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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Sony BDV-F7 3D Blu-Ray Disc Soundbar Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)I never write reviews. But since my interest was piqued with this system; I was surprised with the dearth of user reviews on the net. And because of this, I was indecisive and it took me a week or so until finally 'bit the bullet' and went with this system. So, I thought I would write this review and help those who are unsure of this system .
On the face of it, this system had everything I was looking for. It's sleek, simple and powerful. And it was a design match for my new Bravia. I acquired this system because I wanted a simple system for my second home. I also wanted something that would complement my new Bravia 55" TV. First, this system is not only sleek and a work of modern art, it produced amazing sound which belied its size. I installed in a relatively large great room and the sound filled the room fully, powerfully and with clarity. We listened to Pandora music, and both my wife and I were simply amazed of the high fidelity. Yes, it's not 5.1, but all I just wanted a simple sound bar and small woofer with great sound. And the small subwoofer fit perfectly behind my TV stand, and was more than adequate to shake my room.
It was relatively simple to set up. You connect one Ethernet cable to the cable box which was right next to my unit; although you have the option to do a wireless hookup. Then there was one set of speaker wires to the sound bar and one wire to the subwoofer. But the HDMI connection is where I had a problem. One of the reasons why I wanted this system was because of the ARC -HDMI connection. For those who don't know, the ARC feature basically enables the TV and added components to communicate back and forth.I incorrectly took it for granted that all the HDMI inputs were ARC enabled. In this case, I had incorrectly installed my cable box to the ARC HDMI and the system was connected to the standard HDMI. And because of this, I couldn't get any sound when everything finally connected up. I was mystified. I had to re-read both the TV manual and also the system manual, to finally `get it." I switched the connections, and all was well. But Sony should have really made this clear that the system must be specifically connected to the HDMI input indicated with only ARC enabled HDMI input. Sony should really address by highlighting this. The other issue is that you cannot easily switch back and forth to regular TV viewing and BD viewing. Unless I am doing something wrong, you have to deal with 2 remotes and remember the process. But it's not a real problem for me, because I don't really watch a lot of DVD's. All in all, these are really minor issues.
But I have to say, the system greatly exceeded my expectations. It's a clean set up and the monolith design of the system matches perfectly to the Bravia TV. Also, I found that the upright position of the unit is a big advantage for me. I have my TV mounted on a stand and the upright unit hides my router modem. The sound is full and the woofer rumbles my room while watching Avatar. The BD also played perfectly.BTW, I supplemented the sound bar with the TV speakers. I recommend this. I also programmed my cable TV remote, and with one button everything powers up. Channel, home theater volume and power.Plenty of internet channels such as Netflix, Pandora, etc. Once you have the sound bar going, you won't go back to `just `TV speakers. In actuality I have a top of the line Bose 5.1 system at my primary home and it's just too overpowering sometimes for just for regular TV watching. But this sound bar system is just right for regular TV watching as well as the occasional BD or movie watching.
All in all, I couldn't be more thrilled and I highly recommend this system. It's well worth the price and I am giving it five stars. If you are thinking of getting this system, I suggest you act quickly since Sony had discounted it, and it might be discontinued soon. And they may or may not have a similar replacement from a design standpoint. And at current prices, it's a tremendous value. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!



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Sony BDV-E570 Blu-ray Player Home Entertainment System Review

