LG’s new BD570 Blu-ray player connects wirelessly to the Internet so you can watch YouTube on your big telly and stream movies from your computer — and all without looking like a complete dog. That wasn’t the case with last year’s BD390, which we loved, but in the same way you’re fond of an extremely ancient and foul-smelling family pet.
Yes, the BD570 has sharpened up the design, but it’s also much cheaper than its ugly step-sister. The only loss is 7.1 analogue audio output, which rules this pretty little thing out if you’re setting up your perfect home cinema.
Still on board are DLNA connectivity, DivX and MKV playback, and 1080p upscaling for normal DVDs, but the market has moved on since we reviewed the BD390 in November. This isn’t the features smorgasbord we once salivated over. It doesn’t have 3D for a start, and its NetCast online functionality lacks the BBC iPlayer and LoveFilm integration offered by Sony systems, for example. The LG BD580, which will have 3D ability, is set for release soon — more on that in our 3D Blu-ray player round-up.
We’ll have a full review of the LG BD570 as soon as possible. It’s available online now for around £180. In the meantime you can see what our US colleagues at CNET.com think of the BD570 in their First Look video:
Image credit: CNET.com