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A Cost-Conscious Renters Guide For Building Your High-Def Home Theater

Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 04:30 PM ET
Tags: HD Gear, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)

High-Def Digest walks you through a series of tips and tricks for putting together an impressive high-def home theater setup that won't break the bank or cost you your deposit!

By Michael S. Palmer

“I live in apartments. Two story town homes. Condos. Even houses. I live alone. I have roommates. I am single. I am married. I live in the top floor. I live in the basement. I have neighbors above, below, and next-door.

Hello, my name is Renter. And I am an HD-junkie.”

Hello Renter,

It starts so innocently. I know. You see an HDTV for the first time -- maybe in a store, maybe at a friend’s home -- and you know you want it. No… you can’t possibly live without it. Bright and clear and seemingly perfect.

So you pick up a new HDTV, bring in an HD-DVR from your cable or satellite provider, and bam, you’re up and running. Only not. The truth of the matter is that TV speakers are lifeless, and high-def from your cable company isn't always as top notch as you might like it to be (think 720p). Oh, and now that you have a big screen you notice that DVDs aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be. Yep. It’s time for Blu-ray. And dynamic speakers.

In a utopian paradise, this is where you would draw up blueprints, rip out walls, build a soundproof, acoustically magnificent, room-within-a-room, and come home every night to a dedicated home theatre. A 1080p projector shines on a 150-inch screen. Audio and video cables hide in your walls. And your seats are those D-Box Motion Code recliners where you literally sit ON the subwoofer.

But sadly, Renters, you don’t have free reign. You live in an apartment directly over the building managers (an aging couple who need to shout their conversations because they’re both deaf, yet somehow, you tip-toeing across your floor they can hear). You put down expensive deposits and you hope to get most of it back. And you’re not even ready for the ultimate system, because who has many thousands of extra dollars sitting around, collecting dust?

Hello, real world.

But Renter, this shouldn’t stop you from having an amazing home theatre. When you’re ready to dip your toe in the HD waters, try these steps and cost-saving tips. Done right, and with a wee bit of luck, you’ll do this under budget and without forfeiting your deposit.

STEP 1: PREP

RESEARCH: Scour the internet. There are tons of forums, blogs, and audio/visual recources to help you out. All online. Available for free. Peak around, find the ones you like, then read product reviews, ratings, and recommendations. Learn prices, technical specs, and what you might want (Satellite, bookshelf, or floor-standing speakers? How many HDMI inputs do you need? What about audio? 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?).

SET AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL FOR YOUR BUDGET: As an example, let’s say we want to watch 1080p HD video on Blu-ray, play video games, and experience the sonic firepower of uncompressed digital audio in surround sound. But shopping for HD home theatre gear can be like house hunting -- never fall in love with something you can’t afford. And the great news is there’s a system for just about every budget. So, find a comfortable number, and stick to it. That’s your ceiling. End of discussion.

TV TIP: To truly enjoy 1080p video, you need two things: a capable TV, and a screen large enough for your viewing distance. The home theatre gods over at THX have some great advice. For a cinema feel, avoid smaller than 50 or 60 inches, if possible.

A/V RECEIVER TIP: Research receivers’ THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), which is noise/static caused as volume increases. You want a rating between .01% - .08%.

DEMO BEFORE YOU BUY: Speakers aren’t universally appealing to everyone’s ears. Certain receivers are more for music reproduction, others are more geared towards cinephiles. You need to test everything in person. Decide for yourself what sounds best to you. This is a big purchase. And you need to live with it and hopefully love it for a very long time.

DEMO TIP: Bring your own media, both music and movies that you know and love, which have wide dynamic ranges (low, midrange, and high notes), and active surround sound effects. And don’t be disappointed if you can’t get a multi-channel surround test of every system. If you find a front pair that you love, you’ll probably enjoy the center and surrounds from that same brand/model line.

WHERE TO DEMO: You have THREE options. Harass friends who already have gear in your price range, walk into a Big Box Store (Best Buy etc.), or find a home theatre specialist/custom installer.

