Connect with us

CBS News

The best Blu-ray players in 2024 make it easy to catch up on your favorite shows

Avatar

Published

on


Best Blu-ray Players

Amazon


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 

Panasonic DP-UB820

Amazon


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

Panasonic DP-UB9000

Amazon


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

Sony UBP-X700

Amazon


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

PlayStation 5 Slim

Amazon


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. 




Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

CBS News

Airline executives blasted at Senate hearing over carrier fees

Avatar

Published

on


Officials from some of the largest U.S. airlines faced intense questioning on Capitol Hill Wednesday over so-called junk fees passengers are being charged for baggage, seat selection and other services.

“Our investigation found that in 2023 alone, American, Delta, United, Frontier and Spirit collected more than $3 billion in seat fees — only seat fees. That’s not airfare, that’s just fees for booking a specific seat in advance, or selecting a slightly better seat,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal in a hearing by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on the impact of such charges on consumers. 

“And that’s an increase of 50% from 2018, just six years ago,” added the Connecticut Democrat, who chairs panel. 

Overall, tive U.S. carriers collected $12.4 billion in seat fees between 2018 and 2023, in addition to baggage and other charges, according to a report released last week by Democrats on the subcommittee. 

“Terrible experience”

Sen. Josh Hawley criticized Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines during the two-hour hearing for bonuses paid to gate employees to charge customers extra fees for large carry-ons. The subcommittee says Spirit and Frontier paid employees $26 million in incentives to strictly enforce airline bag policies in 2022 and 2023.

“You guys do appreciate that flying on your airlines is a disaster, don’t you?” the Missouri Republican said, adding, “Flying on your airlines is horrible, it’s a terrible experience. I mean, I say this as a father of three young children. But I can’t tell you — nobody enjoys flying on your airlines, it’s a disaster.” 

Spirit charges between $15 and $77 for a carry-on bag that won’t fit under a seat. 


United Airlines CEO talks flight junk fees, Trump’s potential tariffs

07:20

Airlines say that their fee policies are transparent and allow passengers to choose various travel experiences at different price points. Frontier said its incentive program aims to ensure “that all customers are treated equally and fairly,” CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave reported ahead of the Wednesday hearing. 

“We respectfully disagree with numerous statements and conclusions contained in the report,” Spirit said.

Asked for his response to the subcommittee’s findings, United CEO Scott Kirby told Van Cleave, “At United at least, we’re 100% focused on getting customers to choose to fly United. If you don’t want to check a bag, you shouldn’t have to pay the implied cost of checking a bag. We’re creating options for customers and it’s working.”

Airline fees have been a frequent target of criticism by the Biden administration, all the way up to President Joe Biden. A Transportation Department rule that took effect in October entitles airline passengers to automatic refunds when flights are canceled or significantly delayed, while also requiring airlines to reveal fees upfront.

The airline industry is suing to block another regulation requiring more prominent disclosure of baggage and cancellation fees. An appeals court has blocked that rule, and its fate is uncertain under President-elect Donald Trump.



Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

CBS News

Bullets fired at UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had words written on them, officials say

Avatar

Published

on


Early details on UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting


Early details on shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, search for gunman

02:49

Bullets that an unidentified gunman used to shoot and kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday morning had words written on them, CBS News has confirmed. 

The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” appeared on shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting in New York City, according to law enforcement officials. The officials said they are examining whether the words relate to a possible motive involving insurance companies and their responses to claims. ABC News first reported this information.

Thompson, 50, was shot multiple times before 7 a.m. ET Wednesday, by a masked gunman who fled the area before police arrived.

This is a developing story and will be updated.



Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

CBS News

Mexico announces the largest fentanyl seizure in its history. The timing may not be a coincidence.

Avatar

Published

on


Mexican soldiers and marines have seized over a ton of fentanyl pills in two raids in the north, with officials calling it the biggest catch of the synthetic opioid in the country’s history.

The raids came after a sharp drop in fentanyl seizures in Mexico earlier this year, and days after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico unless those countries cracked down on the flow of migrants and drugs across the border.

Experts say the timing may not be a coincidence.

“It is clear that the Mexican government has been managing the timing of fentanyl seizures,” said security analyst David Saucedo. “But under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to the increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.”

Saucedo said it’s clear the Mexican government “doesn’t see fentanyl as one of its own problems, and fighting it isn’t its priority,” He added there would only be big busts “when there is pressure from Washington.”

Mexico’s top security official said soldiers and marines late Tuesday spotted two men carrying guns in the northern state of Sinaloa, home to the drug cartel of the same name.

They chased the men, who ran into two houses. In one house soldiers found about 660 pounds of fentanyl, and in the other a truck packed with about 1,750 pounds of the drug, mostly in pill form.

“In Sinaloa, we achieved the biggest seizure in history of fentanyl,” Public Safety Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch wrote in his social media accounts. Several guns were also seized and two men were arrested.

Mexican authorities seize fentanyl
The contents of a vehicle are displayed after Mexican authorities conducted a joint operation, seizing fentanyl, at an unknown location, in this social media image released December 4, 2024. 

Omar H Garcia Harfuch via Reuters


President Sheinbaum said Wednesday that “this is an investigation that had been going on for some time, and yesterday it bore fruit.”

But that claim contrasts with the seemingly random nature of the bust, which started when a military patrol “noticed the presence of two men carrying what appeared to be guns.”

In the past, Mexican security forces have sometimes used the story of following armed men running into houses as a pretext to enter homes without search warrants. In at least one case, the government version was disproved by security camera footage.

The latest haul was striking because fentanyl seizures in Mexico had fallen dramatically in the first half of the year. At some points during the summer, under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, federal forces reported seizures amounted to as little as 50 grams (2 ounces) per week.

Figures for the first half of 2024 show that Mexican federal forces seized only 286 pounds (130 kilograms) of fentanyl nationwide between January and June, down 94% from the 5,135 pounds (2,329 kilograms) seized in 2023.

The synthetic opioid has been blamed for about 70,000 overdose deaths annually in the United States, and U.S. officials have tried to step up efforts to seize it as it comes over the border, often in the form of counterfeit pills made in Mexico from precursor chemicals largely imported from China.

As “60 Minutes” reported, the fentanyl crisis began 10 years ago when the cartels started to wrestle control of the supply chain from China, purchasing the drug’s precursor chemicals to make fentanyl themselves in clandestine labs in Mexico. In 2019, China “scheduled,” or blocked, finished fentanyl from being exported to the U.S., further cementing the cartels’ domination of the pipeline. 

López Obrador always denied that fentanyl is even produced in Mexico, though experts – and even members of his own administration – acknowledge that it is.

And if Mexico doesn’t go after those fentanyl production facilities, then they will still be churning out similar quantities in the future.

“It’s a very very big seizure,” Saucedo said. “But if they don’t dismantle the labs, this kind of production will continue.”

Also Wednesday, the U.S. State Department announced it was increasing the reward for the top leader of another cartel, Nemesio Oseguera, from $10 million to $15 million.

Oseguera, known by his nickname “El Mencho,” leads the Jalisco cartel, which like Sinaloa, is heavily involved in the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamines.

Last month, the son-in-law of “El Mencho” was arrested in California and charged with drug trafficking. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa “allegedly faked his own death and assumed a false identity to evade justice and live a life of luxury in California.”



Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024 Breaking MN

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.