LG BH100 HD DVD Blue Ray Player
LG BH100 Blu-Ray/HD DVD player
In order to compete with other brands of Blu ray disc players at higher price segment, LG has taken blu ray cum HD DVD combination as a sword and used as a main line of defence in blu ray disc player war zone. It is the matter of when and how, LG has taken the right decision and launched LG BH100 Blu-Ray cum HD DVD player when the market flooded with standalone blu ray disc player. HD DVD feature is not considered as a secondary option in blu ray disc player by many other brands in the market in order to capture blu ray disc market share. It is really exciting to see LG BH100 with the combination of blu ray disc and HD DVD functionality that really appeals to lot of users who still watch HD DVD and at the same time want to have a taste of Blu ray’s latest technology.
It is really surprising to know that at the price of LG BH100 you can buy an Xbox 360, a PS3 along with HD DVD drive. But normally, the entire range of standalone blu ray disc players have been priced in the market and the functionalities are what that differentiates it from each other. In this fierce competitive market even LG BH100 Blue Ray Disc Player holds the credit for its impressive image quality and artistic design, not to forget blu ray and HD DVD source combination. Even though LG BH100 blu ray disc player has high price tag it carries some drawbacks, which needs to be considered and discussed for those who can afford this player.
Artistic design:
This BH100 blu ray & HD DVD player is well crafted with matte finish in the front end and durable top made up of metallic panel that adds wholesome to its natural beauty. Adding to its beautiful aesthetics, this blu ray cum HD DVD player has button-less functions, which really pops up you eyes. All the functions are operated through remote control or by using five touch sensitive buttons, which are nicely placed on top of the player. It quickly responds to your slight touch and LG has given this touch sensitive provision only when you are not using remote control as primary tool for operation. These touch sensitive buttons are difficult to operate in dark room environment because the buttons have no backlight feature.
HD DVD Support in BH100:
Lack of HDi Features:
Even though this BH100 Blu Ray and HD DVD player from LG is praised for its capabilities for supporting both blu ray and HD DVD movies it does not make use of full potential of HD format. It is merely half finished performance when this player comes to support for the HD DVD format and considered to be not a fully complaint HD DVD player. This player does not follow HDi interactive system. The HDi interactive system would enable you to customise on screen title menus, so when you are watching HD DVD movies you would get an on-screen display to guide you for more interactive selection of chapters and titles with the help of thumbnail for fetching a particular scene.
With the absence of HDi interactive system you would be straight away taken to the movie when you play the HD DVD without showing Up-front customisable menu screen. Instead of full HDi interactive support that uses customised graphics, this video disc player would show you generic menu that still encourages the user to fetch particular scene or chapter by number. This may not be a major concern for HD DVD lovers who likes to have both blu ray and HD DVD format in one player. We must agree that this generic menu is not as sleek as HDi interactive system found in separate HD DVD players.
Lack of HD Soundtrack:
This BH100 blu ray disc player does not give full support for latest high definition audio soundtracks when connected through digital outputs. It is another big disappointment for HD DVD lovers for not being able to enjoy full Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD when connected with HDMI connection. Instead, you can enjoy only standard Dolby digital and DTS not high definition soundtracks. Even when you connect with analog multichannel outputs, you would not get Dolby TrueHD surround sound. All the soundtracks of the Dolby TrueHD would be stereo when connected with analog and digital connection. Ultimately, this blu ray disc player shows extended partiality while supporting HD DVD soundtracks.
Unavailability of Audio Disc Support:
LG BH100 HD DVD/Blu Ray player is more highlighted for its comprehensive set of features. It is pretty much capable of supporting cutting edge technology on both HD video format and standard DVD. But this versatile video disc player does not play audio disc and other high resolution audio format CDs. You cannot even find DVD audio and SACD on the menu. This requires you to maintain separate audio system with extra bugs. It is considered to be a major drawback that this video disc player does not play CDs.
Connectivity:
All the connectivity features actively play around HDMI output, which is mainly built in LG BH100. It is considered to be the main connection for both blu ray and HD DVD outputs. This HDMI output has the capacity to deliver both multichannel audio and high definition video. Along with the main HDMI output, this player features composite video output but you cannot find S-video output, which is not necessary for those who can afford high end featured players. This blu ray disc player also gives multiple options on the audio output side with necessary connections like coaxial and optical digital audio output along with the low profile 5.1 multichannel analog output for HD DVD.
The HDMI output is only version 1.2, that misses out some interesting features when compared to 1.3 HDMI versions. You would normally expect to browse internet contents through Ethernet jack, but this player does not give that provision and puts the Ethernet port for service use only. This HD DVD player delivers HDMI outputs only in 1080p, which is a tweak and cannot be considered as a special feature however. Almost all HDTV would help to convert 1080i to 1080p and depends upon the de-interlacing feature of the HDTV that shows 1080i as good as 1080p. Apart from that, this player does the normal job of up scaling standard DVD to 720p and 1080i.
Superior Blu Ray Performance:
Almost all the high end blu ray disc players in the market perform with impressive image quality without any doubt and LG BH100 HD DVD Blue Ray Player with DVD Upscaling is not an exception. It delivers excellent performance when showing the details of characters on big screen and the distinctive colour expression is superior to the HD DVD. Compatibility wise, this blu ray disc player has no issues and it easily goes with various blu ray discs.
Unmatched HD DVD Performance:
Even though, this HD DVD player lacks some essential features like HDi and high definition multichannel soundtrack, it outperforms these drawbacks with splendid HD DVD picture quality. It shows sharp images with excellent colour gradation when the scene projects close up shots. The impressive picture would encourage you to watch and have good collections of HD DVD discs. It shows consistency with playback features and while the image has more details, this player does not miss out in showing up exact image colour.
Warranty:
LG provides 90 days limited warranty on labour and one year warranty on parts along with after sales service.
Verdict:
If you sacrifice the HD DVD multi channel soundtrack along with HDi interactive you can enjoy high picture quality in HD DVD movies. Undoubtedly, this blu ray disc player has excellent image quality with both blu ray movies and HD DVD suitable for those who want to setup a complete home theatre. It clearly solves the format problem and lets you to enjoy clear HD DVD performance along with blu ray movies.
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LG BH100 Blue Ray Player – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | LG |
| Model Name | BH100 Blu-Ray/HD DVD player |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 430 x 79 x 250 mm |
| Weight | 4.1 Kg |
| Colour | Black |
| Video Features | Progressive scan, 1080p Upscaling, 1080i Upscaling, Dolby Digital Decoding, Dolby Digital Support, DTS Support, DTS Decoding |
| Audio formats Supported | Dolby Digital, Dolby True HD, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD |
| Playback format | CD-RW, CD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD-R, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray |
| Output Resolution | 1080p output |
| Audio Decoders | Yes |
| DVD upscaling | Yes |
| Connectivity | Composite output, Stereo audio, Optical audio, Coaxial audio |
| Remote control | Universal remote control |
| Output | Digital audio output, analogue video output, Dolby digital 5.1 channel |
| Accessories | Batteries, Remote control, cleaning cloth |
| Power Consumption | under 1 W |
| Warranty | 1 year |
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