HD DVD for Xbox 360 On the Cheap

From $200 to $180, now those of you sitting impatiently on underutilized high definition TVs can slap an HD DVD player on an Xbox 360 for $20 less. Stepping in at Comic-Con 2007, Microsoft announced the price trim to its already price-stealy Xbox 360 HD DVD effective August 1, 2007.

That's $500 for a Playstation 3 with Blu-ray (while supplies of the 60 GB model last) versus $400 + $179 ($579) or if we take into account the theoretically imminent $50 price drop on the 360, $350 + $179 ($529) making the 360 a still slightly pricier game/movie solution than the PS3. Almost apples to apples, which would have to include the Xbox 360 wireless adapter ($100), the 360 bumps to $629, making it considerably more expensive. If you want to get really technical, the PS3 comes with HDMI and a 60 GB hard drive, whereas you'd need the Xbox 360 Elite (120 GB, HDMI) at $479 to achieve near-parity. Add $100 (802.11b/g) + $179 (HD DVD) and you're up to $758.

$758 (Microsoft) vs. $500 (Sony)? Given Microsoft's decent (if not stellar) sales numbers, it says a lot about un-bundling discrete media technology when consumer demand for HD DVD and Blu-ray is currently just so-so.

But back to Microsoft's HD DVD price drop. If you're waffling, here's something that just might tip you over: Buy an Xbox 360 HD DVD player between August 1 and September 30 and courtesy Toshiba's "Perfect Offer" program for Toshiba-branded HD DVD players, you can get five free HD DVD movies by mail-in from a catalog of 15 pre-selected films (links to PDF). But...hmm...Constantine? Dukes of Hazzard? Tomb Raider? Sky Captain? Okay, I'll take Apollo 13, Blazing Saddles, and Casablanca anyway.

And don't forget: 300 (July 31) and Heroes Season One (August 28). I was bored and kind of annoyed with 300 the movie, but if you weren't, the two-disc HD-DVD special edition is selling for $22 and presently #1 in DVD bestsellers on Amazon.com.