CBS News
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.
CBS News
How Trump’s team views Hegseth’s chances of clearing Senate process
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
Trump, Ernst support Hegseth’s push to remain in confirmation process
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
House task force releases final report on Trump assassination attempts
Washington — The House task force investigating the assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump released a final report on its probe on Tuesday, presenting a series of recommendations to combat future security failures.
“The Task Force found that the tragic and shocking events in Butler, Pennsylvania were preventable and should not have happened. There was not, however, a singular moment or decision that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to nearly assassinate the former President,” the 180-page report said, noting that “various failures … coalesced to create an environment in which the former President — and everyone at the campaign event — were exposed to grave danger.”
Over the course of the investigation, the task force said it conducted 46 interviews, reviewed 18,000 pages of documents and visited the incident sites in Pennsylvania and West Palm Beach.
The House voted to establish the panel following the July 13 assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, where a gunman opened fire during a rally and a bullet grazed the former president’s ear. Secret Service snipers shot and killed the gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. The Secret Service came under intense scrutiny following the incident, and its director soon resigned.
The task force, made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats, also looked into a second assassination attempt on Sept. 15 in West Palm Beach, Florida, which was foiled. Trump had been golfing when a Secret Service agent discovered a man with a rifle who was waiting along the tree line of the course.
The panel held its final hearing last week with testimony from Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe, who acknowledged the agency’s “abject failure” in the July shooting. Rowe outlined a series of changes he had implemented at the agency since the assassination attempt, including an aviation unit to oversee drones at events with protectees, along with shifting its Office of Investigations to the Office of Field Operations.
The report comes after the panel issued an interim report in October saying the July 13 incident was “preventable” and outlined communications and planning shortcomings. The panel said in the preliminary report that “fragmented lines of communication” allowed the gunman to “evade law enforcement” and noted that law enforcement had multiple opportunities to engage with the gunman.
Task force chairman Rep. Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican whose district includes Butler, said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” last week that the task force’s objective since day one has been to try to help restore trust and confidence in the Secret Service. He said the agency was likely at “the lowest ebb” in its history, while acknowledging the relentless pressure on agents.
“You’ve got to be ready every single moment for anything that could possibly happen. Is that a difficult task? Yes. Is it almost impossible?” Kelly said Sunday. “But you know what’s not impossible, our dedication to the fact that we’re going to do the best we can do every single day to ensure that the American people have the faith and trust and confidence they must have in us.”