If you’ve ever thought about purchasing a Blu-ray player to get that full high-definition experience at home, but were put off by the price - here’s some good news. Blu-ray players are getting more and more affordable and are performing better, too.

Why go Blu-ray?

The advantages to upgrading your old DVD player to a Blu-ray player are fairly straightforward - improved image and video quality plus more special features. Blu-ray players are capable of “Full HD” (1080p) output, plus the discs offer features such as picture-in-picture commentary and the ability to access the players menu while the disc is still playing.

Another bonus is that your old DVD collection doesn’t become obsolete. Blu-ray players will still play DVDs. Although you should be warned that while many manufacturers claim that their players will “upscale” DVD content to HD, the resulting output won’t be as good as playing a Blu-ray disc.

As prices come down (thanks largely to Blu-ray’s seeming triumph over its rival format HD DVD) and features are improved, the current crop of Blu-ray players is worth consideration by anyone who is looking to upgrade their home theatre set-up.

What equipment do I need to go Blu-ray?

Unfortunately, it’s not just a case of hooking your Blu-ray player up to your old CRT television and magically seeing HD content on the screen (you could do that, but the content would only be displayed in standard definition so you might as well buy a DVD player).

To get the most from your Blu-ray player you will need a Full HD TV screen (1080p) to maximise the high-definition video output and an AV receiver plus surround sound speakers to maximise the high-definition audio output. You’ll also need HDMI cables to hook the system up. Yes, normal cables aren’t capable of carrying HD video and audio so without the HDMI cables, the whole exercise is pointless.

Blu-ray profiles and sound formats

Once you’ve decided to bite the bullet and go Blu-ray, there are several things you need to know about the players themselves. And here is where it can get slightly confusing.

Firstly, you have something called Blu-ray profiles, of which there are three - Profile 1.0, Profile 1.1 and Profile 2.0. Basically, the first two (and earliest) profiles don’t support the full functionality that Blu-ray is capable of, although technically there should be no difference in the way they handle the content itself. Profile 1.0 has no advanced features, while 1.1 has picture-in-picture (BonusView). Meanwhile, the latest and greatest Profile 2.0 supports BD-Live, or content that can be downloaded from the Internet straight to the player such as deleted scenes, commentaries and so on.

On the plus side, 1.0 and 1.1 players tend to be cheaper so if you don’t really care about bonus features, that’s the direction to steer in.

And then there is the matter of Blu-ray sound formats. With DVD, the two main formats are called Dolby Digital and DTS. The manufacturers of these formats took advantage of the extra storage provided by Blu-ray discs to create new and improved sound formats - Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio being the preferred formats because they use lossless compression and therefore provide audio that is more faithful to the original).

Each of these formats needs to be decoded to something called linear PCM format before it can be read by the AV receiver connected to your Blu-ray player. If a Blu-ray player is listed as having on-board decoding in its specs, that will happen within the player. If it doesn’t, then the AV receiver will need to have on-board decoding for the two pieces of equipment to “talk”.

Best Blu-ray players

Panasonic Blu-ray players are amongst the best available. Sony Blu-ray players are also worth looking at, plus Sony also has the PS3, which is a gaming console/Blu-ray player/media centre, if you’re keen to get the most bang for your buck.

Buy a cheap Blu-ray player on sale

By Caroline Warnes

The new Asus Eee PC 1201N Seashell is one of the first Atom netbooks on the market to feature a dual-core processor.

That means that compared to its single-core Atom processor counterparts, the Asus 1201N and its Atom N330 dual-core processor offers much improved performance, especially when you want to run several programs at once. Single-core Atom netbooks tend to experience significant slowdown when you’re trying to switch between different programs. Unfortunately, these turbo processors do take a toll on the battery life.

Yet another performance bonus is the inclusion of a Nvidia Ion graphics processor, which once again is something of a rarity for a netbook. This offers a step-up when it comes to graphics performance, especially when it comes to multimedia applications such as gaming and video playback. It handles high-definition (HD) video nicely and comes with software that will upscale your standard definition content to HD. You can then share your HD content thanks to the inclusion of a HDMI port.

