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The best Blu-ray players in 2024 make it easy to catch up on your favorite shows
Physical media is far from dead. In fact, it’s a better time than ever to own your favorite TV series and movies, given that they often disappear from streaming services in the blink of an eye. So if you’re someone who collects Blu-ray discs for your home theater setup, you’re going to want to start with a great Blu-ray player first.
A great Blu-ray player can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most out of what you watch. With the advent of 4K and HDR, they’ve evolved to deliver crisp, crystal clear picture and sound quality. So no matter what you buy on Blu-ray, you can enjoy it to the fullest at home with the right player.
But which Blu-ray player should you bring home? Whether you’re a casual viewer or a dedicated film fan, we’ve rounded up some picks.
The best Blu-ray players in 2024
Best Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820
If you’re looking for the best Blu-ray player for most users, look no further than the Panasonic DMP-UB820. This player has a nice balance of features, performance and value. That makes it the best choice for just about everyone who needs a Blu-ray player.
It has full HDR support for vibrant colors, sharp textures and accurate black tones. Even when you play standard, non-4K Blu-ray or DVD discs, this player’s upscaling ability sharpens and enhances picture quality so it’s almost like seeing your favorites come to life in a new way. It also has Dolby Atmos support so it can fill your room with loud, clear sound.
Aside from connecting it directly to your TV or stereo system, it can use Wi-Fi for video streaming and even has a dedicated HDMI audio output for even higher-quality sound. That means it should mesh well with just about any setup you have going on in your living room with little muss or fuss.
Best premium Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB9000
If you want the absolute best in home entertainment and have an elite home theater setup, the Panasonic DP-UB9000 is the ultimate 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Yes, it’s pricey, and that’s because it’s for the most elite cinephile. That’s why everything about it says “luxury” in many ways.
The heavy metal build and premium design make it clear that this player is in a class of its own. It supports all the key HDR formats, including HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. You can also count on it for fantastic audio quality. With high-quality DACs, two-channel and 7.1-channel analogue outputs as well as support for Hi-Res Audio, this player has you covered in terms of audio. To top it all off, the DP-UB9000 comes packed with plenty of smart features.
This level of performance doesn’t come cheap, so you’ll absolutely be paying a pretty penny. But if quality is of the utmost importance to you, this is the Blu-ray player of your dreams.
Best budget Blu-ray player: Sony UBP-X700
Don’t want to spend an entire paycheck on a Blu-ray player? You don’t need to. The Sony UBP-X700 is an affordable player offers an impressive array of features and performance that belies its budget-friendly price point.
Its exceptional picture quality may come as a surprise, given that this player is so afforable. But whether you’re watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster or a classic film, this Blu-ray player can offer a great-looking picture that you can be proud of, even if you’re watching only top-of-the-line 4K releases.
It supports multiple HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10, ensuring that you can enjoy the widest possible range of 4K content. While it doesn’t support HDR10+, this omission is hardly a dealbreaker considering the player’s affordable price point. Despite not being marketed as a hi-res audio player, the UBP-X700 can even play high-resolution audio files and supports various formats such as WAV and FLAC.
For less than $200, you really can’t do better than this Blu-ray player, so be sure to grab it if you want to have high quality at a low price.
Best Blu-ray player and console combo: PlayStation 5 Slim
If you need to play Blu-ray discs but want a multifunction player to handle it, you can’t go wrong with a PlayStation 5, namely the PS5 Slim, which means you can play movies as well as video games from the same device.
As a 4K Blu-ray player, the PS5 Slim is a great space-saving option for anyone who loves video games, movies and TV. It lets you enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows in high definition, then switch over to the latest and greatest games without having to get up and change the disc out given the PS5 Slim’s spacious hard drive.
You don’t need a remote since you can use the included DualSense controller, and given that there are tons of new games always releasing in tandem with films and TV, you can kill two birds with one stone with this device. Plus, you’ll have more space free, without having to have both gaming console and Blu-ray player.
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Person of interest in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting believed to have left New York City
Investigators believe that a person of interest in connection with the deadly shooting Wednesday of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare is no longer in New York City, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News Friday.
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Austin Tice, journalist kidnapped in Syria, believed to be alive and well, his family says
Washington — The family of Austin Tice, the freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Syria more than 12 years ago, said they have been told that he is alive and well, and they’re frustrated with the U.S. government’s inability to bring him home.
“We have from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government, Austin Tice is alive, Austin Tice is treated well. And there is no doubt about that,” Debra Tice, his mother, said at a news conference on Friday at the National Press Club.
She said her son “is being cared for and he is well.”
Tice, a Marinę veteran and journalist who worked with several news organizations including CBS News, the Washington Post and McClatchy, disappeared on Aug. 14, 2012, while he was reporting on the Syrian civil war. A short video that appeared weeks later on YouTube and Facebook showed a distressed Tice blindfolded with his apparent captors. It was the last time he was seen.
No one has ever claimed responsibility for his disappearance, but President Biden has said the U.S. knows “with certainty that he has been held by the Syrian regime.”
The family said the U.S. government is preventing the release of information about the source of Austin Tice’s well-being. But asked whether her son is being held by the Syrian government, Debra Tice said, “We’ve always known that.”
Marc Tice, his father, said the new information “is very different” from past leads.
“We are confident that this information is fresh. It indicates as late as earlier this year that Austin is alive and being cared for,” he said.
Debra Tice added that the information is credible because “almost every entity in the United States government regarding security has verified it.”
The missing journalist’s parents and siblings traveled to Washington for meetings with government officials this week as a Syrian rebel offensive challenges Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The family said the meeting has been in the works since July and was not prompted by the situation in Syria.
They met with the National Security Council, including Mr. Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan, on Friday before their news conference. They met with the State Department on Thursday.
The family said they asked whether the offensive in Syria could be leveraged in the journalist’s favor and implored Sullivan for a commitment that Mr. Biden would reach out directly to Assad. But the family did not receive any assurances, they said.
“There just seems to be a massive disconnect between what President Biden has dictated for Austin in terms of doing everything that we can to bring him home, and then the actions and the behavior of the people that sit just below him,” his brother Simon Tice said.
Debra Tice expressed optimism about the impact President-elect Donald Trump could have on the case when he takes office in January. She said Trump, during his first term, “had an obsession” with her son and getting him home, but members of his administration put up roadblocks.
“Mike Pompeo and John Bolton did all they could to keep that from happening,” she said of Trump’s CIA director-turned-secretary of state and national security adviser.