Toshiba BDX3000 3D Network Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Greg Robinson

On April 18, 2006 Universal Studios Home Entertainment shipped its first HD DVD title, Serenity, Joss Whedon's superb follow-up to the ill-fated gem that was TV's "Firefly." The quotation above is taken from that film, and it seems fitting as I sit here poring over Toshiba's latest and greatest Blu-ray Disc player, the BDX3000. Toshiba and its HD DVD format may have failed to best Blu-ray in the high definition format war, but that hasn't stopped Toshiba from re-grouping, moving forward, and giving us a fast, handsome Blu-ray Disc player that gets a lot of things right without making too large a dent in the wallet.

Consumers currently shopping for a Blu-ray Disc player are looking for solid 2D performance, 3D readiness, integrated wireless, and most importantly - for some, at least - they're looking for Netflix, and myriad internet streaming applications such as Vudu and Pandora. If that describes you, then you'll want to read on as Toshiba's BDX3000 may just be the one you've been waiting for.

The Walk-Around

Unlike Toshiba's bargain-priced BDX2500, the flagship BDX3000 sports a more upscale look complete with touch-sensitive buttons on the front panel. Ironically, when it comes to the buttons, they should have left well enough alone. The right side of the front panel is home to touch-activated controls for Power, Stop, Play and Open/Close. As the Owner's Manual states:

1. These indicators are located in the sensor field.
2. When the unit is off, these indicators are dimmed. If a finger is brought close to the sensor field, the indicators will be invoked and light up.

The first point is correct. The second? Not so much. Allow me to explain. When the unit is off, only the Power indicator is lit, which makes sense. Its red glow makes for an easy target and the unit powers on after applying the lightest of pressure. However, if you prefer to power your player on with the Open/Close button - something most players will allow - you're out of luck. The BDX3000 must first be turned on and only then can you eject the tray. But don't wait too long or the the Open/Close light will disappear after ten seconds or so. And just bringing your finger "close" won't do the trick. In my experience, you actually need to touch the sensor pad to invoke the button lights, and then touch it again to register your button push. They may look slick, but these touch controls had me yearning for backlit hard buttons.

The front panel also features an insanely-bright Blu-ray Disc logo which glows blue at all times. Although you can dim the text area's brightness using the remote control, you cannot dim this logo light without turning off all front panel illumination entirely. I'm not sure if this is some sort of "say it loud and say it proud" statement regarding Toshiba's new role as a Blu-ray hardware manufacturer, but maybe next time we can ditch the bright blue beacon.

On a final note regarding the front panel, it's unfortunate that Toshiba chose to forego a front USB port, opting instead to give us one in the rear only. We do get a front SD card slot, which some folks will surely welcome. The front USB omission is doubly frustrating when you consider the fact that the BDX3000 is a surprisingly versatile media player. Although I was bummed to see DLNA compatibility missing, and I was unable to play DivX HD (AVI) files from my USB stick, I had no trouble with my VOB and MKV test files, and I was even able to play a pair of movie trailers in Apple's QuickTime movie format (MOV). The latter was a pleasant surprise, as very few non-Apple devices play nice with the versatile media format.

The BDX3000's home screen and user interface is both attractive and intuitively organized.

Remote, Control

If there's one area where the BDX3000 falls short, it's the remote control. The central cursor pad is great - but everything else about it, well, let's just say I'm not a fan. I can just see my mom looking at this remote wondering, "What's the difference between Home Menu, Top Menu, and Menu?" And for once, I wouldn't blame her - it's not obvious. Not only are these buttons too far from the cursor pad, but they're also right next to each other, equal in size and shape, making it impossible to determine which is which in the dark, a fact not helped by the remote's complete lack of backlighting.

OK, "Connected" may not be terribly intuitive, but it's what inside that counts.

Toshiba's chosen user interface is attractive and reasonably intuitive. One does wonder why they chose the word "Connected" to serve as the road sign for Netflix and the other web apps, but aside from that everything is relatively easy to find. As for those internet applications, Toshiba has outfitted the BDX3000 with Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, and Pandora. These pickings are somewhat slim relative to some of Toshiba's competitors, but at least the apps you do get are heavy hitters. Also, fans of Netflix instant streaming will be pleased to know that the BDX3000 features the latest version of the Netflix interface, which allows for title searching and a convenient way to browse the newest instant titles available.