BIG BOX STORES vs. HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Renter, can you walk into Best Buy, find a sales associate, give him or her a budget, and walk out with a middle to high end surround sound set up? Definitely. I’ve met many Best Buy/Magnolia employees who are passionate and knowledgeable (also, they do not work for commission), but you still need to walk in knowing your stuff.

For my hard-earned dollar, after one great experience with a smaller, boutique, professional installer, you’ll never go back. Not only can they match and beat prices in the big box stores, but you’re often dealing directly with the owner who can actually make deals. And, in our troubling times, it feels pretty damned good helping out Main Street over a mega-corporation.

Specialists and installers live for home theatre. They have to, or they go out of business. They’ll introduce you to brands you didn’t see in your research, and they often know more about what you actually need, than what you think you need, which saves you money. Big box stores seem driven to push you up into better more expensive models, where a specialist wants to give you exactly what you need for the money and space you have.

HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Fire up one or more of those audio/visual forum you found during research. Reach out to enthusiasts in your community for personal recommendations. Remember to always search for any question you have before posting a new one. And don’t worry if some specialty places are snobby when you’re not spending mega-bucks. You’ll just leave. The smart ones know a young renter purchasing his first system will want to come back to buy the bigger system someday if he’s satisfied.

STEP 2: SAVING GREEN

RECYCLE GEAR: What do you have that can be used in the new system? Maybe you have a receiver that’s a couple years old, or some leftover bookshelf speakers suitable for your rear surround sounds.

KNOW YOUR COSTS: Find the cheapest price online, and use that as your starting line for haggling. If a retailer won’t beat the price, walk away.

BUY THE WHOLE SYSTEM AT ONCE: The more you buy, the more a retailer can toss in free accessories, or overall discounts. When you’re ready to have a complete surround sound system. Take the plunge.

CASH: Credit Cards charge companies for their services. If you pay by cash or check, some retailers are willing to pass the savings onto you.

LAST YEAR’S GEAR: Retailers are always getting in newer models. If you play it right, or just happen to be lucky, a retailer will give you a discount on last year’s gear to clear out their storerooms.

FLOOR MODELS: Wouldn’t recommend this for HDTVs, given the amount of in-store abusage, but definitely check out available demo speakers. They’re probably the exact system you just evaluated and loved. The trick here is to see how the store maintains and cares for its equipment. If everything looks up to par, take them home (they usually come with a full manufacturers warranty).

WHERE NOT TO CHEAP OUT: Put money into your center channel. In movies especially, so much information is delivered from that one speaker.

NECESSARY POWER WATTAGE: Do you really need 130 or 140watts per channel? Speaking from a personal experience, a home theatre specialist recommended a receiver with 100watts/channel for my apartment. So I dropped down to a less powerful unit, and saved hundreds of dollars. And believe me, I haven’t even begun to turn my system up to full strength, yet it’s deafeningly loud and showing no signs of strain or distortion.

SUBWOOFER OPTIONAL?: This one goes out to my cousin, Apartment Building Renter. If you live above someone, they probably won’t enjoy thundering bass exploding over their heads and shaking their walls. Save a few hundred bucks by finding floor-standing front speakers that have BUILT-IN subwoofers (Definitive Technology is one company that does this). They won’t be quite as powerful as a stand-alone sub, but they come pretty close.

5.1 IS STILL AWESOME: 7.1 is all the rage in Blu-ray capabilities, but let’s be clear here. Stay at a very immersive 5.1 set up, and you just saved on the cost of two speakers, and the hassle of running two more speaker lines. Further, 7.1 is not a consistent feature on Blu-rays, and if you run a 5.1-mixed movie on your 7.1 system, no sound will come out of the two rear speakers (unless you activate you’re a/v receiver’s artificial signal processing to do so. But why would you want to alter a professional, uncompressed mix? An amazing team of artists worked long hours to make the 5.1 perfect.).

ACCESSORY MARK UP: Do not buy Monster Cables, or any brand for that matter in a big box store (even Radio Shack). It’s literally like burning money. Truck on over to Monoprice.com. They have everything from HDTV wall mounts, speaker wire, HDMI cables, and surge protectors, at wholesale prices.

