LG BD630

The LG BD630 is the entry level model in its immensely popular blu-ray player lineup for 2011. While it does not boast of cutting edge features such as 3D playback or built-In Wi-Fi, the BD630 is nonetheless refined and well built. Complete with vivid image quality, speedy disc load times, and an array of streaming media options, it is a worthy entry level blu-ray player.

LG BD630

Design & Connectivity

The LG BD630 features a sleek, compact design which is intended to complement LG’s slimline flat screen TVs. The front panel is a simple affair with a disc tray in the center with a subtle digital display and playback controls flushed nicely by its side. It looks neat and functional.

As with all entry level players, connections are basic with the usual HDMI, composite video, stereo analog audio outputs and an Ethernet port. Unlike the LG BD640 there is no Wi-Fi connectivity.

You can update the firmware via the LAN port or by downloading from LG’s site and putting it on a USB drive.

Features

The LG BD630 is a good option if you don’t want to splash out extra for features you don’t need. It is more than adequate as a basic player as LG has included an array of streaming media options like YouTube, Vudu, CinemaNow, and Netflix.

Start-up and disc load times have also improved over older players. Standard features such as BD-Live, upscaling of DVDs to 1080p, decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio and DolbyTrueHD Digital Plus are included.

Utilizing LG’s proprietary SimpLink connectivity the BD630 links all HDMI-connected equipment via the TV remote. SimpLink automatically powers up the player and toggles between the relevant TV video input. Movie menu navigation and most playback controls can be performed directly from the TV remote.

To take full advantage of the Blu-ray format, the BD630 also provides access to BD Live, that provides interactive content, such as movie extras, previews, synopses, and the ability to rate movies. Included as well are Bonus View features that offer picture-in-picture access to blu-ray’s special features, so that you can toggle between movie scenes and bonus features on the disc.

Performance

For an entry level blu-ray player, the LG BD630 delivered an admirable performance. Disc load speed is very much improved over last year’s players. On the The Hangover blu-ray release, textures of the characters and the elements deserve special praise for their sheer life-likeness. Close up shots of Galifianakis showed up with amazingly clarity his trademark frizzled beard. The prominence of Cooper’s unkempt stubble was indication of a night went horribly wrong. The backdrop, such as the desert scenes and the Vegas Strip were superbly rendered. Black levels were rich and inky. Colors, be it the flesh tones or the background were vivid and finely saturated.

Sound-wise, the BD630 did a great job of decoding the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track. Action packed scenes, in particular, such as car chases were brought to life on the speakers. Dialog was clear, audible, and managed to find a way to blend in seamlessly with the surrounding sounds.

Bottom Line

The LG BD630 may not be revolutionary, but is a consummate blu-ray player with simple yet practical features. Furthermore, its outstanding and smooth performance is not undermined by its relatively affordable price. If you are looking for a basic entry level blu-ray player with good performance this is worth a serious audition.

Average User Rating:
Actual User Reviews:

• “I was pleasantly surprised with the LG BD630! You get a whole LOT for the money!

Set up took less than two minutes after connections were made. The machine boots quickly. Easily as quickly as my Oppo BDP-80. Things got VERY interesting when I loaded a Java heavy Blu Ray disc and it loaded VERY quickly. I can honestly say this machine loads a Blu Ray disc FASTER than my Oppo (a nice fast machine) and that blew me away just to see it happen. Playback was as expected. GREAT! DVD up-conversion to 1080p was average for a new machine today, but better than average for machines only a year or so old. And the disc tray itself is solid and goes in and out without any sort of loud rattle of worrisome grinding noises.” – M.Gillis (CA,USA)

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• “This Blu-ray player has features that were premium not so long ago. For what you pay, you get a lot. Network support and Netflix is the new baseline for Blu-ray players.

Setting up the player was a breeze, as was Netflix set up. It automatically detected my 1080p TV and switched to its resolution. I haven’t tried Vudu or CinemaNow yet, but I’m looking forward to trying out HDX streaming from Vudu. It also comes with YouTube, and as always with such device, search is difficult but not impossible.

The speed of opening the tray to viewing your Blu-ray disk is surprisingly fast (especially if you were one of the early adopters with an older Blu-ray player). In comparison to the Blu-ray functionality, Netflix access can seem laggy, but this is due to it having to communicate with the Netflix servers.

Remember, this is not WiFI enabled or even Wi-Fi ready. If you need internet support, you need to have an internet connection either near the player, have the ability to string a cable to it, or buy and install a wireless access point. I was fine since my AT&T UVerse connection is right beside the TV.” – C.McHale (USA)

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