LG Blu-ray players stream Netflix, CinemaNow, and YouTube

The LG BD370 Blu-ray player

(Credit: LG)

In 2008, LG's BD300 set itself apart from other Blu-ray players by becoming the first one to include compatibility with the Netflix's "Watch Instantly" streaming service. Unfortunately, the uniqueness of the feature was short-lived: within weeks, Netflix support was added to the Xbox 360, TiVo HD DVRs, and a pair of rival Blu-ray decks from Samsung. Now, LG's back with its second take on the Blu-ray/Netflix player, the BD370, which will also include the ability to stream online content from CinemaNow (pay-per-view) and YouTube (free).

Aside from those two new online content providers, the feature set of the BD370 appears little changed from the BD300 model (DVD upscaling, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, BD-Live/Profile 2.0 support). However, the step-up BD390 model will offer a host of nice upgrades over the 370: built-in Wi-Fi (so you're not limited to wired Ethernet), 1GB of onboard memory (no need for a USB stick to access BD-Live features), and 7.1-channel analog outputs (maximum compatibility with older, non-HDMI AV receivers). Each of those improvements address the major issues we had with the BD300, making the 390 the one to watch.

Look for the BD370 and BD390 network Blu-ray players to hit stores in the spring of 2009 (prices TBD).