LG's BD300 Netflix / Blu-ray deck ships next month for $399.95

We hate to say we called it, but our complete in-the-dark guess of just under four C-notes was right on the money. LG has just announced that it's BD300 Network Blu-ray player (and Netflix streamer) will begin shipping to national retailers (Best Buy, Circuit City, Bass Pro Shops, etc.) next month (as in, a month later than initially anticipated) for $399.95. Not the cheapest BonusView-enabled deck in the mix, but given the Netflix functionality tossed in on the side, we can still see quite a few folks joining the BD camp with this one. Matter of fact, we'll just go ahead and ask -- is this your ticket into the Blu?

[gabe @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:37PM]

well this keeps it future proof.

bluray is already a failure because downloads are the future.

[hexoDAT64 @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:45PM]

If more ISP's keep/set that 250gig limit then no they are not the future.

[aahatimy @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:47PM]

Cell sized robots will be the future of medicine but does that make all current medical practices a failure?

[GatgetMan @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:07PM]

Considering I have a Mac, and Netflix streaming is not an option, this is slightly enticing...

[Nick Catalano @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:38PM]

You can kiss that new Comcast cap out the door if Netflix starts releasing HD content for these things.

[Travis @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:39PM]

I want to see some indepth reviews before I jump.

[rosalindavenue @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:40PM]

This may well be it for me. I have an itchy finger for a Roku (but still waiting to see if content improves), I have an HDTV, and I have too great a fear of my wife to get a PS3. Plus I'll be getting the Neil Young archive, if he actually releases it this year on blu ray.

[ChrisC @ Sep 4th 2008 8:23AM]

Ditto for me (minus the Neil Young thing). I'm planning my first foray into HD-land, and I've already been dreading the justification for a PS3. Combine that with the fact that I was already looking at Roku, and my interest is officially piqued.

[aahatimy @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:42PM]

Cell sized robots will be the future of medicine but does that make all current medical practices a failure?

[who? @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:45PM]

Is this in any way better than having a blue ray drive in your laptop along with a connection to your TV (I really can't think of anything...)?

[novara @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:06PM]

Not the jump for me, as long as MS and the 360 pull through with Netflix over Xbox live that's my ticket. Not to mention the caps ISPs are introducing.

[Byrdman @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:43PM]

those caps are gonna apply just as much to your 360 as it will to any other netflix STB. At least with this you get the blu ray drive plus the netflix STB

[wysiwyg @ Sep 4th 2008 1:54AM]

I always thought the sweet spot pricing was "sub-$200". Where are those? Why are the prices increasing instead? I have yet to hear a name-brand (Sharp, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, LG, Samsung) releasing even a sub-$300 BD player.

[Jaime Rivera @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:16PM]

I am not into games, but I got a PS3, and I can't be happier about it. It's future proof because it updates its firmware automatically, and it opens the door, for free, to the playstation network and the playstation content store. I have enjoyed playing The Simpsons Game and Lego Indiana Jones (they were a nice introduction to gaming for me). No regular blu-ray player will do any of that for the same price. Oh, I forgot to menton that the blu-ray remote works over Bluetooth, which means I do not need to point it straight for it to work, and it gives me the whole functionality of a regular player, so I forget I'm using a gaming console to watch a movie.

[Maeztro @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:25PM]

The horror! Can you believe other remotes require you to point them at the player?

[chefgon_ign @ Sep 4th 2008 7:58AM]

That bluetooth remote is the absolute worst aspect of the PS3 as a Blu-ray player. Who the hell uses standalone remotes with a home theater setup? Every single person I know with an HDTV also has a Harmony remote, and getting it to work with the PS3 requires extra hardware and is still never ideal. Sony dropped the ball big time on that one. How much could it possibly cost to include an IR window? Maybe fifty cents?

[dukrous @ Sep 4th 2008 1:56PM]

That dumbass remote keeps me from the PS3 as well. I love my Harmony, and if it doesn't work with it, I don't buy it.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:20PM]

This might be my ticket to blu, no matter what that Samsung UK douchebag says.

[toasty7 @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:21PM]

Oh, now I'm confused. Should I get a PS3 or this contraption? (Silly me, I have Comcast because Verizon doesn't serve my area.) I think I'm with Travis on this one. Let's see some reviews.

[[e-mail] @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:47PM]

Has anyone checked out the selection Netflix can stream instantly?

They don't stream new releases or recent releases. 90% of it doesn't appear to be made in this decade. There is a lot of crap to sift through. I dual booted to Vista on my Mac to watch a few things. I watched maybe 3 movies and a concert and was done.

Netflix's instant selection is a joke.

