CES 2009: LG previews Blu-ray players with turbo-charged internet media streaming

The future of Blu-ray is intrinsically linked to the convenient playback of internet content. So believes LG, which has previewed two new web-centric Blu-ray players at the 2009 CES which it says will expand the interest in the HD format.

The US iterations of both its new BD players will their utilise network connectivity to stream Netflix HD movies, plus pay-per-view content from CinemaNow and popular internet material such as YouTube direct to the TV.

'As millions of US consumers view and download movies or TV shows via the internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and other home entertainment options,' says US product development director Tim Alessi.
CinemaNow offers consumers access to more than 14,000 movie and TV titles; YouTube videos can be watched via the players in multiple screen sizes and with thumbnail previews.

LG's most expensive new player, the gloss-black BD390, will retail in the US for $399, and features 1GB of internal memory for BD Live applications plus multichannel analogue outputs. A step down model, the BD370 (pictured below,) will offer standard HDMI connectivity without any onboard memory.