Get a Toshiba HD DVD player and 7 movies for $129.99
The format may be doomed, but the deals are just getting started. TigerDirect has the Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player for $129.99, including 7 movies (5 by mail, 2 in the box).
Welcome to the HD DVD Deathwatch, Day One. TigerDirect has the Toshiba HD-A3 player with 2 movies in the box (300 and The Bourne Identity) and 5 more by mail, all for just $129.99. That's practically a Black Friday price, which begs the question: Could this be the beginning of the end for HD DVD?
As you've no doubt heard by now, Warner Bros. Entertainment has decided to put its high-def eggs in Blu-ray's basket. It remains to be seen whether HD DVD can survive this move--the format's not much good if there are no movies available for it--but it could produce some killer deals on players. Like this one.
CNET hasn't officially reviewed the HD-A3, but you can check out a summary and some user ratings (7.2 out of 10 on average). The key thing to note here is that the A3 tops out at 1080i, not 1080p. I don't consider that a major shortcoming (my eyes can't see a difference between the two), but videophiles will no doubt raise the red flag.
What do you think? Good time to scoop up a clearance-price HD DVD player? Or is there no sense spending money on a doomed format? I'm eager to hear your thoughts. In the meantime, don't wait if you want this player; I guarantee they won't last long.