LG has taken the wraps off its A/V line for 2013 led by new sound bars, docking speakers and connected Blu-ray Disc players, in advance of next month's CES show. New products include the BH9430PW 9.1-channel speaker system, the NB4530A Sound Bar, the BP730 Blu-ray player with Smart TV features, the ND8630 Dual Docking Speaker and the NP6630 Portable Speaker.

The BH9430PW is a high-quality surround sound speaker system. LG opted to employ speaker cones using high-tensile Aramid fiber, which is used in high-end home theaters and results in a wider range of sound, including defined, deep bass with near-zero sound distortion. Additionally, the 9.1-channel system creates four additional channels in addition to the typical 5.1 setup. Sound is produced by the front tallboy and rear satellite speakers, helping to fill the entire room. The system's 3D Surround Processor analyzes content to distribute sound in multiple directions while maintaining an appropriate balance.

A new feature added to the 2013 lineup is called Private Sound Mode, which lets users feed the system's sound directly to their smartphone via Wi-Fi (sold separately) where they can listen with any regular earbuds. Finally, the BH9430PW is compatible with iPhones and iPad to charge the devices and provide access to stored content.

Also serving as a smart hub, the BH9430PW supports Near Field Communication (NFC), which offers wireless content mirroring from smartphones and other compatible external devices. In addition, it has other Smart TV capabilities such as web browsing. Additional Home Theaters Systems in the lineup include the BH9230BW, BH6830SW and BH6730S.

LG expanded its Sound Bar lineup in 2013 to include four models, highlighted by the NB4530A Sound Bar, which combines sound quality and aesthetic appeal. The Sound Bar produces rich audio with 2.1 channels, 310W speakers and an easy to place wireless subwoofer. The unit has a slim design of only 1.38 inches tall with a black and silver finish.

Supporting HDMI with an Audio Return Channel (HDMI ARC), the Sound Bar plays audio from the TV without requiring additional cables. It is also Bluetooth-enabled to facilitate wireless audio streaming from smartphones, tablets and laptops. The Sound Bar's can be wall-mounted.

Also key to LG's Sound bar lineup is the NB3730A, which supports streaming of content from Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow, Pandora and vTuner.

Additional Sound Bars in the U.S. lineup include the NB3530A and NB2030A.

		System Features		Speakers				Smart TV
	Model	Watts	Channels	Wireless Rear	Type	Sub-Woofer	Aramid Fiber Speakers	Smart TV	Wi-Fi	Web Browser
HTiB	BH9430PW	1460	9.1	X	2 + 2	X	X	X	X	X
	BH9230BW	1460	9.1	X	4 Satt.	X	X	X	X	X
	BH6830SW	1000	5.1	X	4 Satt.	X	X	X	X
	BH6730S	1000	5.1		4 Satt.	X		X	X
Soundbar	NB4530A	310	2.1		Bar	Wireless
	NB3730A	300	2.1		Bar	Wireless		*Premium CP	X
	NB3530A	300	2.1		Bar	Wireless
	NB2030A	40	2		Bar
* Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow, Pandora, Vtuner

 

		Connectivity					Size
	Model	Bluetooth Streaming	Private Sound Mode	iPod / iPad Compatible	Optical Inputs	HDMI (ARC)	Wall Mountable	Width
HTiB	BH9430PW	X	X	X	1	2 In / 1 Out	N/A
	BH9230BW	X	X	X	1	2 In / 1 Out	N/A
	BH6830SW	X	X	X	1	1 Out	N/A
	BH6730S	X	X	X	1	1 Out	N/A
Soundbar	NB4530A	X			1	1 In/Out	X	47" TV
	NB3730A	X			1	1 Out	X	47" TV
	NB3530A	X			2		X	42" TV
	NB2030A				1		X	42" TV

LG's new flagship Blu-ray model (BP730) offers a range of Smart TV features including Video-On-Demand (VOD) through services such as Hulu Plus, Pandora, Netflix and YouTube and wireless connectivity options as well as web browsing. The BP730 also supports NFC.

New in 2013, the BP730 is operated with the LG Magic Remote, enabling users to navigate the system's control options with point?and-wheel based actions. The Blu-ray player also employs a dual core processor to handle the All-in-One search function. This feature simultaneously collects search results for VOD and apps and displays them in the same browser for quick access to sought-after content. Regardless of whether content is viewed in 2D or 3D, the BP730 promise to provide vivid colors and crisp picture quality. Additional Blu-ray players in the U.S. lineup include the BP530 and BP330.

Model Name

Features

3D

Smart TV

Wi-Fi

Web Browser

Slot Load Design

Magic Remote

4K Up-scaling

2D-to-3D

Screen Mirroring

Private Sound Mode

Width

Blu-Ray Disc Players

BP730

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

430mm

BP530

x

x

x

x

360mm

BP330

*Premium Content

x

270mm

* Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, HuluPlus, Vudu, CinemaNow, Pandora, Picasa, Accuweather

 

	Features
	Model	Watts	Airplay	DLNA	NFC	Bluetooth	Dual Dock	Portable In	Built-in Battery
Docking Speaker	ND8630	80	X	X	X	X	X	X
	ND5630	30	X	X	X	X	X	X
	ND2531	10				X	Android	X
	ND2530	10				X	iOS	X
Portable Speaker	NP6630	20	X	X	X	X		X	X
	NP3530	6			X	X		X	X

Rounding out LG's audio lineup are a series of docking and portable speakers, headlined by the ND8630 Dual Docking Speaker, which supports dock-and-play for both iOS and Android mobile devices. The 80W speaker charges the batteries of all docked devices. It can also recognize and wirelessly play music files saved on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs that support Bluetooth and Apple's AirPlay. In addition, the Mood Lamp creates a soft lighting effect, while the Smart Sensor analyzes the amount of illumination being provided by ambient light sources. Additional docking speakers in the U.S. lineup include the ND5630, ND2531 and ND2530.

The NP6630 is LG's flagship portable speaker. The 20W unit supports NFC, AirPlay and Bluetooth to wirelessly stream music from a diverse range of mobile devices. The NP3530 rounds out the portable speaker lineup.