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
Watch Live: 2025 Golden Globes nominees announced by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut
Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut are giving us a preview of awards season on Monday as they announce the 2025 Golden Globes nominees for each of the 27 award categories — with 10 of the nominations exclusively revealed on “CBS Mornings.”
It’s another big year for TV and film, filled with gripping seasons, popular sequels and record-breaking achievements. Over the summer, “Inside Out 2” topped “Frozen 2” to become the highest-grossing animated film ever. Meanwhile, Disney’s “Moana 2” just set a Thanksgiving box office record while “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” battled for ticket sales.
In 2024, “Barbie” and “Succession” were the big names — each tied with nine nominations, followed by “Oppenheimer” scoring eight.
Nikki Glaser will be the ifirst woman to solo host the Golden Globes, which will air live on CBS on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. ET and stream on Paramount+. Glaser called the opportunity “scary” but “thrilling” but said she was up to the challenge.
“I’m extremely appreciative of this role I play. It’s the pinnacle of my career so far. I’ve reached my Everest in getting to host the Globes! I hope it’s something I get to do again,” Glaser told GoldenGlobes.com.
2025 Golden Globes nominees
Watch the nominations live in the video player above, beginning at 8:15 a.m. ET. Check back for a full list of the 2025 Golden Globes nominees after they are announced.
CBS News
12-year-old boy dead, 11-year-old girl in critical condition after falling through ice in Albany, New York
A 12-year-old boy is dead and an 11-year-old girl is in critical condition after both children fell through ice at a park in Albany, New York, authorities said Sunday.
Albany Police said they responded late Saturday afternoon to Washington Park Lake for reports of two children who had fallen through the ice. Officers found an 11-year-old girl who was treated at the scene and taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital in critical condition.
Later, members of the New York State Police underwater recovery team searched the lake, and at around 7:25 p.m., the body of the boy was recovered from the lake.
Investigators believe that the boy tried to walk north across the lake towards the lake house and fell through the ice, and the girl who witnessed him fall tried to help. She apparently “followed the same path of travel across the lake, where she also fell through the ice,” police said.
Both children are students of the North Albany Middle School, the district confirmed in a social media post.
“Our hearts go out to the families of these students at this incredibly difficult time,” Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter said in a statement. “This is a terrible tragedy and we are grieving as a school community.”
According to New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Washington Park Lake covers over 5 acres and has an average depth of 6.6 feet and a maximum depth of 11 feet.
Erica Sheer, who didn’t know the children, told CBS affiliate WRGB-TV that she came to the lake Sunday to honor them.
“Well, I decided that I would take a walk over here just to pay my respects to the spot where this happened and pray for the young boy and the young girl who were in the accident yesterday and their families and to wish them well,” Sheer told the station.
CBS News
Search for murder weapon in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting continues. Here’s what police have found so far.
NEW YORK — The manhunt in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder continues to expand.
Police have been searching Central Park for clues, both on land and in water, as U.S. Marshals work to figure out where the person of interest boarded a bus to New York City.
Central Park dive teams looking for murder weapon
NYPD dive teams were seen near Central Park’s iconic Bethesda Fountain all weekend, searching for the murder weapon.
Police say the weapon is critical, because detectives can potentially find out where it was purchased and who owned it.
For now, police say the lack of concrete evidence is why they are referring to the man seen in surveillance images as a “person of interest.”
On Friday, police discovered a backpack they believe belonged to that man. They said a jacket was found inside, but sources tell CBS News it was not the one worn during the shooting. Fake Monopoly money was also found inside, but no gun.
Search expands to Greyhound bus stations
Police sources say the search has expanded to Greyhound bus stations between New York and Atlanta, as they work to figure out where the man boarded a bus that brought him to the city.
The latest photos from the NYPD show the person of interest with his mask on in the back of a taxi. But the most telling photo yet is one where he briefly lowered his mask to talk to an employee at the Upper West Side hostel where he had been staying.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams sounds optimistic an arrest will be made soon, adding police have a name and are “tightening the net.”
The FBI is putting out posters, referring to the man as a suspect, and promising a $50,000 reward. They say he was last seen at the Port Authority bus terminal in Washington Heights 45 minutes after Thompson was killed.