BLU-RAY is the new high-definition movie format that is gradually replacing the humble DVD but the latest batch of Blu-ray players do far more than just play discs. TV makers are busy talking up their new Smart TV offerings, which let you watch internet video on your TV as well as access services such as Facebook and Twitter. Thankfully, they also build some of these features into their new Blu-ray players, so you can get online from the couch without the need to buy a new TV. Be warned; some Smart TV features have been slow to trickle down from TVs to Blu-ray players so make sure you do your research.
Many Blu-ray players feature an Ethernet port for connecting to your home network via cable but some also have built-in Wi-Fi or will take an optional USB Wi-Fi adaptor. You'll generally get better video performance from cable rather than wireless.
Built-in internet access makes Blu-ray players a great way to access online catch-up TV services from the likes of Yahoo!, ABC's iView, Seven's Plus7, or perhaps movies and TV shows from Telstra's Bigpond services. You can also watch YouTube clips, browse your photos on sites such as Picasa or Flickr, tap into Facebook or even chat via Skype.
Even if you're not ready to start buying movies on Blu-ray it still might be worth upgrading from a DVD player to a Blu-ray player if you've got a big television. Blu-ray players handle CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs and can "upscale" your DVDs so they look sharper on a big screen (but not as sharp as a Blu-ray version).
Most new Blu-ray players are also media players, which means they can play files you've downloaded from the internet. Some will play files from USB, SD card and disc as well as stream them from other devices via your home network.
Many new Blu-ray players are DLNA-compatible, which means they can play files from a computer or network-attached storage drive which can act as a DLNA server. A handful also support SAMBA networking, which means they can play files from any computer or network-attached storage drive.