Get an Xbox HD DVD player for $49.99
No, really! It comes with full seasons of "Battlestar Galactica" and "Heroes," and it upscales regular DVDs.
Now, hear me out. No, you haven't traveled back in time to 2007, when HD DVD was still a viable format. And, no, I haven't lost the last of my marbles. Here's the skinny: Frys.com has the Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player for $49.99, plus around 8 bucks for shipping.
Why on earth would you want this thing? For starters, it comes with Battlestar Galactica season one and Heroes season one. That's about 35 hours' worth of mighty good viewin' right there.
It also comes with King Kong. I mention that for people who like movies about giant monkeys and the women who love them. I'm not one of those people, but to each their own.
More perks: the player upscales regular DVDs, adds an extra USB port to your Xbox, and comes with a very slick media-center remote.
Yes, I know: it's a dead format. But there are around 400 HD DVD movies and TV shows floating around out there, many of them selling dirt-cheap on eBay, Craigslist, etc. So, if you like movies and TV shows and own an Xbox 360, this is a nice little impulse buy.
OK, you can commence telling me I'm insane.