Xbox 360 HD DVD drive now officially $49.99

Look, don't act like you didn't know this was coming. Microsoft has started selling its Xbox 360 HD DVD drive for the ultra-bargain price of $49.99. So now's your chance to get one super-duper cheap. Or you could just throw that $50 into the garbage... same thing.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Robert @ Feb 25th 2008 3:37PM]

I wonder if thier going to extend the 5 free hd dvd's? its supposed to last until 2/28/08

[superfresh @ Feb 25th 2008 4:08PM]

This thing isn't nearly over. I wouldn't go buying a Blu-Ray player just yet.

Not with HD-DVD touting relationships like this on their site:

http://www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com/hddvd/about/partners/

BTW, this is my first time on Engadget. I was born yesterday.

[rv @ Feb 25th 2008 5:09PM]

Im debating whether to buy one...
It would be sweet. Then again, its dead. I think I will pass.

[Jason @ Feb 25th 2008 6:09PM]

I bought one of this in early December. I mailed in the paperwork to get my free movies the next day. Here it is, end of February, and I still haven't received them.

Even if MS still has the coupon posted on their website somewhere, I wouldn't expect them to honor it anymore. They apparently weren't honoring them back before HD-DVD died, so there's even less likelihood of it now.

[rv @ Feb 25th 2008 6:20PM]

But then if I did get it, it would be like, bro.
but if I didnt, id be like, yo.
Its insane,,,

[sirnoobius @ Feb 25th 2008 3:38PM]

i see what you did there.

but still considering you still get the 5 HD dvds with it i think it's a bargain. 5 movies and the player for 50. that's 10 per movie.

[bioadam @ Feb 25th 2008 3:50PM]

But experience says that your Xbox 360 and its HD DVD add-on will eventually yellow and join the pile of outdated electronics that you've been storing next to your "rollerblades". A that moment, those $10 HD DVDS become either worthless little frisbees or artsy coasters of trivial value. A stand-alone player is the better investment for one day enjoying your ersatz movie collection.

[telepheedian @ Feb 25th 2008 4:09PM]

@bioadam:

Ha, I just had my rollerblades out 10min ago.

[Jonathan @ Feb 25th 2008 4:30PM]

Plus it includes the universal remote which cost $20 on its own.

[boydston02 @ Feb 25th 2008 6:05PM]

@sirnoobius

Not a bad idea. Ultimately, you are really paying for entertainment not a format or even hardware. Those are just means to an end. It does not matter much if it is a disappearing technology. If you get small library of movies for a price YOU'RE happy with, you then get to enjoy them as much as you like for a number of years.

Shoot, I still buy VHS tapes if I find a movie I want to watch for around a dollar. I figure even if I watch it only once and throw it away, it was worth a buck!

[Jake @ Feb 25th 2008 6:25PM]

Friends don't let friends rollerblade.

-jp

[notsuh @ Feb 25th 2008 9:18PM]

Agreed..this is an absolutely awesome deal. So what if the tech is going to be dead by the end of the year? You can hook the hd-dvd drive up to your pc and rip those movies to your heart's content - meaning that they're basically format neutral at that point. And there's already a pretty decent sale on hd-dvd media at amazon, with more price cuts sure to follow.

[Jim @ Feb 25th 2008 10:42PM]

Yeah, I read this and actually bought the drive after work tonight. For $50 I get King Kong, 5 HD-DVDs and a remote control I can "regift" to my brother since I already have one (but it came in very handy the past 4 months streaming shows from Transcode 360). It's not a bad deal really. I'll still watch the movies and can rent at Blockbuster and Netflix until they totally discontinue. And, I'm anticipating a big drop in prices on HD-DVDs in the coming months and year. I looked at a Sony BDP and it was $400 and not even the current firmware. I'll wait until they drop in price ($200 would be good for me) and have Version 2.0.

[srw985 @ Feb 25th 2008 3:38PM]

$49 = £???

[srw985 @ Feb 25th 2008 3:39PM]

play.com has £69 right now which is less than it was but thats like $100+

[Homeboy @ Feb 25th 2008 3:41PM]

I'm waiting to hear something from MS UK because I'm seriously considering picking up one of these if the price is going to be brought down to £32 or so.

[Jakob @ Feb 25th 2008 3:43PM]

$=£
€=OMG.

[ben @ Feb 25th 2008 4:18PM]

£>€

[Vasilis @ Feb 25th 2008 4:56PM]

25£

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 3:38PM]

Hey that gag reminds me of Jim Gaffigan's Hot Pockets bit:

"Lean Pockets, I don't even wanna know what's in those. I wonder what the directions are on a box of Lean Pockets: 'Remove from box, place directly in toilet.' Flush Pocket!"

[Brodie @ Feb 25th 2008 3:44PM]

Hey buddy. I like hot pockets.

[Joe B. @ Feb 25th 2008 4:00PM]

I've actually seen that! I thought it was hilarious.

