HD DVD vs Blu-ray: The Endgame

Last week, Microsoft dropped the MSRP of their Xbox 360 HD DVD player add-on to $129.99 in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While this is already a great deal for those of you with the prerequisite Xbox 360 and HDTV, Amazon have been up to their old tricks, slashing a further $10 off the price of the player.

They've also added even more HD DVD titles to their 50% off sale, including recent films Black Snake Moan and Transformers.

For those of you without an Xbox 360, Toshiba's standalone HD-A30 1080p HD DVD player is currently available for $152.58 with free shipping, and includes The Bourne Conspiracy and 300 on HD DVD in the box, so you won't be stuck waiting for rebates.

Given the rarity of a 50% discount on box sets, it's worth mentioning the Mission Impossible Trilogy is available for $50, Star Trek The Original Series - Season One for $97.50, and if you can handle just 45% off, Planet Earth is available for $54.95.

Blu-ray Bargains

Of course, with Blu-ray sales figures already dominating HD DVD, there's little reason for retailers to discount. Nevertheless, those of you with Blu-ray players can still find the odd bargain like Stir of Echoes, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, March of the Penguins, and A Scanner Darkly for under $15, and Planet Earth for $54.95.