![]() ![]() The problem is that every Smart TV is different. Luckily, you can change your location in minutes by connecting to a VPN. Additionally, you may find that some of the apps you’d like to install aren’t available in your country’s app store. If you don’t need Youtube, CinemaNow, Amazon movie or DTS decoding, this player from Insignia is a bargain.Most Smart TVs come with a wide range of apps pre-installed, but due to regional restrictions, you might not be able to use them all. The NS-BRDVD3 from Insignia offers better-than average build quality and Netflix streaming capability at a very competitive price. This more user-friendly interface is bound to increase the popularity of this instant service. Unlike many other Netflix UI’s we’ve experienced that only let you browse a long list of movies in your instant queue, the Insignia player will let you sort based on recently viewed movies or favorites and includes some Netflix categories for TV shows, Movies and a host of other options. The real feather in the NS-BRDVD3’s cap is the quality of its Netflix interface. Though we had clear view of the player from our seated position, the player was often not responsive to remote control commands, requiring a restart of the player to restore functionality. The remote controls were often problematic. While it may not get accolades from the videophiles, we think the average buyer will be pleased with the stunning resolution of Blu-Ray content. Most video anomalies were more easily detected on 50” and larger displays and, even then, not all that noticeable to the average viewer. Both Blu-Ray discs and up-converted DVDs looked great. The video quality was on par with other budget players. This is a big improvement over prior year models from most manufacturers. The NS-BRDVD3 boots up in a comparatively speedy 15 seconds and will load and start playing a Blu-Ray disc in about the same amount of time. This unit does not support DTS Master-HD audio as some other players in this category do and, though it stands to reason that not everyone benefits from DTS-Master HD, it is one of those features that we’d like to see adopted as a standard in Blu-Ray players. The front of the player is sparsely populated with only the essential buttons but does have a flip down panel that conceals a USB port for picture and music playback. In addition to the usual suspects is an RJ45 Ethernet port for network features. The Insignia’s back panel is about what you would expect for a budget Blu-Ray player. LG’s 42-inch LX3 OLED TV can bend when you want it toīest MP3 players: a great music streamer for everyone Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 get Bluetooth multipoint and hi-res audio The disc transport tray is also more solid than others we’ve tested at this price-point. A 25 watt power supply adds heft to the case which holds up well under pressure. In fact, we are pleased to see that the player appears and feels reasonably well constructed. The NS-BRDVD3’s bread-and-butter price point might lead one to think that it has been made on the cheap. Fortunately, we did not experience the same frustration that was reported and managed to update the firmware in less than 2 minutes using the provided Ethernet connection. In fact, a little internet research reveals that when this player first started selling at Best Buy stores in late September ’09, the firmware version that supported Netflix wasn’t yet available and caused some problems for early buyers. Straight out of the box we find a flyer indicating that a firmware update will be necessary to take advantage of its Netflix streaming capabilities. This Insignia Blu-Ray player appears to have been manufactured and sold before its firmware’s time. ![]() However, the competition at this price point is getting tougher which means the NS-BRDVD3’s missing features could be a deal breaker for some. The NS-BRDVD3 Blu-Ray player does boast some improvements on its predecessor and attempts to increase the bang-for-your-buck factor to help bolster the popularity of the Blu-Ray format. ![]() Ideally, as their products advance they should reflect the changing demands of the customer. Slow/buggy remote control, lacks DTS-HD audioīest Buy’s house brand, Insignia claims to approach product design from a “consumer-driven” perspective. ![]()
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