Why even bother with Bluray players? Because I own an impressive Bluray library (over 350, the finest films, 30 + Criterions) and I can’t abandon this history. I can’t and I won’t. Hence the purchase of a new Bluray player, which I figured would be fairly inexpensive with just about everyone ignoring physical media these days.

Two days ago I ordered a Sony BDP–S6700 4K Bluray player for $149 — a mistake as it turned out. It’s a lightweight unit that’s only a step or two up from a plastic Crackerjacks figure.

It seemed okay at first, but yesterday morning I had a sudden interest in listening to a George Gershwin CD. I popped it into the new Bluray player, which is connected to the TV sound bar, and why not? I’d done the exact same thing a few times back in West Hollywood with no issues.

Alas, the Sony BDP-S6700 had an instant seizure seconds after attempting to play the CD. The entire system froze — no music, no ejecting the disc, no movie app streaming, a complete meltdown.

I finally persuaded the unit to cough up the CD. I then inserted a Scarface Bluray to see if basic functions were okay. It froze again and then refused to eject the disc. The player has been returned to Amazon with Tony Montana stuck inside.

Thanks, Sony, for manufacturing a device made of cheap-ass plastic, nickle-and-dime tech, a couple of rubber bands and a micro-sized hamster wheel.