MORE INTERNET SHOPPING: Renters, we need to share our love for Amazon.com. Nine times out of ten, their prices are significantly lower than brick and mortar big box stores (Blu-rays especially). If you can’t find a deal for the gear that you loved, order it online. Many items have free shipping, and (in California at least) it’s TAX FREE. The only trouble is being able to hold back that “I want it now” temptation of going to a store.

PS3: Want Blu-ray (with every HD Audio codec supported including DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD, and Linear PCM), DVD playback, media server / internet capabilities, and access to truly life-like games? It’s all in one system. The PS3. Hands down the fastest, most capable Blu-ray player on the market for its price. One drawback, however, is that it doesn’t have streaming capabilities for things like Hulu or Netflix (without 3rd party software), but hopefully this is only temporary.

HD AUDIO TIP: If you do get a PS3, to experience uncompressed audio, you need an a/v receiver that has at the very least 1 HDMI input, and 1 HDMI output. But you’ll probably want more inputs for other/future devices.

STEP 3: FAMILY FRIENDLY & CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE

FAMILY FRIENDLY (AKA, GIRLFRIEND PROOF): Sorry ladies, but let’s be honest, pure terror ran across my mother’s or girlfriend’s faces when they saw 8 remotes on a coffee table. Take a bit of that money you saved, and get a computer programmable universal remote. The Logitech Harmony series is cheap for beginners, and easy to program/use on a daily basis. Problem solved (marriage saved).

PS3 REMOTE TIP: Logitech now has an accessory to run the PS3 with their Harmony remotes. You’ll need this because the PS3 game controllers and remote (sold separately) use Bluetooth.

CALIBRATION: It’s running. It looks and sounds good, but Renter, time to make your system hit peak performance, for which you have two options. Hire a professional (best results, but expensive), or do it yourself (cheap, but might not be perfect). If you can live with ‘good enough’, you can pick up a calibration disc like DVE HD Basics for under $20, or if you happen to have a Blu-ray with the THX logo, one of the menu options will be a calibration process called the “THX Optimizer.” Another good choice is Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark. Simple and easy to achieve great picture and perfect sound.

SPEAKER PLACEMENT TIP: Thanks again, THX.

SPEAKER WIRE TIP: Since you can’t run wires through walls, your best bet is to hide audio wires under a rug, along the floorboard, or behind bookshelves/furniture. Another (more expensive) option is to get wireless system for the surrounds, so there aren’t any rear wires. There are drilling and other installation options as well, but again the costs are high, and you have to fix it all before you leave. You can always have whatever you want. It’s just never free.

SETTING THE CROSSOVER TIP: It’s important when you have a subwoofer to tell the receiver, even if you have floor-standing speakers, that you have small speakers. This ensures that the subwoofer will handle the lower frequencies (usually below 80Hz).

NEIGHBOR FRIENDLY: There are certainly an infinite number of tiny tweaks you can make, but we’re renting, and living in the real world. This is just about getting you started. But, it’s very important as you are testing out and enjoying your cinematic wunderkind (side tangent: in addition to rolling out the red carpet for Blu-rays, try watching sports or playing your favorite video game in surround sound. You’ve been missing half the experience) to turn it up and talk to your neighbors. Is the sound or the bass bleeding through a little or a lot? Learn your limitations and be respectful, because some day you could live next to someone who never sleeps, and spent more money than you on speakers.

Good luck, and enjoy. I never knew how much of the music or movies I was missing until I purchased my first surround system that included floor-standing front speakers. And as for the best review my system ever received? My girlfriend lost 50% of the hearing in her right ear a few years ago, but these speakers are so clear she can actually hear in both ears.

Remember, Renter, you are not alone in your addictions, and this is only the first step in your home theatre journey.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Frys and Blockbuster Offer HD DVD Bargains

Tue Dec 30, 2008 at 01:30 PM ET
Tags: High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Reminiscent of the Ghost of Christmas Past, HD DVD deals continue to materialize almost a year after the end of the format war.

In what looks to be a one day sale, Frys is offering a special on the XBOX 360 HD DVD player, that comes bundled with HD DVD box sets of Heroes: Season One and Battlestar Galactica: Season One.

Meanwhile, Blockbuster is offering its collection of previously viewed HD DVD titles for $7.99 a piece. With over 350 titles to choose from, this offer could prove tempting for many high-def fans (Editor's Note - I for one am tempted! Then again, I still rummage through LaserDiscs at second hand stores and garage sales).

If you're looking for a backup HD DVD add-on for your XBOX, or interested in nabbing some high-def titles that have yet to hit Blu-ray, these offers could be right up your alley.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Frys offering XBOX 360 HD DVD Player and 'Heroes'/'Battlstar Galactica' Bundle [Frys.com]
Blockbuster Selling HD DVDs for $7.99 [Blockbuster.com]

Amazon Offering $50 Gift Certificate to HD DVD Customers

Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Amazon, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

In a move reminiscent of last month's Best Buy offer, Amazon has begun contacting customers who qualify for a $50 gift certificate for purchasing HD DVD players.

In a company email that has begun going out to qualifying customers, the company states that players purchased before February 23, 2008, the same date specified in the Best Buy offer, qualify for the gift certificate, which can be used for new purchases on the site.

The email states, "New technologies don't always work out as planned. We at Amazon.com value our customer relationships more than anything and would like to support customers who purchased these players by offering a credit good for $50." The announcement does list some restrictions for the certificate's use.

Unlike the Best Buy offer, the company does not mention trade-in options for HD DVD media, but does state that the "Amazon.com Marketplace is available to sell items you might not want anymore as you upgrade to new ones." Perhaps suggesting that customer's might want to use their certificates to bring down the price of a shiny new Blu-ray player.

The program will run through April 9, 2009, so customers have plenty of time to take advantage of the offer.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Best Buy Offers $50 Gift Cards To HD DVD Buyers

Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Best Buy, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Hoping to help heal the battle scars of the High-Def format war, Best Buy has announced plans to offer $50 gift cards to all customers who purchased HD DVD players before February 23, 2008.

As announced via press release this morning, customers will receive the gift cards for every HD DVD player or HD DVD attachment purchased at Best Buy before the February 23, 2008 cut off date. All told, the company estimates it will distribute more than $10 million dollars in gift cards.

“The DVD format war has divided our customers in a way we haven’t seen since Betamax took on VHS,” said Brian J. Dunn, President and Chief Operating Officer for Best Buy. “Now that the format war is over, we hope these gift cards will reassure our customers that we will help them make a smooth transition into the right technology for their needs.”

Best Buy says it will proactively mail the cards to all customers whom they can determine purchased qualifying equipment. Best Buy Reward Zone members, Performance Service Plans (PSPs) participants, and online customers should expect to receive their gift cards in the mail by May 1. Other customers should have credit card proofs of purchase or Best Buy receipts ready and call (888) BEST BUY.

“The beauty of this offer is that it doesn’t require our customers to give up their HD DVD player,” said Best Buy’s chief marketing officer, Barry Judge. “We know that many people who purchased these players have HD DVD movies that they would like to continue to watch. We’re telling our customers they can keep their players to play these movies as well as their older DVDs and use the $50 to treat themselves to anything else in our stores.”

Customers who want to trade in all of their HD DVD equipment and movie libraries will also have that option. By visiting www.bestbuytradein.com beginning March 21, visitors can get instant estimates regarding the value of their collections, regardless of where they were purchased. If they agree to the estimates, they will then be able to send their items to the Trade-In Center for free by downloading prepaid shipping labels. These customers will also receive payment in the form of an additional gift card.

Further information can be obtained by visiting the Best Buy HD DVD Action Center.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Best Buy Stands Behind Customers By Awarding More Than $10 Million in Gift Cards to HD-DVD Purchasers [Press Release]
Best Buy HD DVD Action Center [Best Buy]

Shhh! Circuit City Trading HD DVD Players for Blu-ray

Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 07:30 PM ET
Tags: Circuit City, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

Circuit City is allowing customers to trade in their HD DVD players and apply the original sales price toward the purchase of new Blu-ray players.

As first reported by Gizmodo earlier today (and confirmed at a Washington-area Circuit City this afternoon by High-Def Digest), the unpublicized offer is giving in-the-know customers a second chance at making the jump to high-def.

The offer only applies to players sold in the last 90 days, but that should give those who received HD DVD players for the holidays enough time to trade in their gifts for the winning next generation format. You must return the player in the original box with all of its accessories in order to qualify. Considering the price differences between the two player formats, there will likely be additional costs in making the exchange.

Note that this offer only applies to players and not to HD DVD discs.

(Thanks to Solstice X for the tip!)

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Circuit City Trading In HD DVD for Blu-Ray Players, Says Employee [Gizmodo]

Amazon Names Blu-ray 'Digital Format of Choice'

Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 09:18 AM ET
Tags: Amazon, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Though it will continue to stock movies on both high-def disc formats, Amazon.com said Wednesday that it will more prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software products on its website.

In a just-issued press release, the web giant said it was making the move in an effort to "help demystify high definition entertainment for consumers."

"The high-definition landscape is rapidly changing, and consumers are looking for guidance on how to make the best high-definition buying decisions," said Peter Faricy, vice president of movies and music at Amazon.com. "In order to best serve our customers, Amazon is recommending Blu-ray as the preferred digital format and will continue to carry the 'Earth's Largest Selection' of Blu-ray products."

Faricy went on to say that Amazon customers had "clearly voiced their support for the Blu-ray format," with sales of Blu-ray movie titles increasing from just over half of high-definition sales to over three-quarters of our high-definition sales since early January.

Though Amazon's statement this morning echoes a similar announcement from Best Buy early last week, the future of the HD DVD format by now is a fait accompli, following primary HD DVD backer Toshiba's announcement Tuesday that it would drop all efforts to produce and market the format.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Amazon.com to Support Blu-ray as the Digital Format of Choice for Customers [Press Release]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray over HD DVD (Feb 11, 2008)
Toshiba Officially Drops HD DVD (Feb 19, 2008)

Wal-Mart to Go Blu-ray Exclusive

Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:46 PM ET
Tags: Wal-Mart, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

The nation's top retailer will phase out its HD DVD support by early summer.

That's the official word this morning from Wal-Mart, first announced on the company's gadget blog, CheckOut.com.

According to Wal-Mart execs, the company will begin emphasizing Blu-ray in both brick-and-mortar stores and online over the next thirty days, with plans to completely phase out HD DVD movie and hardware sales by June 2008. The company will continue to sell DVDs and standard-definition hardware.

"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases, explained Gary Severson, senior vice president, Home Entertainment, Wal-Mart US.

"With the customers best interest in all we do, we wanted to share our decision and timeline with them as soon as possible, knowing it will help simplify their purchase decision, increase selection, and increase adoption long term. We anticipate enhancing our selection with continued great values in hi-definition Blu-ray products, so our customers can further enhance their entertainment experience at home."

As we've previously reported, Wal-Mart was a key promotional partner for the HD DVD camp this past holiday season, with the retailer prominently featuring a Toshiba HD DVD player in one of its television commercials.

Today's announcement from the retailer comes on the heels of news earlier this week that both Netflix and Best Buy had endorsed Blu-ray.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Wal-Mart Chooses a Hi Def Platform [CheckOut.com]
Wal-Mart on Blu-ray bandwagon [CNN Money]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray over HD DVD (Feb 11, 2008)
Netflix Goes Blu-ray Exclusive (Feb 11, 2008)
HD DVD Takes Centerstage at Wal-Mart (Nov 01, 2007)

Amazon Offers New 3-For-2 Deal on Blu-ray, HD DVD Discs

Tue Feb 12, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Amazon, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Yet another high-def disc deal to report. This time, Amazon is offering a free Blu-ray or HD DVD disc with the purchase of two others.

The promotion started this morning and can be applied to a list of over a hundred titles on either format. Among the Blu-ray titles included are 'Pan's Labyrinth,' 'War' and 'Casino Royale' (click for complete list of eligible Blu-ray titles). The HD DVD selection includes 'Batman Begins,' 'The Complete Matrix Trilogy,' and 'The Shining' (click for complete list of eligible HD DVD titles.)

At press time it wasn't clear how long Amazon would be extending this offer, but the promotion text that accompanies the offer warns that supplies are limited.

As we've previously reported, Amazon is also offering 50% off a different set of 150 HD DVD titles (from Paramount, Universal and Warner) as part of a separate promotion that kicked off last week.

To discuss these and other next-gen hardware and software deals, visit the Blu-ray Bargains and HD DVD Bargains areas in our forums.

(Thanks to all who sent in tip related to this story.)

Related links:
Buy Two Blu-ray Discs and Receive a Third for Free [Amazon.com]
Buy Two HD DVDs and Receive a Third for Free [Amazon.com]
Save 50% on HD DVDs [Amazon.com]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Pan's Labyrinth (Blu-ray)
War (Blu-ray)
Casino Royale (2006) (Blu-ray)
Batman Begins (HD DVD)
The Complete Matrix Trilogy (HD DVD)
The Shining (1980) (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
50 Percent Off Select Paramount Discs at Amazon (Feb 08, 2008)

50 Percent Off Select Paramount Discs at Amazon

Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: High-Def Retailing, Amazon, Paramount (all tags)

Amazon has added nearly fifty titles from Paramount and DreamWorks to its current sale on HD DVD titles.

The web giant is now offering a total of 146 HD DVD titles from Paramount/DreamWorks, Universal and Warner Bros at 50% off list price.

Among the newly added Paramount/DreamWorks titles are such hits as 'Zodiac,' 'Transformers' and 'Anchorman,' which are being offered at prices ranging from 14.95 to $19.95 a piece (view complete list of titles and prices).

At press time there was no word on how long this latest HD DVD deal would be offered by Amazon, although it's being billed as a limited time offer. For a full list of eligible titles and more information, click the link to Amazon below.

As always, you'll find up-to-the-minute information on these and other sales spotted in-store and online in the HD DVD bargains and Blu-ray bargains areas of our forums.

(Thanks to all who sent in tips related to this story!)

Related links:
Save 50% on HD DVDs [Amazon.com]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Zodiac: Director's Cut (HD DVD)
Transformers (2007) (HD DVD)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (HD DVD)

Microsoft Drops Price for Xbox 360 HD DVD Add-On (UPDATED)

Wed Feb 06, 2008 at 01:18 PM ET
Tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360, High-Def Retailing, Amazon (all tags) UPDATE: (5:35pm ET, 2/06/08) FormatWarCentral points out that Best Buy is now offering the Xbox 360 HD DVD player for $119.

Playing catch-up with a series of price drops on HD DVD players from Toshiba, Microsoft has shaved another $50 off the MSRP for its Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on.

That brings the new suggested retail price on the Xbox 360 HD DVD player in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to $129.99. (As we've previously reported, last August Microsoft dropped the price on the player to $179.)

Today's price drop from Microsoft (which is already reflected on the official Xbox site) comes on the same day that Amazon briefly offered the add-on for a mere $79.99. The web retailer promptly sold out of units at that price, and is currently selling the add-on via one of its partners for $155.67.

Purchases of the Xbox 360 add-on include a free HD DVD copy of of 'King Kong' inside the box, and qualify for an additional five free discs by mail as part of the HD DVD camp's "Perfect Offer" program.

(Thanks to Michael P. for the tip!)

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Xbox 360 HD DVD Player [Xbox.com]
Perfect Offer -- Five Free HD DVDs (PDF) [Xbox.com]
Amazon: $80 Xbox 360 HD DVD player with 6 free HD DVDs and shipping [Engadget]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Microsoft Reduces Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Price (Jul 26, 2007)


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