[Nate L @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:56PM]

Ah, there are a ton of NEW tv shows that I'd never have gotten to see had it not been for Netflix. Plus, they do have newish movies. The Orphange is from 2007. A lot of it is old, but there is plenty of stuff to watch, plus it has anime on it, which you're probably not into too, but I am.

[aaron @ Sep 4th 2008 12:26AM]

netflix's collection isnt terribly comprehensive atm but you arent buying this for today..... this device is about the future. and i really think this is the real dvd 2.0 because its not an evolution of what dvd was (and improving that model). the netflix streaming model is a whole new way in thinking about how movies are watched.

in the future i have no doubt they will get newer content as well as go some form of hd and then it will really take off.

[wysiwyg @ Sep 4th 2008 9:30AM]

Plus, it's free if you have their dvd rental program already that's 8.99 or above, so why not. :)

[Sam Halpern @ Sep 25th 2008 9:05PM]

I was probably the first person in Wisconsin to get a Netflix Roku player... Now I want the LG because I just got my first 1080P LCD TV. The selection of instant shows is getting better and better. The latest Heroes is now released every TUE. 30 Rock, The Office, Weeds, Dexter, Cashback, King Corn, even Friday Night Lights... not bad as an add-on to 100,000+ DVDs with no due dates. I love Netflix and I have confidence the selection of instant viewing will continue toimprove.

[Qhartman @ Sep 3rd 2008 10:55PM]

This is totally my ticket to blu, unless they announce Netflix streaming capabilities for the PS3 before this thing hits the streets. Assuming, of course, that it is reviewed well once that hit happens.

[Reid Sorenson @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:48PM]

If I hadn't already made the mistake of buying an LG DVD recorder a couple of years ago, I might be tempted by this one. Has all the features I want. Unfortunately, given the reliability of their products, none of those features are actually likely to work. Lucky Goldstar. Remember when you could only buy their sh*t at Kmart?

[Ed B. @ Sep 4th 2008 12:15AM]

this will definitely be it for me, looking at the roku player i didnt see
a lot of room or hardware for improvement, but with the bundled
high resolution bluray player this seals the deal, because as netflix's
streaming capacity expands, i can see this player adapting to it.
HD 1080i at least streaming Netflix movies! Hell yes!

[Tam @ Sep 4th 2008 8:32AM]

This is tempting for me for my bedroom TV setup which currently has a Netflix/Roku and AppleTV connected. My girlfriend wants to add DVD/Bluray but I'm reluctant to add another unit to the system.

[Tom @ Sep 4th 2008 8:58AM]

This may be a good option for my not-so-tech-savvy parents. They don't use computers (although I tell them they already do, since they own a TiVo), so internet streaming on a PC is out. This gets them HD content plus the Netflix service they're paying for but can't take advantage of.

Lets see what the reviews are, but it's certainly a potential for the holidays.

[absinthe party @ Sep 4th 2008 11:54AM]

I was thinking the exact same thing for my grandparents, actually. My grandfather has been looking to move into the Blu-ray sector, but I figured that leading him into buying a PS3 would be absolutely ridiculous. Plus, as he and his wife are getting up in age, getting out to the store to actually rent movies isn't always an option, so the Netflix would be a great addition.

[Ron @ Sep 4th 2008 9:28AM]

This is a very intriguing box. My whole family has really enjoyed the ROKU box, so this seems like a step in the right direction.

I wonder, though, if the built-in "Netflix streamer" will be upgraded to stream non-Netflix content. ROKU has indicated that they will add other services this Fall to their box (Hulu perhaps?), and it would suck if this player actually had fewer options than the $99 ROKU.

Until I get an HD television, it's a moot point anyway.

[Alex @ Sep 4th 2008 9:37AM]

Why are people even considering this with the 80 GB PS3 at 399? while it may not stream the limited collection on netflix yet, it has just as much blu ray functionality, besides, streaming blu ray quality would suck bandwidth like crazy.

[Ron @ Sep 4th 2008 9:57AM]

For me, it would be because it already DOES get the Netflix content, which may be lacking but is still pretty great. And I'm not remotely interested in gaming.

But I completely see why the PS3 is a popular choice for many. I haven't ruled it out myself.

[jjunkers @ Sep 4th 2008 10:06AM]

This is my ticket into selling my Sony BluRay player and switching from blockbuster online to netflix...

[ZeoTiVo @ Sep 5th 2008 9:39AM]

I have had netflix for some time and been waiting to upgrade to High def DVD content. Sicne I can rent Blu RAy DVDs from Netflix and then also stream movies (not everything needs HD) thisi s the component for me. Would actually replace my ToshiVo RS TX20 in the Living room.

I am waiting though for a tru2way HDTV before I replace my Toshiba SD tube TV so will also wait for the reviews and the price to go under 300$

[Len @ Sep 12th 2008 8:58AM]

This is my ticket to Blu, absolutely.