Get Your HD DVD and Blu-ray on the Cheap

In the year or so that high-definition DVDs have been on the market, it's been an unavoidable fact that the cost of entry was at least $500 for some kind of playback device, the exception being Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player. If you've been holding out for a drop to something a bit more reasonable, your wait might be over.

First off, there's Toshiba's promotion that starts this Sunday, in which the anyone buying an HD-A2 gets an instant in-store rebate, bringing the price to $299. The catch is that the price cut only lasts until June 16. (But during that final week, the company will also take $100 off any HD DVD player.)

A better deal is Pioneer's new internal BDC-2202 drive for your PC (pictured), which not only plays back Blu-ray discs on your computer, it can burn 'em as well -- provided you've got the right camera and editing software. Unlike earlier four-figure drives, the 5X/2X burner (for single and double-layer BD-R discs, respectively) the BDC-2202 is a mere $300. It's not so convenient for watching movies (unless your PC is connected to your HDTV in the living room), but you can considering it the tradeoff for easy high-def moviemaking. Filmmakers, like all creative types, have to suffer for their art.