"You can have a Hot Pocket for breakfast, a Hot Pocket for lunch, and you would be dead by dinner!"

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 4:23PM]

Good Morning!!!! You're about to call in sick.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Feb 25th 2008 9:02PM]

hot pockets are like two girls and one cup. DISGUSTING

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Feb 25th 2008 9:02PM]

hot pockets are like two girls and one cup. DISGUSTING

[Eric M. @ Feb 25th 2008 3:39PM]

Meh, Call me when these start going for like $20 on eBay..

[Callemin @ Feb 25th 2008 3:41PM]

Does this thing play regular DVD's and can I connect it to something else then a Xbox 360 ? Then it would be nice !

[James @ Feb 25th 2008 3:43PM]

Yup works on any windows xp (with downloaded driver) or Vista natively.

Makes a great backpack drive if nothing else.

[Mike @ Feb 25th 2008 3:44PM]

These can be connected to your Windows PC.

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=325&type=expert&pid=3

[Duke 2 @ Feb 25th 2008 3:44PM]

Hmmm... getting close to my price point.

Drop it to $19.99 and I'll buy one, gut it out and store important docs in it like my will, savings bonds, spare keys, etc- much like those faux books you can buy with a secret compartment to store important belongings.

It's really perfect when you consider I'd never have to worry about having it stolen since an obsolete HDDVD player would be the last thing on someone list.

even better alternative to using my XBox 360 case for the same purpose and having to deal with recurring nightmares of turning on my console, seeing the dreaded RROD and then watch all my important docs go up in flames from the excessive heat.

... shudders at the thought...

[Joe B. @ Feb 25th 2008 4:03PM]

I doubt that a burglar would be picky when they break into your home.

"Damn it, thats an HDDVD player. I have no use for that!"

I'm guessing that they will try to take most anything that looks expensive.

[fenix @ Feb 25th 2008 3:57PM]

Netflix HD-DVD library here I come!

[Joseph @ Feb 25th 2008 4:00PM]

good luck with that.

[Nate @ Feb 25th 2008 3:59PM]

I might get one just to add to my "Hall of Useless Technology" which includes:

1. A Betamax console
2. Pulse-dial push button telephone
3. X-Ray glasses
4. Cold war era Russian-made toilet paper

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 4:05PM]

In Soviet Russia, TP wipes *you*!

[macona @ Feb 25th 2008 4:43PM]

Dont forget DVD-RAM.

[Nate @ Feb 25th 2008 4:50PM]

-- and how did I forget DIVX?!

[Dan Davis @ Feb 25th 2008 5:19PM]

Typewriter.

[computer.dude.28 @ Feb 25th 2008 5:32PM]

Uhh DivX is probably close to one of the most widely used codecs and I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon..

[Abuzar @ Feb 25th 2008 6:07PM]

Yeah but the DIVX players sucked.

[MasterCKO @ Feb 25th 2008 6:09PM]

no. not DivX, Divx. The ill-fated early competitor to DVD.

[Geir E @ Feb 25th 2008 6:12PM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIVX

DIVX (Digital Video Express) was an attempt by Circuit City and the entertainment law firm Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca and Fischer to create an alternative to video rental in the United States.

Which is not the same as

DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. (formerly DivXNetworks, Inc.), including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.

[computer.dude.28 @ Feb 25th 2008 6:46PM]

Ohh ok. I never heard about those.

[Joseph @ Feb 25th 2008 3:59PM]

Think purchasing one now could constitute a class action lawsuit? They are intentionally selling something that is extinct.

[James @ Feb 25th 2008 4:21PM]

It's people like you that give us honest working Americans a bad reputation. No wonder the rest of the world says we are fat, lazy, "sue-happy" Yanks.

[Lionel Hutz @ Feb 25th 2008 5:12PM]

Yeah, that definitely works. I have a great business going where I purchase dinosaur bones from eBay sellers and then sue them for intentionally selling something that is extinct! Please contact me if you want to form a partnership, I've been wanting to branch into hi-tech.

[computer.dude.28 @ Feb 25th 2008 5:33PM]

I always know it's a good read when I see a Highest Ranked reply to a Lowest Rank :D

[sgt_easton @ Feb 25th 2008 6:18PM]

Tell me you're actually going to go buy this just to start a lawsuit. YOU are the reason that we get charged so much my doctors, lawyers, etc.

By the way, your frog icon offends me. Guess you're going to get sued.

[DP @ Feb 25th 2008 10:35PM]

Extinct? It isn't a freaking dinosaur.

[Joseph @ Feb 26th 2008 3:12AM]

for the record i own a toshiba hd-a2(love it and will keep it and my collection of HD-DVDs) and i am not saying i am going to buy it a 360 drive and sue. i am saying, aren't they leaving themselves open? This seems absurd. Imagine that PS3 went under and they stopped selling games and stopped manufacturing games. Is it fair for sony to drop the price and sell them? Not everyone reads engadget, etc... they could be duped.