
The already nicely priced
Xbox 360 HD DVD player just got slashed to $179. The new US-only, retail pricing also includes 5 free
HD DVD flicks when purchasing the player between August 1st and September 30th -- you know, the same time period
300 and
Heroes goes on sale in HD DVD format. Unfortunately, the free titles must be made from a selection of just 15 pre-selected films which Toshiba considers "popular." Nevertheless, the $20 price cut makes the Xbox 360 HD DVD player all the more enticing as an
easily hacked, USB-player for HD flicks on your PC.
Update: Xbox 360 owners will be getting downloadable treats to promote the add-on, Microsoft announced that the movie
300 will be available on
Xbox Live Video Marketplace in HD starting August 14th. In a repeat of the
South Park promotion earlier this year, the first episode of
Heroes will be made available for free prior to the release of the boxed set on HD DVD for a limited time.
[Thanks, Andrew and PacoDG]