Of course, if you’re going to include a superior graphics processor, you’ll want to make sure the screen is up to scratch. Asus has equipped the 1201N with a glossy 12.1-inch screen with 1366×768 resolution, which performs very nicely for a netbook screen. Sitting above the screen you’ll find a built-in webcam, complete with Cyberlink YouCam software.

Since the Asus 1201N is intended to be a multimedia netbook, storage had to be a consideration and most users will be happy with the 250GB of internal storage, plus 500GB of online storage provided by Asus.

The Asus Eee PC 1201N Seashell is available in Australia now with a recommended retail price of $699.

Buy a cheap Asus netbook on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

By now, regular readers of this blog (there are three of you) would know how I adore a good little black dress, so here’s another one to throw on the pile.

The Sewn Stolen Kisses dress is on sale at York Noir for $59.95 (down from $240) and is still available in sizes 6, 8 and 12.

We may be heading towards Autumn, but it’s not too late to invest in a dress such as this. Throw on some black tights in the cooler weather and it’s still appropriate.

I have a feeling I’d like this dress even more if the model in the picture stood up straight with her shoulders back and took that silly wrap thing off her head.

By Caroline Warnes

I have a confession to make: I have recently fallen in love with ALDI. And no, it isn’t just because of the inherent fabulousness of these cycling outfits from this week’s NSW catalogue.

In the past, I was a little scared of ALDI. I ventured in there once or twice but was put off by the haphazard shelving and scary checkout situation. I also found it weird that you could walk into a supermarket and walk out with a DVD player, can of tuna and leaf blower all in one go. But as we have an ALDI located right near the Lasoo office, I’ve gradually eased myself into it and I’m SOLD!

Because the prices are oh-so-low, naturally some of the products are a little hit-and-miss. But many of them are just as good as (if not better than) their more expensive cousins. I’ve found that it’s best to work the ALDI scene on a recommendation basis from family and friends. Some of the products I’ve tried recently and am more than happy to recommend include:

* Portview Flavoured Tuna - 89c for a 95g can. Yes, you read that right. 89c. This is also known as “Caroline’s lunch the day before pay day”.

* Logix Dishwashing Tablets - $5.49 for a pack of 30. These are just as good as the well-known brands and are much cheaper.

* Atlas Flying Insect Killer - $2.09 for a 200g can. It kills flies. It’s not rocket science.

* Laundrite Laundry Liquid -$1.49 for 2L. It washes my clothes - once again, not rocket science.

* Viking Crumbed Calamari Rings - $4.99 for 400g. Surprisingly good.

* Fruit - generally pretty good, especially the bananas.

Of course, Lasoo has all your local ALDI catalogues online. Plus, special mention also has to go to this shopping list tool - you can plan your grocery shop online and even calculate exactly how much money you’re going to spend.

By Caroline Warnes

We are giving you the chance to win a $100 online shopping voucher for local site I Want a Bargain in this week’s free Lasoo competition.

I Want a Bargain is a factory outlet online store specialising in all the latest trends from the budget labels plus a huge range of sale and clearance items.

You’ll find clothing and accessories from labels such as CKM, Sunnygirl, Living Doll, Junk, Filo, Lily Whyt, Itsu, Ivory, French Kitty and Cashmere, with prices starting from under $5.

To enter to win a $100 online shopping voucher from I Want a Bargain, simply visit the site then come back here and tell us in 25 words or less using the form below which is your favourite item on the site and why. The best answer will win. The competition closes next Thursday.

Competition terms and conditions

We are giving you the chance to win a double pass to see the new movie “The Men Who Stare At Goats” in this week’s free Lasoo competition.

The film is based on the novel by Jon Ronson and is a comedic look at real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe: a reporter discovers a top-secret wing of the U.S. military when he accompanies an enigmatic Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission. It’s an eye-opening and often hilarious exploration of the government’s attempts to harness paranormal abilities to combat its enemies.

“The Men Who Stare At Goats” stars some of Hollywood’s finest actors, including George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey.