The BDX3000 features the latest implementation of Netflix Instant streaming

Picture This

After verifying that the BDX3000 was outputting 1080p video, I queued up the DVD and Blu-ray ediitons of IDT's HQV Bechmark 2.0 disc and jumped right into test pattern evaluation. (Note: when evaluating a Blu-ray Disc or DVD player's video process prowess, make sure it's outputting progressive video. You want to be sure that the deinterlacing your seeing is being handled by the player and not your TV.)

On the Video Resolution and Film Resolution tests, the BDX3000 did an excellent job of keeping the rotating white bars smooth and solid during their revolutions and Old Glory revealed only the slightest of stair-stepping as it flapped in the breeze. 3:2 cadence was locked down quickly during the race car lap test, though the 2:2 clip showed some moire noise in the grandstands. Ringing was not apparent and object edges looked crisp during the Resolution Enhancement clips.

Browse the latest instant arrivals or search by title

Real world viewing material looked fantastic on the BDX3000. Watching the first 30 minutes of I Am Legend on Blu-ray, I was routinely impressed by the 1080p image put forth by the Toshiba. The interior of Will Smith's fortress apartment revealed wonderful image detail in the kitchen while Sam the dog's fur showed clearly-delineated texture. Watching the Gladiator DVD, I was quite impressed by the Toshiba's steady handling of the tricky coliseum flyover near the close of chapter 12.

Tick Tock

With my trusty Android stopwatch at the ready, I next conducted our standard battery of speed tests. With the unit off, it takes less than 6 (yes, SIX) seconds for the BDX3000 to render its Home screen. As for disc loading, the test subjects included: a standard DVD (Gladiator), an early non-Java Blu-ray Disc (Sony's Underworld: Evolution), a Java-enhanced Blu-ray Disc (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl), plus the latest BD LIVE-stuffed heavyweight, Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables. As usual, for each load test I started with the unit on and the tray extended; I hit play on the remote and timed how long before disc-specific content appeared.

The Gladiator DVD presented its soundtrack menu in 15 seconds flat, which is about average. The slightly more challenging Underworld 2 Blu-ray displayed the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment logo in 25 seconds, which is again fairly average. Pirates' gold coin stopped spinning and gave way to the Disney logo after 41 seconds - not a bad time, but not breaking any records either.  With BD-LIVE "partially permitted," The Expendables loaded in 1 minute and 12 seconds before revealing the Lionsgate gears. Surprisingly enough, this was a full 9 seconds quicker than LG's speedy BX580 which I just reviewed. Bottom line: typical DVD and Blu-ray load times easily fall under the umbrella of "fast," which should keep the "furious" to a minimum.

3D? Check.

If you're looking to jump on the 3D bandwagon, you'll be happy to learn that the BDX3000 is fully compatible with the Blu-ray 3D format. Although it would have been nice to get a second audio-only HDMI 1.3 output on the rear panel, the HDMI 1.4 output you do get means you can output 3D video to compatible display devices, such as Toshiba's 55WX800U (review coming soon). I played with a few 3D titles using this Toshiba duet, and apart from my usual griping about the current state of Blu-ray 3D video, everything appeared to behave as advertised.

Holy MENU buttons, Batman!

Turn-Ons:

• Blazing fast system boot time of < 6 seconds
• Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster & Pandora = good times
• Excellent de-interlacing and video performance
• Analog multi-channel audio outputs

Turn-Offs:

• No YouTube, no Hulu Plus, no Picasa, No Facebook
• Remote lacks backlighting and is confusing in the dark
• No audio-only HDMI 1.3 output
• Front panel touch controls are moody; can't use Open if unit is off

Final Thoughts

It should be apparent to anyone who reads consumer electronics reviews that no product is perfect. It's always about trade-offs and compromise. For every nine things a product gets right, there's always going to be at least one thing that annoys you and keeps you from calling it a perfect ten. The BDX3000 gets a lot of things right - a whole lot - and it has quickly earned a spot near the top of my recommended Blu-ray players list. If not for the irksome front panel touch controls and lousy remote, I'd be saying run, don't walk. As it stands though, the BDX3000 is a terrific player, a tremendous value, and proof positive that Toshiba may have been down for a while, but they're far from out.

