LG LHB535 1100-Watt Network Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Updated January 2011.
At the time of my current purchase (yes, current purchase - I'll explain that later), the unit was $420 and is worth every penny (it's almost $100 less now, so there's really no excuse for anyone to not pick it up). For that price, you get a very good Blu-ray player, decent speakers (I'll get to that later too), and the ability to do all kinds of streaming to the device using either an Ethernet cable or the device's built in Wireless N certified antenna. The main reason I wanted this particular unit was two-fold. One, it is the only decent Home Theater System that has built-in DivX HD support, which means that it has the ability to play pretty much all types of media (MKV, AVI, DivX, MP4, MPG, etc...) off of a USB or from your home server. This was crucial. This Blu-ray home theater system also just so happened to match the design of my LG 42LH40 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV (seen here: http://www.amazon.com/LG-42LH40-42-Inch-1080p-120Hz/dp/B001VJHWTQ - AMAZING television as soon as you turn off the 'TruMotion' feature). So, this Home Theater System matched my needs.
This was my first Blu-ray player, but I didn't even really get it for that. I mainly wanted to be able to stream all kinds of media to something in my living room that could also playback my DVDs and eventual Blu-rays. My Xbox 360 can handle all of my media, but that's in the bedroom. I needed something decent for the living room, and something to take advantage of my beautiful TV. So, after getting this system, I tried some Blu-rays out - and WOW! I've since bought almost 50 titles on Blu-ray. The picture and sound is amazing - but I'll get to that later!
I've mentioned "current purchase" and "first purchase" in this review so let me explain that. This device originally had a manufacturing defect which caused a loud high pitch whistle sound (sounded like a tea kettle) to emit from the front right, rear right, and sometimes the center speaker. I was the first to document this online, and I did it on the Amazon message board on this very page. I also replied to several reviewers on this and the page for the LG LHB335 device. Others mentioned this problem on various websites (I'm not going to plug them here in my review), so trust me, this was a big problem. On top of that, I was in constant contact with the head of LG's Quality Assurance team. After talking to him about the issue, he admitted it existed and promised to find a fix. I grew impatient and saw the price for this device drop (around $80 from what I originally purchased it for) so I decided to return it and thought I would re-buy it at a cheaper price once he assured me a fix was found. Well, a fix was found. I re-purchased the device and it's working flawlessly. The fixed ones are manufactured June 2010 and later. If you purchase it and the manufacturing date is before June 2010, you will have the whistle sound.
So, back to the review. There have been some firmware updates lately that added some new features (DivX TV - which is awesome, MLB TV, and Napster), so make sure the first thing you do when you get the device is to update the firmware. It's also good to do a factory reset the first time you do that just in case (me and at least one other person have noticed a bug that was solved when we did that - but it's possible that the bug would have been fixed with the firmware update that was released a few days after that - I don't know). It's also a good idea to go into the speaker settings and adjust the speaker distance (the amount of feet between each speaker and your usual listening position). Now, this device came with rather short speaker wires (probably the shortest out of any Home Theater System I've ever purchased). This was solved with less than $10 and a quick trip to Radio Shack. I'm glad the speaker connections aren't proprietary like some other manufacturer's models out there. Let's get to the sound.
The sound is pretty impressive. It's possible that the people complaining about the sound are doing it for two reasons. For one, maybe they used the short speaker wires and thus, their speakers are too close together. Mine are pretty far apart from each other, so I have no sound problems. For two, it's possible that they left the default 2-channel sound output set to Natural (or was it Natural Plus?). For two-channel stereo audio, I didn't like this very much. Changing it to 'PL II Movie' made two-channel stereo audio sound NICE. I have 0 complaints about regular stereo audio anymore. By default, the receiver is properly set to output 5.1 channel audio with the 'Bypass' setting. This means that the receiver does no artificial mixing of 5.1 channel sound. It outputs it exactly as it is given it. This is the right way to do it. The receiver will also remember your settings for 5.1 channel and 2 channel, so don't worry about having to manually switch it to Bypass for 5.1 and to PL II Movie for 2 channel. Go to something that is 2 channel (like the FM radio, or a DVD menu), change the sound output to PL II Movie once, and never worry about adjusting the sound output again (unless you are strictly listening to CDs or MP3s and then you will have various different music outputs to choose from). So, due to changing the stereo output and having the speakers at a nice distance, I really love the sound output of this system. I did notice that the bass was a little low by default so I increased the sub-woofer volume to 3 and it sounded really good. I tried changing it to 6 at first but that was WAY too much bass for me. 3 was a perfect level.
