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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.
CBS News
This week on “Sunday Morning” (December 8)
The Emmy Award-winning “CBS News Sunday Morning” is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. “Sunday Morning” also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.)
Guest host: Lee Cowan
COVER STORY: The rebirth of Notre Dame Cathedral
Just five years after a devastating fire tore through historic Notre Dame in Paris, the Gothic cathedral’s extraordinary restoration is being unveiled. Correspondent Seth Doane takes us inside the 12th century landmark, where 21st century tools, such as drones and computer animations, were as important a part of the restoration process as the artisans who toiled to bring Notre Dame back to life.
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ALMANAC: December 8
“Sunday Morning” looks back at historical events on this date.
U.S.: Who would pay for Trump’s promised tariffs? You will!
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to impose across-the-board tariffs on imported goods from some allies and adversaries, claiming that foreign nations will pay such taxes to the U.S. Treasury. But it’s American consumers who would actually be opening their wallets to pay for tariffs. Correspondent David Pogue talks with Dartmouth economics professor Doug Irwin about the unintended consequences from trade barriers.
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HARTMAN: Football
TV: “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk on the “darker” season 2
South Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk, whose family struggled with poverty while he was growing up, became an award-winning success with the internationally acclaimed series “Squid Game” – a dystopian parable about capitalism, human selfishness and greed, in which players hoping to win a fortune compete in childish, but lethal, games. Netflix is now releasing season two, which Dong-hyuk says is “getting darker, episode by episode.” Elizabeth Palmer reports.
To watch a trailer for “Squid Game: Season 2” click on the video player below:
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PASSAGE: In memoriam
“Sunday Morning” remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week.
ENTERTAINMENT: The Apollo Theater at 90
On Sunday, the Apollo Theater, the landmark New York City performance venue, will be awarded a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor – the first institution to receive such recognition. Correspondent Nancy Giles explores the history of the Harlem theater “where stars are born and legends are made,” and talks with a few of those legends – Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson and Melba Moore – about how playing the Apollo changed their lives.
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SOUND: Why ASMR is making a lot of noise
ASMR (or autonomous sensory meridian response) is the tingling sensation some people experience from certain sounds or visuals – a “brain massage,” in the words of Maria Viktorovna, who’s been called the “ASMR queen.” Correspondent Faith Salie talks with Viktorovna about her wildly successful “Gentle Whispering” videos, and with physiology professor Craig Richard, who discusses ASMR’s physical effects. Salie also visits Whisperwave, a New York City ASMR spa.
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MUSIC: Billie Eilish on what she’s found “liberating”
Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is just beginning to know herself. With her latest album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” and her current tour (her first without brother Finneas and her parents), the music superstar (soon to turn 23) is discovering parts of herself she didn’t know were there. She describes to correspondent Anthony Mason finding a new voice as a songwriter, and about stretching her singing after starting vocal lessons. [Watch more from Mason’s interview with Eilish on ‘CBS Mornings” December 10.]
PREVIEW: Billie Eilish on finally seeing herself as a songwriter (Video)
You can stream the Billie Eilish album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):
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COMMENTARY: “They’re all gone”: The tragedy of the 1972 Munich Olympics
ABC Sports was covering the 1972 Olympics, in Munich, Germany, when Arab terrorists armed with submachine guns took the Israeli team hostage. The fatal drama was carried live on television – an episode retold in the new movie “September 5.” Sean McManus, former president of CBS News and president and chairman of CBS Sports, and the son of ABC Sports commentator Jim McKay, looks back on that tragedy, and of watching his father at work reporting it to the world.
To watch a trailer for “September 5” click on the video player below:
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MOVIES: Daniel Craig on “Queer” and its “tender and poignant” depiction of yearning
In his latest film, Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novella “Queer,” Daniel Craig plays William Lee, an American alcoholic and heroin addict living in 1950s Mexico City, who becomes infatuated with a much younger fellow ex-patriate played by Drew Starkey. Craig talks with correspondent Mo Rocca about the yearning of a character that harks back to the actor’s early, grittier roles before he became James Bond; and how his mother fostered his love of acting, and his future career.
To watch a trailer for “Queer” click on the video player below:
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NATURE: Elk in the Ozarks
WEB EXCLUSIVES:
EXTENDED INTERVIEW: Selena Gomez (YouTube Video)
In this web exclusive, singer-songwriter-actress-entrepreneur Selena Gomez opens up to correspondent Tracy Smith about her experiences graduating from Disney Channel programs to her latest film, “Emilia Pérez,” and her series “Only Murders in the Building”; how rejection fueled her ambition and subsequent success; her revealing documentary, “My Mind & Me,” in which she discusses her physical and mental health struggles; and of life beyond social media.
The Emmy Award-winning “CBS News Sunday Morning” is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.
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Freedman Town’s history comes to life in new documentary
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Judge upholds U.S. Naval Academy’s race-conscious admissions program
Washington — A federal district court on Friday upheld the U.S. Naval Academy’s race-conscious admissions policies, rejecting a challenge brought by the group Students for Fair Admissions following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision ending affirmative action in higher education.
U.S. Senior District Judge Richard Bennett wrote in a 179-page decision that the Naval Academy “established a compelling national security interest in a diverse officer corps” for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and tied its use of race in admissions to “the realization of an officer corps that represents the country it protects and the people it leads.”
Bennett said he deferred to the executive branch with regard to military personnel decisions.
The challenge to the Naval Academy’s admissions policies was brought by Students for Fair Admissions in October 2023, months after the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions policies used by colleges and universities were unconstitutional. The group was behind the cases that led the high court to reject affirmative action in higher education in June 2023.
Students for Fair Admissions’ lawsuit came in response to a footnote in the majority opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, which said the decision did not apply to the nation’s service academies.
In addition to suing the Naval Academy, Students for Fair Admissions also sued West Point on behalf of two of its members who are applying to the academy.
This is a developing story.