Features and Specifications

• Video Upconversion: 720p/1080i/1080p
• Supported Audio Formats: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master Audio
• Other Supported Media Formats: MPEG1, MPEG2, MKV, WMA, MP3, AC3, AAC, JPEG
• Convenience: BD-Live (Profile 2.0)
• Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
• Internet Streaming: Netflix, Vudu, Pandora, Blockbuster
• Unit Dimensions: 16.93" W  x 2.52" H x 8.27" D
• Unit Weight: 3.89 lbs
• MSRP: $249

Connectivity:

• HDMI x 1
• Component Video Output
• Composite Video
• Analog Stereo
• Analog Multi-Channel Audio Out
• Optical Digital Audio Out
• Ethernet Port
• USB Port (1 rear)
• SD Card Slot (1 front)

Company Contact Information
Toshiba America Consumer Products
9740 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, CA 92618
(800) 631-3811

Website: www.tacp.toshiba.com

LG BD590 Blu-ray Player Review

LG Electronics is a company with a lineage steeped in home based products. Established in 1958 under the Goldstar name LG has continued to evolve with the technological world and has a product base that has found a place in many homes (mine included).

I bought my first Blu-ray Disc player, a Panasonic, in 2006. In addition to using several of their players I have owned/used players from Sony, Samsung, and now Oppo. When I was offered the opportunity to review LG’s BD590 Network/Media Library Blu-ray player my interest piqued. LG has been on the leading edge of innovation having previously introduced network capable players with wireless movie/music streaming capabilities in addition to high quality playback of high definition Blu-ray media. Never content with resting on their laurels, the BD590 adds a 250 gigabyte hard drive which allows the player to serve as a media library capable of storing various types of media including high def movies downloaded from Vudu and music from your personal collection. Here are more of its features:

1.Integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity
2.USB 2.0 media host
3.Netcast Entertainment access: Netflix®, Vudu™, YouTube™, Roxio® CinemaNow, Pandora, Picasa™, AccuWeather, mlb.tv, Napster
4.Blu-ray/DVD playback
5.Access to Gracenote online database
6.DLNA digital media player certification
I unpacked the unit and appreciated its low profile, light weight and slim design. Its glossy flip down front panel gives the unit an air of elegance, however overall build quality is just average. Behind the panel is the disc tray, and basic control functions (play, pause, fast forward, rewind, stop), display screen, IR remote sensor and a USB input. The power toggle and disc tray eject buttons are on left/right corners on top of the unit’s beveled front edge.

Around back there are video outputs in HDMI 1.3, component, and composite flavors, a LAN port, a two channel RCA analog audio output (noticeably absent is a 5.1/7.1 channel analog output), fan exhaust, and removable two prong AC power.

The LG BD590 Blu-ray Disc Player

System setup:
I connected the BD590 to the following components in my system:

•Anthem AVM50v Audio/Video processor
•JVC DLA-RS20u 1080 front projector
•Better Cables Silver Serpent HDMI cabling
•Linksys Wireless/Wired LAN network router
I powered the unit up and noted that it boots up quickly. The initial power up takes you to a basic setup screen which allows configuration of the resolution, aspect ratio, language/audio and options for wireless/wired network connection. Delving deeper into the setup menu there are options for HDMI color space and audio output, manually setting resolution (480 through 1080p in 24/60hz refresh rates), and DRC (dynamic range control).

The main menu is comprised of an active interface that consists of floating “ice” cube icons labeled Movie, Photo, Music, Home Link, Netcast, and Setup. Navigation is simple although I have read complaints from users who preferred the more straightforward menu layout utilized on previous models. I liked the design and had no problem with it. The only confusing item might be the labeling of the Home Link menu which sets up and accesses the unit’s music/video/photo streaming feature from a DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) server. LG supplies MediaHome 4 Essentials software for those with PC’s that may not support DNLA. I have a Windows 7 based PC and the LG had no trouble seeing/streaming the music/video/photo files over my network.

