If you've been on the fence about picking up the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, you might be pleased to know that the deal has been sweetened a bit.
Just announced at the San Diego Comic Con, Microsoft is dropping the price of the external HD DVD Player from $199 to $179 in the United States starting August 1st. It gets better as five free HD DVD movies are offered to anyone who purchases the add-on between August 1st and September 30th of this year.
Although prices are quickly dropping on HD DVD players, this is still going to be one of the cheapest ways to get a high-definition disc format in your home (provided you own an Xbox 360). Also, keep in mind that this drive also functions as a player for your PC or Mac with the proper drivers.
The 'free movie' deal is really just an extension of Toshiba's "Perfect Offer" promotion, which was originally reserved for Toshiba HD DVD players. This is a mail-in offer, and the discs are chosen from a selection of 15 titles. You can find a list after the jump.
Lastly, Microsoft is releasing
300 'on demand' on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on August 14th to promote the movie release on HD DVD. In a similar promotion, the first episode of
Heroes will be made available for download to promote the release of
Heroes: Season 1 HD DVD, though this one will be a free download.
Eh:
Tomb Raider
Chromicles of Riddick
Constantine
Apollo 13
Perfect Storm
We Were Soldiers
Um:
Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow
Rundown (?)
Four Brothers
Dukes of Hazzard
Blazing Saddles
Casablanca
U-571
U2: Rattle & Hum
YES!:
Seabiscuit
Contest:
8:53 AM on 07.26.2007
| 
If i get a 360 HD DVD drive from america, or japan, would i be able to use it on my UK 360 with UK hd dvd's???
Easy choices, all of them.
Apollo 13
Casablanca
Sky Captain
Blazing Saddles
Drink coaster (Our choices? German Seamen, New England Seamen, or a Jew hater...)
$179 IS awfully tempting for a near dead format... Especially since the NIN live concert video from last years tour is on HD DVD.
(lmao @ Chromicles)
$179.99 - $149.99 = $30.00
HD-DVD Player = $30.00
Um.... sounds like a good deal to me.
Where all the white women at?
needs to get shot.
if i could pick from any 5 movies at the store
i'd be happy
and they need to stop those combo discs too.
costs 10 bucks more than blu-ray WTF !!
After you answer this question, then pick the player, dont pick a player that will play *some* movies, but the one that will play the *most* and eventually over take the other one.
No reason. Just need that space for "legitimate archival purposes"
No really, someone just win god dammit. I am sorta sided with HD-DVD because the players are cheaper, and they can put both the DVD version and the HD version on one disc. Really all their movies should be that way, and just stop making the regular DVD's.
Grrrrr, I want my HD goodness.
I'm enjoying my HD-DVD drive. Planet Earth, the aforementioned NIN tour in 1080p, Goodfellas, Serenity, all killer flicks. I am picking up "300" and Hot Fuzz next week too.
HD-DVD is not dead, wait until Wal-Mart stocks 2 million cheapo HD-DVD players for $179 this holiday (not the 360 drive BTW). The only thing keeping Blu-Ray strong right now is studio support and PS3.
Sony made you buy a Blu-Ray player. So I bought HD-DVD on principle alone.
-Blu-Ray
-Beta-Max
-UMD
-12 different Memory Sticks
-Minidisc
Sony is more concerned about what format you're buying your media on than putting out good media. Name a great Sony Pictures movie, or Sony CD (that doesn't have root-kit!) from the last few years?
I still have no desire for any of the new DVD formats, though.
High-def sales have just now started to finally SLOW regular DVD sales, but they still haven't put a dent in them. With the PS3 forcing Blue-Ray down consumers throats, and the super cheap HD players coming, the war is just starting.
It'll be at least another year or two before a winner can be "picked," if even then. Expect this format war to rage on for a long, long time. There may not even be a winner, digital download could make physical media obsolete, period. Then neither wins.
"Woolworths go Blu-ray exclusive. Drop HD-DVD."
http://www.playthree.net/2007/07/woolworths-go-blu-ray-exclusive-drop-hd.html
There will be HD-DVD players under $200 hitting this holiday season, the cheapest Blue-Ray player will be around $350-400... Expect HD-DVD player sales to take back the "lead" they got from the PS3. On stand alone (not-PS3) player sales HD-DVD is winning.
It's like the Wii pricing all over again. I expect there to be a huge jump in HD-DVD player sales, because it'll be the first time a HD player enters a mainstream market price...
To throw back at you Crunshii, how about a $99 HD-DVD player !!!
It's only a special deal, but it shows that HD-DVD players are going to hit reasonable prices long before Blue-ray...
Target to sell only Blu-ray DVD players source, Microsoft.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=OBR&Date=20070726&ID=7235318
Blu-Ray is winning. Blu-Ray will probably win. It doesn't deserve it, though.