When it comes to Blu-ray players there's a seemingly unlimited amount of models to choose from, many with their own unique and impressive features that offer cutting-edge technology for your home theater. But how do you decide what Blu-ray player is best for your needs? Research. Read reviews, compare prices and options, then decide which features you can or cannot live without. Depending on the brand, the technology and the features, the difference in pricing can be drastic from model to model. Today, we're going to review a very economical and relatively inexpensive Blu-ray player that's not only affordable, but highly functional. It's the Region Free LG BP220 - and it offers a big bang for your buck. LG has a reputation for offering next-level technology that's reliable and highly usable. Considering this, the LG BP220 Blu-ray player has hit its mark perfectly by providing just the right combination of attractive options, flexibility and ease of use. As a player that falls into the "less than $150" category, we were very surprised with the overall quality as well as the capabilities it offers. We'll begin with the fact that the BP220 offers the LG Smart TV experience. Using a simple and clean user interface you can connect to a variety of apps, movies and streaming media including YouTube, Netflix, Hulu PLUS, Pandora and more. Some services are free while others are paid, but regardless, you'll have endless audio and visual entertainment right at your fingertips. Setup is easy and although the model doesn't have Wi-Fi, a wired connection works flawlessly and gives you access to all your favorite services including the LG app store. It also has DMP, or DLNA capability, meaning you can connect and share media with other devices in your home. In the Audio/Video area, we felt that the BP220 did quite well, often exceeding our expectations of quality. The player uses full HD 1080P playback, plus 1080P up-scaling which dramatically increases the picture quality of non-HD DVD discs. Blu-ray playback and quality was wonderful and it's truly hard (if not impossible) to differentiate from that of a much more expensive device. We used it in combination with a 55-inch LG smart TV and it performed very well, serving up a crisp image with deep colors and great detail. Of all the discs we threw at it, it didn't fail to play one. It literally plays everything including DVD-R, DTS-CD and CD-R's. It also fully supports the most popular video formats such as MPEG2, MPEG4, MKV, AVCHD, M4V, 3GP, FLV, VOB and more. HDMI 1.4 and a video enhancement feature lends additional options, making the movie experience even more enjoyable. As far as audio, we found no reason to say that the LG BP200 falls short. It comes equipped to support Dolby Digital(Plus), Dobly True HD and DTS 2.0 digital output. It features dynamic range control for configuring surround sound to your exact preferences while providing a theater-like experience in the convenience of your own home. Although this player might not feature the highly advanced audio options desired by the expert home audio buff, it is more than capable of high-performance sound delivery. The BP220 also has the following input/output features: - Composite video out - HDMI out - Audio L/R out - Digital Audio Out - USB 2.0 - LAN Seeing as the model we tested was a region free player, it has advanced capability and convenience that come included for the price, making it a truly unbeatable deal. The region free LG BP220 has worldwide voltage capability that allows it to work with a 110 volt or 220 volt power supply. This means you can use it anywhere in the world without the need for a voltage converter, making it ideal for those who travel abroad or have more than one home. Additionally, the region free playback feature lets you watch Blu-ray discs and DVD's from anywhere in the world without having to worry about region codes. It's perfect for people who buy movies when traveling or those interested in watching foreign films without complication. If that's not enough, it uses built-in PAL/NTSC conversion to ensure compatibility with any TV regardless of the color format. This region free player can be used to play any disc, on any TV, from anywhere in the world - we truly cannot express the coolness of these features; they genuinely make it a universal Blu-ray player. overall, we've found nothing we didn't like about the BP220. It's stylish, smooth, highly functional and delivers a professional quality viewing experience for an amazing value. The added bonus of region free options really do make it an unbeatable deal and there's no arguing over that. LG has done very well with the BP220 Blu-ray player and in our expert opinion, the spot it has earned in homes around the globe is very well deserved. Visit www.220-electronics.com for more detailed information on the region free LG BP220 Blu-ray Player. 220-electronics has over 30 years of experience in international electronics service and sales and offers a huge inventory of 110 - 220 volt electronics and appliances.