To enter to win 1 of 20 double passes to see “A Single Man”, tell us in 25 words or less using the form below which is your favourite George Clooney film and why. The best answers will win. The competition closes next Thursday.

“The Men Who Stare At Goats” is only at the movies on March 4. You can watch the trailer below.

Competition terms and conditions

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5 is the manufacturer’s first waterproof point-and-shoot compact digital camera, and it’s one of the most stylish we’ve seen to date.

In fact, when it’s released it will be the slimmest waterproof digital camera available in Australia, and just by glancing at it you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a regular compact digicam. Waterproof digital cameras tend to be somewhat lacking in the slim and stylish department, so the Sony TX5 makes for a pleasant change.

Fortunately, the TX5 isn’t all looks and no substance. It’s waterproof to 3 metres, shockproof to 1.5 metres and can withstand temperatures as cold as -10 degrees Celsius (so it will be released just in time for the 2010 ski season). It features a 10.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, 3-inch LCD screen and 4x optical zoom, plus a 25mm wide-angle lens.

Sony has also equipped the TX5 with 720p HD recording and a panorama shooting mode.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5 digital camera will be available in Australia in April with a recommended retail price of $599. It will be available in silver, black, pink and red.

Buy a cheap Sony digital camera on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

I recently discovered Australian online homewares store Whiteport and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourites.

It has some gorgeous products for the bathroom, bedroom, dining room and kitchen - and at some pretty reasonable prices.

Plus, we have an exclusive Lasoo discount code to get 20% off storewide at Whiteport. Use the code BLOG at the checkout to claim your discount (it applies storewide, including sale items). The code is only valid until this Friday so make the most of it while you can!

My favourite item on the site so far is this three-piece Penelope serving set, which is priced at $24.95 but is reduced to $19.95 with the discount code.

By Caroline Warnes

I was literally just at my beautician when I discovered the subject of today’s blog.

This was a most fortunate event as I have to confess that up until that point, I had no clue as to what I was going to blog about today.

No, this isn’t something you can eat, although you’d be forgiven for thinking that. Milkshake Sugar Frosting is actually a brand new Australian product for concealing hair regrowth (yes, including greys!) between salon visits.

Milkshake isn’t an actual hair dye you can apply at home. It’s a loose powder that can be applied using the included brush to any areas that need it. Once you powder it will last between 8 and 20 hours, and according to my beautician, a tin will last around six months if you’re using it fairly regularly (of course, you don’t need to use it on days when your hair is freshly coloured or if you’re lounging around at home and no one is going to see you). Just think of it as foundation for the roots of your hair.

Bonus: it’s also a dry shampoo and absorbs oil at the roots in-between washes.

The “flavour” names themselves are enough to make you drool: vanilla cupcake blonde, milk chocolate brunette, raspberry creme redhead and boysenberry black. I had a smell of the brunette flavour and it smells like sweet cocoa powder.

A tin of Milkshake Sugar Frosting costs $60. It’s available at selected hair salons and name stores around Australia. If you’re around the north side of Sydney, I can tell you that it is definitely stocked at Blonde & Beyond in Neutral Bay.

By Caroline Warnes

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is an affordable laptop that will appeal to business users on a tight budget.

As indicated by the budget price tag, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge isn’t the most stylish business notebook on the market, but it (mostly) gets the job done. It features a 13-inch high-definition LED screen (1366×768 pixel resolution) and a keyboard that has undergone a redesign from previous ThinkPad laptops. The ThinkPad Edge’s keyboard has been raised, making it easier to use - as does the larger touchpad.

Connectivity is fairly standard for a budget 13-inch notebook. You get a memory card reader, three USB ports plus one HDMI. Unfortunately, there’s no optical disc drive.

The ThinkPad Edge comes in two basic varieties - the first running a 1.50GHz AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core processor, and the second running a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The AMD model will cost you less than the Intel laptop as the latter offers several performance advantages, including longer battery life. Both models weight in at just over 1.6kg.

Local pricing for the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge starts from $999 for the AMD model and $1149 for the Intel model.

Buy a cheap notebook or laptop on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes