Xbox HD DVD Gets Price Cut
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 7/26/2007
San Diego — Microsoft cut the price on its HD DVD add-on drive for the Xbox 360 video game console by $20, to $179, the company announced at the Comic-Con International 2007 show Wednesday.
The price, which is being offered only in the United States, will take effect Aug. 1. Also, purchasers of an Xbox 360 and HD DVD drive between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 will be eligible for five free HD DVD movies through “The Perfect Offer” campaign from the HD DVD Promotion Group.
Also at Comic-Con, the HD DVD camp showcased a number of new movie and TV titles coming to the format, including “Heroes: Season 1” from Universal, “300” from Warner, and “Star Trek: The Original Series” from CBS and Paramount.
Microsoft also said its Xbox LIVE Marketplace will feature exclusive content and extras.
“Heroes: Season 1” will be available Aug. 28 as a Web-enabled HD DVD title offering such Web-enabled interactive extras a Download Center, a Heroes Abilities Test, “The Helix Revealed,” character connections and picture-in-picture commentary.
As part of the Heroes promotion, consumers will be able to download trailers, teaser scenes and other promotional materials highlighting the “Heroes: Season 1 Boxed Set” on HD DVD from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. In advance of the street date for the set, Xbox LIVE members will be able to download for free the show's pilot episode in high definition for a limited time.
Xbox LIVE will also offer “300” on demand in HD starting Aug. 14, and is working with Warner Bros. on a “Bringing it Home” cross-promotional campaign.
CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment announced the upcoming release of “Star Trek: The Original Series” in a 10-disc HD DVD/DVD combo disc set featuring HD audio and video, picture-in-picture video commentaries and a virtual tour of the starship Enterprise.
Toshiba also announced the availability of the Qosmio G45-AV680, notebook computer with Dolby surround sound technology and the first U.S. model to feature an HD DVD-R optical drive with full 1080p playback resolution.