Hooking the system up to my Wireless N network was a breeze. To make matters easier, I set my SSID to 'broadcast' so the Wireless N device inside the device would pick up my network, I put in the password once, and it was a go. I then disabled the broadcast of my SSID, turned the unit off, turned it back on, and it automatically re-connected without a problem. It remembers your password and automatically logs you in to your network so you never have to worry about that again. Good. Clicking on Homelink, I was greeted to my wireless network. I saw the CIFS network login for the PC, and the one for my Windows 7 Homegroup (which is the one I wanted to use). Before it would connect to my PC via the Windows Media Player server (the Windows 7 Homegroup), I had to go into the Homegroup settings in my Windows 7 PC, click on 'All Networks,' and make sure the device (which is listed as 'Unknown Device') was set to ALLOW. Once done, I was inside my PC's video library. 14GB 1080p MKV files streamed flawlessly over my wireless connection where my device was 50 feet from my router. The only time I would run in to a problem was when I would try to fast-forward a large file. I'm not sure if this is because of the device, or my wireless network, so I won't blame the device. However, fast-forwarding a file when played on a USB (and naturally, off of a Blu-ray disc and a DVD) worked fine. So the issue was definitely wireless related. It's probably too much to ask to be able to fast-forward such a large file over WiFi, but I don't care as long as it PLAYS the file fine. It does. You can pause it all you want and it will resume instantly as soon as you press play. This was all I wanted. In addition, since fast-forwarding large files doesn't work, I've noticed that you can press 'Info' and skip directly to the time that you want, which works just as well if not better than fast-forwarding.
The player had no problem playing files off of each of my USB sticks, but there was one thing I noticed. If the USB external hard drive was formatted to NTFS, I could just plug it in and the device would pick it up right away. If the USB flash drive was formatted to FAT32, I would have to turn the device off and turn it back on for it to recognize it. It may be because of my particular USB flash drive, or it may be because it is FAT32 and not NTFS. Either way, not really a big deal. As long as I can play all file types off of FAT32 and NTFS, I'm happy.
YouTube, Pandora, VuDu, Netflix - all worked fine. As of now, you can't search via Netflix - you can only access things from your Instant Queue or look at some recommendations. Not really a problem, but worth mentioning. If you open up VuDu, make sure to go into the options and check out the overscan settings and make sure it is appropriate to your HDTV so nothing is cut off (unless your HDTV is set to 1:1 pixel mapping - which it definitely should be if you want the sharpest and most accurate picture - then you won't ever have to worry about overscan). YouTube works well, it seems to stream videos at whatever their default resolution is (whether it is 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p). You can log in to your YouTube account so I'm sure that if you have your account to display HD video by default, that it would do that on this device. I don't really care to find out since I have a PC for YouTube. I just wanted to see if it worked. It does. It will store your YouTube history and not present you with an option to clear it, though. Doing a factory restore will clear your history (among other things) in the event that you reaaaaaaaally need to clear your history.
Let's talk Blu-ray. When I first got the device, I had a little problem with some movies when playing them at 24 frames per second (which you will want to enable as long as you have a 120hz/240hz LCD, or Plasma HDTV) but that was promptly fixed with a firmware update a week after I e-mailed LG about the problem (apparently, their whole line of this year's Blu-ray players were affected so I'm sure I was not the only one contacting them about it) and I have not had a problem since. If you don't know why you would want to set it to 24hz instead of 60hz - to make a long story short,...Read more›

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If you want to make the most out of your HD entertainment, the LHB535 Network Blu-ray Home Theater System more than delivers. Instant streaming movies, shows and music direct from your Wi-Fi connection to your TV. Full HD video and superior audio performance with Blu-ray. Crystal-clear, dazzling sound from state-of-the-art speakers. It's the total package.

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Yamaha BD-S1065BL Blu-Ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)When Dorothy and crew approached the castle of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, she encountered a old, dilapidated wooden sign that read . . . "I'd go back if I were you", and this expresses my sentiments perfectly for anyone considering the Yamaha BD-S1065 Blu-Ray Player. As a diehard Yamaha fan, I truly wish that I could offer prospective buyers of the Yamaha BD-S1065 something 'positive' about this particular player, because I've been a staunch supporter/consumer of all things 'Yamaha' for many years. The fact is, they make some of the finest home "audio" components available anywhere, but I'm afraid the same cannot be said of their "video" gear including the BD-S1065.
Let me say at the outset that I own the Yamaha RX-V863BL A/V (home theatre) receiver ($600) and its an awesome unit! I also own a full line-up of Yamaha home theatre speakers including the Yamaha NS-C444 center speaker ($150), two Yamaha NS-B750 bookshelf speakers ($1200/pair), and a Yamaha YST-SW315 sub-woofer ($250), all of which operate flawlessly for me. So it seemed to make perfect sense to trust in the purchase of a new Yamaha BD-S1065 blu-ray player ($400) for our developing home theatre system. But unfortunately, that trust was completely shattered when I connected and evaluated the BD-S1065.
The first unit I received had more problems than I care to articulate (right out of the box), but the single most troublesome flaw was that it took the player "eons" to load a new (standard issue) blu-ray disc. I mean it took literally 4-5 continuous minutes of scanning the disc before anything at all appeared on the television screen, and even then, it would re-enter yet another secondary "reading" phase that made the unit completely unusable in practical terms. I tried it on multiple discs of variable manufacture, and it misbehaved the same on each and every one of them. However, it also had a grossly outdated version of firmware, so being the optimist that I am (i.e., thinking that this might be the source of the problems), I foolishly went to the trouble of downloading the newest version of firmware from the Yamaha website to a CD/R disc via home computer and then transferring the new firmware to the BD-1065. Unfortunately, despite the firmware update, the problems all continued. In fact, some additional issues arose after the update including completely random stoppage of blu-ray discs right smack in the middle of viewing a movie (almost like a screensaver event)! Weird! Very-very weird. And significantly, the faulty behavior could not be duplicated using the same discs with a PlayStation 3 (PS3) or other (Samsung) blu-ray player.
Fortunately, Amazon has always been great about returns, so I sent the unit back for a replacement. A week later, the second (new replacement) BD-S1065 arrived, so I plugged it in (just as before). To my utter dismay, all of the same issues or problems with the first unit were present with the 2nd (replacement) unit including protracted load times, excessive and multiple disc readings, random stoppage of the disc in the middle of playback, etc., etc. And believe me, the list of headaches goes on from there! In each instance, I used brand new blu-ray discs all of which played without incident on a blu-ray equipped PS3 and similar Samsung unit, and in each instance, I was able to repeat the problem by returning the disc to the Yamaha BD-S1065. End of story.
Bottom line? This unit is NOT worth considering for your blu-ray needs. Sorry Yamaha, but I'd recommend that people look elsewhere for their blu-ray needs.

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Yamaha BD-S1065BL Blu-Ray Disc Player

