and subwoofer setup, combined with the host of online and home network streaming options make this the most versatile soundbar--and one of the most well-featured Blu-ray players overall--that I've ever tried.
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The BD-Live-ready player supports a wireless local area network, and Samsung supplies a WLAN USB dongle for Wi-Fi right out of the box. Once plugged in, the little LAN adapter was immediately recognized, the player asked permission and then accessed my home network after just a few clicks of the remote, once I remembered what type of security my router uses. Like many of LG’s home cinema systems, the HB354BS has been specially tuned by audio guru Mark Levinson, which could give it the edge over rival 2.1-channel systems when it comes to performance.
The argument is, of course, that not everyone has the space, budget or desire to incorporate a 7.1 or even a 5.1-channel system into their home, and a three-channel system is a great way of upgrading from tinny TV speakers without encroaching on precious living room space. All LG Blu-ray home cinema systems and Blu-ray players come complete with Dolby and DTS High Definition decoders to produce uncompressed high quality sound. On the rear of the slim, gloss black Blu-ray player is a host of ins and outs that include HDMI switching , Component video and Composite video, both optical and analogue audio, and a slot for attaching an add-on iPod dock.
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Nifty little LEDs and other animated lights appear during startup and power-down. Bang in the centre of the fascia lies one of the system’s killer features – an iPod dock. It slides out when you press the panel in the centre and supports all types of iPod, including the touch, plus you can browse through songs using the onscreen GUI. You’ll also find a USB Plus port on top that supports playback of movies, music and photos. If you like Blu-ray movies delivered with plenty of power then give the BDV-FS350 a miss – the weak sub and overall lack of potency might leave you feeling a tad underwhelmed when watching action-packed Blu-ray discs. The sub’s lack of HD audio decoding is also a shame, as is the absence of Master Audio support.
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As for the BDP-S350, it’s a highly attractive, slimline Profile 2.0 player (provided its firmware has been updated from the original Profile 1.1 spec), and it’s beautifully built for a so-called ‘budget’ player. It also spins DVDs, CDs and recordable Blu-ray discs, although it doesn’t support MP3 or DivX playback from any of them – only JPEG is supported. The subwoofer meanwhile is admirably slim, measuring just 95mm wide and 215mm tall, which makes it far from imposing. It’s also surprisingly sturdy for a system sub and is finished in fetching shades of black, with ports on the front and side. Buttons are sparse, with just volume, input select and power buttons found on top, and there’s a simple display panel that shows the current input and houses the system’s setup menu. Given Blu-ray’s ability to deliver immersive hi-res 7.1-channel soundtracks, you might question the sense of pairing a Blu-ray player with a 2.1-channel sound system, which is exactly what Sony has done with the BDV-FS350.
Picture Detail was a mixed bag, the grass was soft and a little twitchy and the stairs lost all their definition about halfway up, but the bridge and the statue looked fine. All of the Noise Reduction shots were at least a little, well, noisy, some very much so, with most of the images lacking genuine, natural detail. With Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction, the sky was noisy and in general the picture lacked detail.
Blu-ray pictures look fantastic, with bucketloads of detail, vibrant colours and convincing skin tones, with the dusty desert detail of ”Iron Man’s” opening shots looking razor-sharp. Although its performance with the HQV Benchmark disc isn’t flawless, its suppression of jaggies is very impressive. To properly experience our LG.com website, you will need to use an alternate browser or upgrade to a newer version of internet Explorer .
Nigh Mode - reduces the heavy bass notes so that it does not waken those sleeping in the other room. VSM - Adds a virtual 10.1 surround sound effect to 5.1 home cinema systems or a virtual 5.1 surround sound effect to 2.1 and soundbar home cinema systems. The Blu-ray core also holds a USB slot that sports decent file compatibility; we managed to play DivX, DivX HD, MPEG2, MP4 and AVC HD files, though the machine can only cope with the sound from a WMV file and, conversely, just the video from a WMV HD file. BD Live downloads, meanwhile, can be stored directly on the unit’s own 1GB memory. Over Samsung’s All Share wireless DLNA streaming feature we managed to fetch only DivX and AVC HD files from a Mac computer - DivX HD files weren’t even picked-up over the network. We also noticed that, if watched over DLNA, video files cannot be scanned-through.
The main reason to choose the HT-C6200 over a £100 Blu-ray player is, of course, for cinema sound. Although the machine can decode the Blu-ray HD audio formats - Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio - you’d best forget 5.1 sound effects. The system’s two speakers can deliver stereo only - its quasi-surround mode is less than successful. Instead a DPS button on the remote supplies modes for Smart Sound , Power Bass (initially frighteningly boomy - especially with action movies) - and a superb MP3 Enhancer that audibly lifts lo-res music.
Like the company's other 2009 Blu-ray products, this funky-looking home theater system can also stream Netflix movies and Pandora's online music service. Although it’s not up there with LG and Samsung’s latest players, it’s fairly fast to load a disc. We clocked ”Spider-Man 3’s” first screen appearing at around 55 seconds, which is well within acceptable limits.
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