The movie, photo, music menu options allow playback of media stored on the LG’s hard drive, or from physical media such as a DVD/Blu-ray disc or a USB drive. The Netcast menu brings up a submenu containing LG’s media streaming suites; NetFlix, Vudu, Cinemanow, MLB.TV, YouTube, Pandora, Napster, Picasa, and Accuweather.com. Using the Netcast features requires the use of a PC to access their websites for registration of the player. Once that is done there are options available depending on the level of access required/desired. I found setup of the BD590 to be fairly intuitive and once I was satisfied it was time to see what it could do.

Performance:
The supplied remote control is well laid out and fit comfortably in my average sized hand. It isn’t backlit although the basic control function keys look like they should glow in the dark but I couldn’t see them when the lights were out. I never had any trouble with the player responding to commands from the remote even off axis. The remote control is typical of a player in this price range and worked fine. I never use stock remotes and after using this one long enough to evaluate it I switched control over to my Philips TSU9400 touch panel using the LG’s pre-programmed codes included in the Philips database.

I started with standard definition DVD tests in order to see how well the LG’s video processing handles deinterlacing and scaling from 480i to 1080p. Using the HQV Benchmark 2.0, the LG passed 3:2 the film resolution cadence tests but had issues with mixed cadence material which included noticeable jaggies on the scrolling text video scaling test. I saw no sign of chroma upsampling error or pixels being cropped from the image which is good. In real world viewing I didn’t see any deleterious effects that degraded the image quality to an unacceptable level on my large screen. The LG won’t output a 480i signal over HDMI for a pure direct signal for external deinterlacing/scaling for those with outboard video processors or high end displays. It would be a nice option but I don’t see it as a serious setback.

High definition test patterns didn’t uncover any serious shortcomings and the unit did quite well with the variety of program material I ran through it. Its high definition audio/video quality on Blu-ray discs such as Beauty and the Beast, Green Zone, Knowing, Iron Man 2, Up, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The lightning Thief, and Baseball: The Tenth Inning was excellent. The BD590 internally decodes lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (Master Audio/High Resolution) audio soundtracks found on Blu-ray Discs and sends them via HDMI as LPCM. Sound quality was excellent and on par with what I have heard from the internally decoded output of my reference Oppo BDP-83 player and the Playstation 3.

I generally experienced fast loading times, and predominantly trouble free playback of blu-ray discs, even Java intensive titles. I ran into an issue that seemed to be specifically related to Disney/Pixar titles when the LG is set to 1080p/24 output. While watching segments from Up, Monsters Inc. and Toy Story I found that the LG would jump forward at specific points that were repeatable. This wasn’t a problem when the player was set to 1080p/60 output. This issue wasn’t corrected by the latest software update BD.8.31.317c which I downloaded and installed via the internet on October 12, 2010. From what I have read this problem has persisted since the player’s introduction. I am puzzled as to why LG has yet to address it.

Most discerning audiophiles probably wouldn’t be interested in the LG for two channel music. I did run several CD’s through it and found its stereo sound quality to be acceptable but not for critical listening. The unit conveniently allows music to be ripped from CD’s or a networked PC and stored on its 250 gigabyte hard drive. The LG offers encoding options at 128, 192, 320 and lossless bitrates (nice). It seamlessly connects to the Gracenote online database and provides metadata info for archiving which is definitely a plus. Utilizing the lossless encoding option I ripped some music to the hard drive and found the process to be smooth and the listening outcome quite good.

The BD590’s internet connectivity suite is found under the Netcast menu option. Web access via a PC is required in order to register the BD590. Depending on the service there can be free access as well as various options for paid membership. The LG can connect via a wired or wireless connection. Setup in either case to my home network was silky smooth as the LG located my home network and connected with no problem. I didn’t subscribe to any of the paid services offered but did utilize the complimentary $6 credit offer by the Vudu online movie service which has a great selection of flicks for rent/sale. Prices range from $2.99/$4.99 for standard definition rentals while high definition rentals in HD/HDX options cost $4.99/$5.99. Standard definition purchases begin at $4.99 and vary in price with the highest being around $19.99. I saw several titles offered from sale in high definition. The least expensive HDX title was $19.99 while the majority seemed to cost $24.99.