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Maxell BR-LC Blu-ray Lens Cleaner Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this item, the Maxell BR-LC Blu-ray Lens Cleaner, and it was delivered on October 27th, 2009 along with other items in a rather medium sized order. I purchased it after having done some research through Google and various electronic/gaming websites for the best lens cleaner to use on a Sony PS3. This item was highly recommended.
Backstory: I have one of the last model backwards compatible PS3s sold new on the market, an 80GB model. The PS3 worked flawlessly throughout the first year and one month of owning the system as I was able to throw just about any media I wished into the slot drive and play it. Shortly after the release of Resident Evil 5 the PS3 started to not read discs correctly. I had purchased Resident Evil 5 one weekend after release date and could not play it as the PS3's drive would not read the disc correctly. I went through all the steps; backup, format, install. Called Sony, called Capcom, each blamed the other. Sony wanted $150 plus shipping to service the unit.
As I am usually inclined to do I found a workaround: if I played a PlayStation2 disc or a DVD in the unit for 30 minutes then all Blu-rays would read just fine after that. Load time was still horrible, anywhere up to five minutes for the disc to show up in the XMB, but it worked. I have been doing this ever since.
Salvation at Hand: I received this item and immediately opened the package. It comes in a nice Blu-ray style case so that it matches the rest of your collection. The instructions are on both the back of the case and under the disc itself. The holes on the disc are a bit smaller than one would expect until you realize that to safely clean and not cause any skip during spin the holes would need to be that size.
My PS3 had been off all night and had not been turned on at all. I hit the PS button on the Sony Bluetooth Remote (not a DualShock 3) and booted the unit. After the XMB came up I inserted the cleaner disc. It mounted very quickly showing that it was indeed a DVD and not a Blu-ray disc. I hit "enter" and away the disc went.
While the visuals that play during the cleaning process are nothing to write home about they also aren't bad. They are something to look at while the disc does the job it is supposed to do. The visuals depict the cleaning of the lens, and how it is accomplished, by using simple computer animated CG workflow. After about four minutes, give or take, the cleaning process was complete.
(There are other standard options on this disc such as audio testing for both 5.1 and 2.0 speakers. They are a welcome inclusion but as stated they are pretty much standard on all lens cleaning discs.)
I ejected the disc and promptly inserted Batman: Arkham Asylum into the PS3. Not more than seven seconds passed before the disc was mounted and ready to launch. The stuttering issues that I had been having during the game, especially when entering a new area that required a disc read, were gone.
Later in the day, around eight hours of shutoff time, I booted the PS3 once again. I inserted a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Again the disc mounted in record time and has played flawlessly. All media I could play when the unit was under one year old now plays again.
The Maxell BR-LC Blu-ray Lens Cleaner does what it is intended to do without any qualms. I paid less than $15.00 for the item here on Amazon, but even if it were to go up to $40 it would be a very wise investment for anyone who owns a PS3 or Blu-ray player. Even those who do not but want to keep the integrity of the lens of their DVD units should purchase and use this item. It works perfectly and does not need to be replaced as there are no brushes to wear down. This should be your first and will be your last Lens Cleaning solution for your electronics.

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Maxell Blu-Ray Lens Cleaner 190054 Cleaning Kits

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LG Electronics LightScribe 8x SATA Blu-ray Combo Internal Drive UH08LS10 BLACK/RBOX (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The software that comes with this drive is useless and LG should seriously consider changing it. After trying the Cyberlink Power DVD 7 software that came with the computer, it would not work at all. I then installed Cyberlink Power DVD 9 Ultra with the latest updates installed and it played my Blu rays choppy.
I got hold of a free trial of Arcsoft Total Media Theatre 3 Platinum and it plays the same discs with no problems.
I search LG site for information on this drive, but could not find any.

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LG LHB953 1000-Watt Blu-ray Disc Home Theater In a Box Review

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(More customer reviews)This system is great. What I was most concerned with in buying this system was the convergence of the Web, television and music in our family room. This system seemed to meet all my requirements on paper and I was satisfied when I received the box.
Setup was simple and everything you need is in the box except for one thing: it needs to be near your router so that you can network it. My router is upstairs so I got around that through powerline networking which allows you to send your network through your power outlets. Works like a charm.
The bottom line is that I get my Netflix movies directly through the BluRay player...no waiting for the mailman for most movies. I also get FM radio and Pandora as well as my cable TV.
Great product. I recommend it.

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LG's NetCast Interface lets you easily access a vast array of internet content. This model comes with two tower speakers.

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Verbatim 96434 25 GB 4x Blu-ray Single-Layer Recordable Disc BD-R, 1-Disc Jewel Case Review

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(More customer reviews)The only reason why I gave this item lower rating is due to the fact that it does NOT work at all with LITE-ON IHBS212. I can't give a more accurate rating since I am unable to use any of them with my blu-ray burner. These disks turned out to be some pretty expensive coasters. Lite-on claims their product works with pretty much all manufacturers, but obviously not Verbatim....

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Verbatim 96769 25 GB 4x Blu-ray Single-Layer Recordable Disc BD-R , 10-Disc Spindle Review

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(More customer reviews)The only reason why I gave this item lower rating is due to the fact that it does NOT work at all with LITE-ON IHBS212. I can't give a more accurate rating since I am unable to use any of them with my blu-ray burner. These disks turned out to be some pretty expensive coasters. Lite-on claims their product works with pretty much all manufacturers, but obviously not Verbatim....

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