LG - UP970 - 4K Ultra HD 3D Wi-Fi Built-In Blu-Ray Player - Black

Bought this alongside a new LG OLED TV and the 4K HDR movies on disc look amazing. Could definitely notice a difference between regular SD/HD material on TV and from watching a 4K HDR disc on this player.

Having used two other 4K UHD Blu-ray players, I can say that the LG UP970 feels decidedly more entry-level than competing models. It does the job without any major issues and is fast with a sleek design. However, it lacks many advanced options and doesn't feel as solidly built compared to other players. PROS: - Easy set up. Simply connect an HDMI cable (make sure it's a Certified Premium cable), plug it into a power outlet, and then follow the on-screen instructions. - Very fast and responsive. Discs are fast to load and the unit responds to commands from the remote quickly. - Dual HDMI outputs. HDMI 2 is reserved for audio-only output. Perfect for those with older soundbars or receivers that can't pass through an HDR signal. - Great picture quality. I've tried several UHD Blu-rays, 3D Blu-rays, regular Blu-rays, and even some old DVDs. All look very nice, if not a bit softer-looking compared to my other 4K players. For UHD Blu-rays, the player automatically engages the HDR mode on my TV without me having to do anything. - The remote control is lightweight and comfortable to hold. COULD BE BETTER: - Other reviewers have stated that this player sounds like a "jet engine" while spinning Blu-ray discs. I certainly don't think the player is THAT loud. Louder than competing brands/models? Sure, but not by much. As soon as I move more than 3 feet from the player, I can't hear it at all. - Compared to my other 4K player, the overall build quality of this LG seems average at best. The LG UP970 is very lightweight and the plastic feels rather cheap. This likely contributes to the slightly louder noise during disc playback. Not a major issue, but because this player is priced identically to competing models, it's something to consider. - There is no "subtitle" button on the remote. If you want to turn on subtitles during movie playback, you'll need to press the "info" button and then turn on subtitles via an on-screen menu. - LG has stated that this player will support Dolby Vision, but there is no sign of such support at the time of this review. Hopefully a firmware update will be released soon. CONS: - The user interface design of this player is archaic - like something out of the early 2000s. It's a shame that LG couldn't implement a version of webOS that it uses on its smart TVs. - The settings menu is extremely limited. There are no advanced audio/video settings. No Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones. No obvious way to stream media from a home network. - Only two streaming services - Netflix and YouTube - are available at the time of this review. I'm hopeful that Vudu, Amazon, and others will be added in the future, but there's been no word from LG. OVERALL: If you're looking for a basic, no-frills 4K Blu-ray player, give this one a look. However, competing models in the same price range offer more advanced features, more streaming services, and better build quality. If/when LG updates this player to support Dolby Vision, that will help it stand out.

The setup for this 4K player was simple. It includes a remote control that uses 1 AAA battery and it is included. The Blu Ray Player itself has a non-detachable power cord and all you have to do is plug it into a power outlet. Upon turning it on, you have several initial options to go through, like menu language and internet connection. I connected mine via WiFi, and the whole setup took under 5 minutes, including the update. A unique feature of this player is that is has smart features. Usually, I frown upon these kind of features because they are often laggy after pressing a controller input. However, this unit has surprised me because it’s actually quite responsive. Aside from the expected 4k HDR / Blu Ray / DVD playback, you can watch your own pictures, home made movies, and even stream from Netflix or YouTube. An optical cable port is included in this unit for alternate audio set-ups. Performance wise, this is by far the most responsive button press to movement interface I’ve ever experienced. On WiFi with 100Mb down, I was able to watch Netflix shows in 4K HDR and they look as stunning as ever. The 4K HDR discs were even more stunning. The quality is even higher when playing something from a disc, but only barely noticeable, which is a good thing. The device isn’t loud and there aren’t any annoying lights that may distract from the experience in a dark room or in a room where you may happen to sleep. The device meets my expectations but I am disappointed at the limited online features. The only streaming services available are Netflix (which has an easy and fast interface within the player) and YouTube. Sorely absent are HBO Now, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and other online streaming services. For this reason, I will deduct one star. The price the player in terms of value depends on your expectations. The quick, responsive interface is a big seller for me, but for others, the lack of major streaming services may deter them from buying it. Keep in mind, though, that an update may one day add these services to the unit, but not a guarantee. Currently, other units exist that cost less and offer all the major streaming services, but may not have as quick a responsive interface as this one. For that reason, I deduct a second star. I highly recommend this product for people who are looking for a good 4K HDR Blu Ray player that has a responsive interface. If you don’t own a video game console, then this can be a great way of watching 4K HDR films via disc or via Netflix.

Great 4k UHD player. I would say this is the best bang for the buck. It supports Dolby vision (LG already released the firmware update) plus the vanilla HDR without costing a leg and arm like other Dolby vision compatible players. Its very quiet (I know early production ones were kind of noisy but mine isn't at all, so must have been fixed). I have played 4 different 4k discs and all play ok, no skips, or crashes at all. Dolby vision worked ok with my Lg oled C7 and spider man homecoming. It has two out HDMI ports (one is audio only, in case you don't have 4K enable audio receiver).

I have been waiting for a 4k player to get to a bit of a more affordable price, and I wanted one that had all the ability to watch any movie with the 4k and this is one of the lowest costing players that supports Dolby Vision with a current firmware update (the first thing you should always do right out of the box is update the firmware) as well as HDR10 which seems to be standard for most players. So I gave it a shot. I’m already a fan of LG’s TVs. Unfortunately the first player I got (yes there was an exchange involved) played any disc I put in at a high RPM that seemed unbalanced as it played, causing it to make a ton of noise that was so distracting during quiet scenes of a movie that I had to take it back. So I exchanged it and fortunately the new player didn’t sound like a small vacuum running in my room. So if you have one that makes a ton of noise, don’t waste your time trying to figure it out and just live with it, get it exchanged right away. Now I can get to the actual product. It plays movies great. There is a pretty basic setup you will want to do going through your players menus and getting it tweaked the way you would want. The first thing is to upgrade your firmware. Yes, it’s worth it. Do this right away. But even afterwards, it’s still pretty basic. The setup process is very easy. But the bright white screen leaves something to be desired. In a dark room, holy cow it’s bright. Highly suggest seeing if you can change the picture. I’m still looking. Maybe popping in a thumb drive in the front USB jack. I don’t know. But anything is better. This is not a great streaming box so far with only Netflix and YouTube to watch 4k streaming on. But I’m guessing that will grow with time. LG seems to be very good about giving it’s players upgrades as they become available. The bottom line is, it’s a cheap way to watch 4k. Don’t expect it to be your everything for entertainment. It plays 4k well, that’s about it. But fortunately, it plays 4k well. And it’s also over $100 less than it’s competitors AND plays all formats. So if that’s what you’re looking for then this is for you.