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(More customer reviews)Where to start...
Nerd's notes:
First of all, for those that get the Sony BDV-E570 that was manufactured earlier in the year, it may have been before they fixed the issues with the software upgrade. I believe I received such a model. Being the overly concerned nerd that I am, I read the manual. It is not very specific, but does tell you to plug in the network cable to perform the upgrade. Read into this and you must assume to NOT PERFORM THE UPGRADE OVER WIFI. Well, you can take that a step further, (which of course I did), and you can download the update directly from Sony, place the files on a blank CD-R, then place the disk in the player and perform the update that way (it auto detects that the disk contains update files very nicely). This worked perfectly. No issues like the horror stories I have been hearing about this model (earlier this year), and the next model up the BDV-E770W. Due to the age of the model I received, there were two updates to perform, which I did, using two separate disks for each update. They take a while, so don't start one if you have somewhere to be. You do have to perform both, and the latter update is the more important one that enables the features that make this platform what most people are looking for, a 3D capable Blu-Ray HTIB with DLNA Features (both of these are why I got this model).
Now on to the good stuff.
Wiring: The room I placed it in is wired for 7.1, so connecting the rear speakers was not an issue. The speakers themselves have standard pinch connectors, so insert the wire and you are all set. At the reciever end, there is a custom connector, so you will have to splice it to your jack wires if you don't use the wire they provide (which looks a bit short for a larger room).
Network: Ok, I did manage to get this onto my dual band Wireless N network, although all of the settings had to be set manually, it did not seem to like the WPS (Wifi Protected Setup), which configures the wireless settings automatically. After the updates, all the network features work fine, Netflicks, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, and so on.
Sound: Have a vaulted cieling in the room it is set up in, and it fills the room with plenty of sound. I am not cranking it and it is more than enough sound to provide a enjoyable home movie experience.
Video: Not much to say here other than....WOW. The upscaling is very good. BD is awsome.
Connections: If you are looking for a simple HTIB with a lot of features, this is the system for you. If you are looking for the HTIB to double as a receiver, look elsewhere, or make sure your TV has plenty of inputs/outputs. It does take audio inputs from digital coax from your settop box/satellite reciever, and optical audio from your TV (which is good if you have game systems, etc. plugged into your TV. NO HDMI IN. Bravia Sync works great. The TV and Player can be off, insert a disk, and it fires up the TV, kills the TV speakers, selects the correct input for the player, and you are off and running without having to monkey with the TV remote to select the correct input. The wife appreciates this feature more than anything else. USB works great, plays music on a usb thumb drive with no issues at all.
System Menu: Since we do have a Sony LCD, I became addicted to the XMB menu interface (Cross Media Bar), the same interface on the PS3. It looks great and is easy to navigate. This system has the same menu interface, and makes finding the extra internet content very easy.
Cons: There are not many, but aside from the lack of video inputs (does not affect me, but could be a serious issues for others), there are only a few things I would mention. First being a network feature that I selected this model/line for: DLNA. For some reason, it cannot see the DLNA server that I have setup on the network. I am looking into the reasons, and will repost if I find a solution. Speakers, while 1/2 the weight of my previous HTIB, they seem flimsy. The Sub is a passive sub, while that may disappoint others, it does not seem to punch any less than my last system that had a powered sub. The exterior of the system is a very plain shiny black (kid fingerprint magnet) on the front, although with a lack of knobs, and visible buttons, there is little in the way to attract their attention to twist/press etc.
Overall, this is an ideal system for those that are looking for an 'all-in-one' solution that also has all the internet content. It is powerful enough for a midsized room, and is simple to operate. It has a low profile receiver, and those that are space constrained will certainly appreciate that. The cost is very good (under 400), and for a system I don't see replacing for at least 3 years, it has all the features and functions I see myself wanting for some time.
Amazon: WOW. I ordered this system at 3:30AM on Wednesday with free supersaver shipping. The system was delivered THE NEXT DAY (Thursday).
UPDATE 7/25/10: Got DLNA working, my server just showed up one day, it was probably due to a reboot I did on the DLNA server. Streams music flawlessly across the network, Pictures as well. Still trying to figure out what digital HD file format it will play for movies, it will probably do DIVX files, but have to move those files to the server to see how they work. Very nice feature! Makes it very convenient when you want to play your digital library and dont want to plug in your iPod/iPhone or change CD's constantly.
Still very pleased with this system! I find myself watching more online movies and content from it than from my own collection or rentals.
I did some research, and this system looks identical to the BDV-770W, with the exception of the wireless S-Air rear speakers, which adds almost $200 to the price I paid.

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Bring your movies to life with this 3D Blu-ray Disc home theater system, which features pristine 5.1-channel surround sound and wireless streaming capabilities.Experience full HD 1080p and powerful 5.1-channel HD surround sound, and enjoy expanded entertainment options as you wirelessly stream Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Slacker, YouTube and more.

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LG LHB536 1100W 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System with Smart TV Integrated Wi-Fi Review

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(More customer reviews)LG LHB536 is a overall a good system for the price. Price will probably come down. So if you can wait to buy, keep an eye on the price. Sound is good and there are no wireless speakers but speakers are easy to hook up. The wireless connection is great for streaming video from Netflix. I love this feature. If you have cable set top box you connect the HDMI output from the box to an HDMI input on the LG system. Then you connect the HDMI out from the LG to an HDMI input on your TV. You DO NOT need a digital optical out cable if you connect using HDMI. The instructions that come with the system to set it up Stink but you can get good support by calling their support line.
PROS: Price, sound, picture, wifi with streaming video if you subscribe to Netflix, Vudu, cinemax etc., I POD connect, Bluray DVD. Good telephone support
Cons: The remote is not a learning remote, so it will not turn power on for your TV or cablebox. Manual is lacking details
Update to my review on april 18, 2011. LG has updated the software on this system to include Amazon VOD and additional premium applications. I have networked the Lg to my mac computer and I can listen to my music files and view my pictures on my TV. NICE! Amazon now has the best price on this system under $400.00. Buy it!

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(March 2011)
Internet-Ready Devices

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