I watched Killers from Lionsgate and was pleased with the quality of the high definition HDX video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 sound. Having recently reviewed Killers on Blu-ray I had it on hand for comparison and the results were surprisingly close. The HDX video was less film-like and had a noticeably edgier quality, but resolution/definition was similar. The lossy Dolby Digital Plus sound sounded quite good although lacking in reproduction of the highest dynamic peaks and smooth timbre of the 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound on the Blu-ray.

I tried out You Tube and the Pandora internet radio service and both worked as advertised. I have to admit that we fell in love with Pandora. My wife and I liked the idea of being able to set up our personal listening preferences and having Pandora find music geared to them. This included not only our favorite artists but others that are similar, some of whom we hadn’t heard before.

Ergonomics:
The LG BD590 is a sturdily built lightweight design that falls somewhere in between the heftier build of my reference Oppo player and the flimsy feel of some of the cheaper players available from other manufacturers. It’s a handsome looking player with above average fit and finish although I am not crazy about the full length flip down front panel. The lack of a rear panel USB port is noteworthy as steady use of one would require the panel to remain open. With no way to dim its bright florescent display this could be problematic. When running the player’s cooling fan is loud enough that I can hear it from my seated position 16 feet away. The omission of multi-channel analog outputs on a player with the feature set of the BD590 is a shortcoming that leaves many potential consumers looking elsewhere. The remote control is standard fare but works very well in tandem with the player. Setup, ease of use and implementation of its many features make for a user friendly experience.

The Good:
•Good high definition video quality
•Above average load times with Java intensive Blu-ray titles
•Extended suite of internet streaming services
•Ease of use/setup
•Thoughtful implementation of HDD/Media library
The Bad:
•Non dimmable fluorescent display
•Noisy fan
•No rear panel USB port
•Odd behavior with Pixar/Disney Blu-ray discs
The Definitive Word:
The LG BD590 is a thoughtfully designed player that offers a wealth of home entertainment options that include internet streaming services, a 250 gigabyte HDD for use as a media library, and solid overall playback of Blu-ray and DVD media. Its lack of 3D support and multi-channel analog outputs are worth noting, but if neither is an issue for you the LG BD590 is a Blu-ray player with plenty to offer.

The Scorecard:
The Design:


Performance:


Value:


Overall:


BD590 specifications (for a comprehensive listing visit www.lg.com):

•MSRP: $350
•802.11n Wi-Fi Connectivity
•NetCast™ Entertainment Access
•Internet Services: Netflix®, Vudu™, YouTube™, Roxio® CinemaNow, Pandora®, Picasa™, AccuWeather®
•Full HD 1080p resolution – up to 24/60hz
•Upscale Standard DVDs to 1080p/60 output
•USB 2.0 connectivity
•Disc Playback Capability – Blu-ray™ Disc, BD-R/RE, DVD, DVD±R/RW, Audio CD, CD-R/RW
•Video Content Format – DivX®/DivX HD, MPEG4 AVC, HP@L4.1, MPEG2, HP@ML, SMPTE VC1, AP@L3, MPEG2, HP@ML, AVCHD, MKV
•Home Link Playable Content Format – DivX®/DivX HD, MPEG2 TS/PS, MPEG1 SS, XVID, MKV, AVI, WMA, MP3, AC3, AAC, JPEG, PNG
•Hard disk drive (storage capacity 250GB)
•SimpLink™ connectivity
•Unit Dimensions (W x H x D) – 16.9” x 2.0” x 11.0”
•Unit Weight – 7.0 lbs.
•Limited Waranty – 1 Year Parts/90 Days Labor
Where to Buy:


•LG BD590 at OneCall
•

•BestBuy.com:



Reference Review System:

•JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)
•Stewart Filmscreen – Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16×9 Screen
•Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
•Sherbourn Technologies – 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
•B&K Reference 200.7 Series Two Seven Channel Amplifier
•Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
•Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
•Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control
•Canton “Ergo” Series speakers
•Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
•SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
•APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector w/battery backup
•Wireworld, VizionWare, Better Cables, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables – Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling