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
2 smart ways to borrow money for 2025 (and 2 risky ones)
With just weeks left in 2024, many Americans may find themselves reevaluating their financial circumstances. This can involve reviewing what worked over the last 12 months — and what didn’t. And it may require exploring new ways to make ends meet going into 2025.
Not every borrowing option is equally as beneficial, however, and some may be more advantageous than others, especially in today’s unique economic climate. Broadly speaking, however, there are some better ways to borrow money heading into the new year than others. And there are some particularly risky ways of doing so right now. Below, we’ll detail which options to explore … and which ones borrowers may be better off skipping.
Start by exploring your potential home equity loan options here.
2 smart ways to borrow money for 2025
If you’re one of the millions of homeowners in the United States, then you likely have two smart and relatively inexpensive ways to borrow money in 2025. Here’s how you can do so via your home equity:
A home equity loan
The average home equity loan interest rate is just 8.40% right now. That’s almost three times lower than the average credit card interest rate. And with the median home equity amount at approximately $320,000 currently, there’s a lot of money to utilize at a low cost. Plus, if you use your home equity loan to make IRS-eligible home improvements, you may qualify to deduct the interest paid on the loan on your next tax return. So start shopping around online to see what rates and terms you may qualify for now (you don’t need to use your current mortgage lender to borrow from your home equity).
Start shopping for low-rate home equity loans online today.
A HELOC
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) allows you to withdraw from your home equity like a home equity loan would, except you’ll do so via a revolving line of credit instead of a lump sum. Rates on HELOCs just hit 8.55% — their lowest in all of 2024. Plus, borrowers will only need to pay interest on the amount of money they borrow, not the full line of credit they’ve been approved for. And the same tax benefits apply here as they do with home equity loans. With HELOCs having variable interest rates subject to additional declines as the overall rate climate cools, this is arguably one of the very best ways to borrow money right now.
Learn more about your HELOC options here.
2 risky ways to borrow money for 2025
And here are two less advantageous ways to borrow going into the next 12 months:
A credit card
The average credit card interest rate is now 23.37%. That’s more than $23 in interest for every $100 borrowed. So, if you can, avoid using your credit card as much as possible right now. Don’t expect rates on this product to decline in the new year, either, even if rates on other products do. Credit card interest rates are impacted by a complex and interrelated set of factors, of which the federal funds rate is just one component. Explore other ways to borrow money instead, even if you don’t have a home to use equity from now.
Do you have high-rate credit card debt now? Learn how to get rid of it here.
A personal loan
Sure, the average personal loan interest rate is almost half of what credit card rates are (currently at 12.31%). But that doesn’t exactly make them affordable, either, especially compared to home equity loans and HELOCs. So, if you can, try avoiding the personal loan route right now. Rates are high and will take most of 2025 or longer to drop to where home equity rates already are. In other words: If you’re comfortable using your home equity, it makes sense to substitute it for a personal loan.
The bottom line
Borrowing money in today’s evolving rate climate comes with inherent risks and opportunities. Navigating them will require a strategic and nuanced approach. By considering the above ways to borrow and others to avoid, you’ll better be able to set yourself up for financial success both in 2025 and, hopefully, in the subsequent years to come.
CBS News
Anthem Blue Cross says it’s reversing a policy to limit anesthesia coverage
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said Thursday that the health insurance provider is reversing a policy that was set to go into effect in February of that would have limited anesthesia coverage during surgeries and other procedures, a change that had prompted an outcry from some physicians and lawmakers.
The policy, which would have covered Anthem’s plans in Connecticut, New York and Missouri, was disclosed in recent weeks, with the company’s New York unit posting a notice on Dec. 1. The policy would have excluded people under 22 years old and maternity care.
According to the original policy statement, Anthem had said it would pay only for anesthesia treatments for the length of time that a procedure or surgery is estimated to require based on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s physician work time values. The insurer noted that claims for anesthesia “above the established number of minutes will be denied.”
In an email to CBS News on Thursday, Anthem said it was backing away from the policy, and added there had been “widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy.”
“As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change,” an Anthem spokesperson wrote in an email. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.”
Before the announcement of Anthem’s reversal, the plan had drawn criticism from medical professionals as well as Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, who wrote on social media on Wednesday that the plan is “appalling.”
“Saddling patients with thousands of dollars in surprise additional medical debt. And for what? Just to boost corporate profits?” Murphy wrote. “Reverse this decision immediately.”
Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon told the Hartford Courant Thursday that the policy would not take place in his state after negotiating with the insurer.
“After hearing from people across the state about this concerning policy, my office reached out to Anthem, and I’m pleased to share this policy will no longer be going into effect here in Connecticut,” Scanlon told the newspaper.
“Appalling behavior by commercial health insurers”
In a statement last month, the American Society of Anesthesiologists also called on Anthem to reverse the policy.
“With this new policy, Anthem will arbitrarily pre-determine the time allowed for anesthesia care during a surgery or procedure,” the group said. “If an anesthesiologist submits a bill where the actual time of care is longer than Anthem’s limit, Anthem will deny payment for the anesthesiologist’s care.”
The insurer’s new policy could result in denials of coverage to patients who might need more anesthesia because their surgery is difficult or unusual, or if a complication occurs, the group added.
“This is just the latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive their profits up at the expense of patients and physicians providing essential care,” said Donald E. Arnold, an anesthesiologist and president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. “This egregious policy breaks the trust between Anthem and its policyholders who expect their health insurer to pay physicians for the entirety of the care they need.”
CBS News
Anthem Blue Cross says it’s reversing a policy to limit anesthesia coverage
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said Thursday that the health insurance provider is reversing a policy that was set to go into effect in February of that would have limited anesthesia coverage during surgeries and other procedures, a change that had prompted an outcry from some physicians and lawmakers.
The policy, which would have covered Anthem’s plans in Connecticut, New York and Missouri, was disclosed in recent weeks, with the company’s New York unit posting a notice on Dec. 1. The policy would have excluded people under 22 years old and maternity care.
According to the original policy statement, Anthem had said it would pay only for anesthesia treatments for the length of time that a procedure or surgery is estimated to require based on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s physician work time values. The insurer noted that claims for anesthesia “above the established number of minutes will be denied.”
In an email to CBS News on Thursday, Anthem said it was backing away from the policy, and added there had been “widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy.”
“As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change,” an Anthem spokesperson wrote in an email. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.”
Before the announcement of Anthem’s reversal, the plan had drawn criticism from medical professionals as well as Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, who wrote on social media on Wednesday that the plan is “appalling.”
“Saddling patients with thousands of dollars in surprise additional medical debt. And for what? Just to boost corporate profits?” Murphy wrote. “Reverse this decision immediately.”
Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon told the Hartford Courant Thursday that the policy would not take place in his state after negotiating with the insurer.
“After hearing from people across the state about this concerning policy, my office reached out to Anthem, and I’m pleased to share this policy will no longer be going into effect here in Connecticut,” Scanlon told the newspaper.
“Appalling behavior by commercial health insurers”
In a statement last month, the American Society of Anesthesiologists also called on Anthem to reverse the policy.
“With this new policy, Anthem will arbitrarily pre-determine the time allowed for anesthesia care during a surgery or procedure,” the group said. “If an anesthesiologist submits a bill where the actual time of care is longer than Anthem’s limit, Anthem will deny payment for the anesthesiologist’s care.”
The insurer’s new policy could result in denials of coverage to patients who might need more anesthesia because their surgery is difficult or unusual, or if a complication occurs, the group added.
“This is just the latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive their profits up at the expense of patients and physicians providing essential care,” said Donald E. Arnold, an anesthesiologist and president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. “This egregious policy breaks the trust between Anthem and its policyholders who expect their health insurer to pay physicians for the entirety of the care they need.”