The glossy black plastic finish of the DVS450H has its pros and cons.
On the one hand, it makes this DVD player appear stylish, sophisticated and more expensive than its budget price tag would suggest. The downside is that, besides attracting looks of admiration, it also attracts a horrific number of fingerprints.
As long as you don't mind the occasional buffing session, then the LG will bring a great deal of enjoyment.
Eye-catching design
The 'floating' design is unusual and eye-catching, as is the small huddle of touch-sensitive buttons on the front of the player and the sliding circular panel that conceals the playing mechanism – this kind of design flair wouldn't be out of place on high-end Blu-ray players.
The unit's flexible design means that it can be wall-mounted, placed flat, or sat upright using the integrated swivel-out stand.
Your experience improves with the remote. The unit looks and feels great. All the buttons are a decent size and very responsive. There's even a button for altering the video resolution output on the fly.
The DVS450H can upscale to 720p, 1080i and 1080p over HDMI. Hidden away beneath a side panel is a USB input for connecting an MP3 player or digital camera.
Good picture quality
Picture quality is good for a budget DVD player. Spin The Dark Knight and you'll see that the LG doesn't have any qualms about delivering deep blacks. Detail levels aren't to be sniffed at and neither is the attractive colour palette that the player produces.
Sound quality is balanced across the frequency range. Admittedly, class-leaders can reveal greater detail in dark scenes and have the edge when it comes to the overall image clarity, but they don't have the style.
If you're looking for a DVD player that's funky and out of the ordinary, the LG should fit the bill.
