| The BD550 is a new entry level Blu-ray Player from | | | | audio formats. It has an Audio Digital to Analog |
| LG. One of four new players LG is introducing in 2010. | | | | Converter of 24bit / 192KHz. |
| The BD550 is the least expensive, with a price range | | | | Beside playback of Blu-ray discs and DVDs, the |
| of under $200.00. It is very similar to the BD570 model. | | | | BD550 has NetCast Entertainment. Providing 1000's of |
| The big difference between the two is that this model | | | | online movies, music, photos and videos. You get |
| does not have any Wi-Fi options. However, the BD550 | | | | access to Netflix, CinemaNow, VUDU, YouTube, |
| is equipped with some great features and has a very | | | | Pandora, AccuWeather and many more. Of course |
| reasonable price tag. | | | | you will need to be connected to the internet to take |
| Like all of LG's line up of Blu-ray Players this year, the | | | | advantage of this online streaming content. |
| BD550 has a slim and sleek looking design, with a | | | | Once connected to the internet, via the LAN port, you |
| black finish. The disc loading tray and the control panel | | | | can get firmware upgrades and BD-Live content. |
| buttons are located on the front of the player. All other | | | | BD-Live content is available through some Blu-ray |
| connections are at the rear of the player. There is an | | | | discs that give you access to a whole array of extra |
| Ethernet Port to connect to the internet, but no Wi-Fi | | | | features. Such as updated movie trailers, deleted |
| capability. If you are looking to go wireless with your | | | | scenes, interactive online games, chat rooms, and live |
| Blu-ray Player, you will have to look else where. Both | | | | commentary. The BD550 also has an USB Media Host |
| of LG's new models the BD570 and the BD590 have | | | | feature which lets you view photos, music and video |
| Wi-Fi capabilities. | | | | files through the USB port. |
| Video Quality: The LG BD550 has very good picture | | | | THE PROS: The LG BD550 Blu-ray Player has great |
| quality for an entry level Blu-ray Player. The video | | | | video and audio quality. It has internal audio decoding |
| connections are located on the back. You can use one | | | | for PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD |
| of the following to connect the video: HDMI, | | | | Master Audio, DTS. Online Streaming Services including |
| Component or Composite Video Outputs. Connecting | | | | Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow and YouTube. It is also |
| via HDMI will give you the best possible picture quality | | | | DLNA compliant. |
| at Full 1080p when playing back Blu-ray discs on a | | | | THE CONS: It has no Wi-Fi option, so if you want to |
| compatible HDTV. The BD550 will improve DVD | | | | go wireless you will have to look elsewhere, such as |
| viewing as well. It upscales standard DVDs to near | | | | the BD570 or BD590. |
| 1080p High Definition levels. | | | | THE FINAL WORD: The LG BD550 is a very good |
| Audio Quality: The BD550 has internal audio decoding | | | | entry level Blu-ray Player. It provides great video and |
| for PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD | | | | audio quality. It is filled with many great features such |
| Master Audio, DTS. It can be connected through the | | | | as online streaming services, SimpLink and USB Media |
| HDMI port, Analog audio Out(2ch) or the digital coaxial | | | | Host. It would make a very good introduction to the |
| audio out. When connected via the HDMI connection | | | | High Definition Blu-ray experience. -- Price you should |
| you will get 7.1ch output for all the latest high resolution | | | | look for when purchasing -- Under $200. |