Xbox 360 HD DVD drives going for ?9.99 in Ireland

And you thought $49.99 was cheap. Word on the street has it that Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, which has been seen as slightly less valuable since Toshiba pulled the plug on the once mighty red format, has stooped to €9.99 across the pond at GameStop (among other locales). For those not savvy on the absurd depreciation of the US dollar, we're talking $15.47 -- and that's with a Media Center remote bundled in, too. We're totally straight-faced when we say that's actually not a half bad deal if you're a fan of the media already out there, but the parsimonious among us are definitely waiting for these to come bundled with our favorite cereals before pulling the trigger.

[Thanks, Conor]

[yui @ May 6th 2008 5:11AM]

wow! €9.99 is, cool....
At this price point I would like to have one for my......mmmm...for my....Mac...does it support Mac btw?!

[ChiWax @ May 6th 2008 5:34AM]

You are out of luck....and you knew that.....Q

[Tim Brown @ May 6th 2008 6:52AM]

Nice price for the remote, you could always take the drive apart and use the laser in a laser pen. http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/26/sonar-blu-ray-laser-pen-is-made-out-of-gutted-players/

[SuperDre @ May 6th 2008 9:27AM]

Well, with the right drivers you can enjoy it.. It's just an USB drive, and it already works under Linux (also on the PS3 LOL)..

[Flashpoint @ May 6th 2008 10:18AM]

I wrote Microsoft a letter explaining why I thought the add-on HDDVD drive was going to FAIL and they ignored it. GOOD FOR THEM !

I'll be able to buy an HDDVD drive with a side of fries next time I stop at a Burger King.

[Deputy Doffoos @ May 9th 2008 9:59PM]

You wrote them a letter?

Seriously...

[tekdroid @ May 6th 2008 5:11AM]

"...that's actually not a half bad deal if you're a fan of the media already out there..."
------
Does this upscale regular DVDs well too? If so then bargain+. I think I recall murmurings of l33t upscaling.

[ArcticFox @ May 6th 2008 5:16AM]

No it doesnt do any decoding whatsoever, all it is is a HD DVD drive in a USB caddy.

[tekdroid @ May 6th 2008 5:28AM]

ArcticFox, thanks. I guess that's just the standalones then.

[DaveC @ May 6th 2008 8:17AM]

Actually the 360 upscales DVDs with or without this drive, so long as you have an HDMI or VGA cable.

[Student Driver @ May 6th 2008 12:43PM]

Hooray for DaveC being right! I see this get mixed up a lot, and I thought that the HD-DVD drive was the only way to upconvert as well for a while. However, there are a few things to know:

1. You need the VGA cable if you don't have HDMI support before the Xbox 360 will go beyond 480p. The cable can be expensive, but there are other vendors out there.
2. The image is crap, and tends to have a washed-out look and, at least in my case, a grid of sorts came across my screen. I guess it's OK on some TVs, but it wasn't on mine nor others I've read about.
3. The upscaler on your tv (I have a Samsung 4671) is probably much, much better than what the Xbox 360 will spit out to it. I returned the cable after a couple games and a few DVDs.

[ZeroCorpse @ May 6th 2008 1:57PM]

My 360 VGA-HD image is crisp, clear, and has bold colors.

It's your TV, my friend. On my Insignia HDTV and on my Gateway 24" LCD monitor the 360 looks fantastic.

My only problem is that my monitor is 16:10 and so I get the black bars when I use it for 16:9 images. I could zoom it in, but then I get poor image quality.

Check your monitor/HDTV settings. I bet something's off.

[Dylan @ May 6th 2008 5:12AM]

Man, I wish I could find that deal here in New York; It'd grab it in a heartbeat. Those remotes don't come cheap.

It's almost like Crackdown, you bought it for the Halo 3 beta. Hell, buy a media remote get a free next generation full high definition multimedia player. It probably cost around the same to make the drive alone.

I might just pick one up anyway for a chic cup holder.

[Donedadonedone @ May 6th 2008 5:18AM]

Where in Ireland??

[RobertFoster @ May 6th 2008 5:29AM]

GameStop and Xtravision.

[cian @ May 6th 2008 5:28AM]

Where? I'm in Ireland... I don't have an xBox though, but it would make awesome gifts. So long as whoever I'm gifting to doesn't see this post..

[DB @ May 6th 2008 6:54AM]

i didnt see anything...

[Homeboy @ May 6th 2008 5:30AM]

Let them price cuts spread to London and I'll pick up 1-3 of them. Best and cheapest Christmas gift you can give to an owner of a 360 this year.

[NHAnimator @ May 6th 2008 7:59AM]

Yeah! And you could throw in a stack of new release movies on HD-D... er, nevermind.

[boozie @ May 6th 2008 5:33AM]

Amazon Germany had them for 10€ for the last two days also.
Now they are up to 19.97, still cheaper than the included remote would cost alone :)

[ChiWax @ May 6th 2008 5:33AM]

And I thought the 49.99 I paid here in the states was a deal for my back-up player. Considering it plays DVDs and hooks to a HD ready PC....anything under 50 bux is a deal. I have 100 HD-DVDs of movies I was planning to buy on standard-def. My future hi-def's will of course be of the blu variety. But I saved a ton on hardware and media in the death of HD. Plus these things will last for years. And my drives will connect to future 360s and all my future PCs....lovin it...Q

[martin @ May 6th 2008 5:57AM]

hmm at that price its worth it if you have a macbook air or any kind of umpc. cheapest external dvd drive id imagine

[marc_carroll @ May 6th 2008 6:22AM]

sucks to be you

i'm not gonna head to gamestop just yet. give me a heads up when they drop bellow the euro mark. i'll put it next to my ps3 so it can not only starve for media but wollow in the succes of the format i was banking on all along

[mnemo @ May 6th 2008 6:43AM]

Amazon Germany sold the drive including the remote for 10 Euro on Sunday. Now it's back at 19.97.

[ronderwear @ May 6th 2008 6:46AM]

I've got a 5-1/4 inch floppy drive here that consequently,
costs more.

[DB @ May 6th 2008 6:52AM]

an Xbox 360 hard DRIVE dvd DRIVE?

[Matt @ May 6th 2008 12:00PM]

HD-DVD, lol
Its a high-definition disc format, now killed off by Blu-Ray

Still, there's a respectable selection of good high-def movies available from when it was going strong so €9.99 ain't bad, even for buying into obsolete tech xD

[paul-engadget @ May 6th 2008 7:00AM]

they're still US$70 (equivalent) at one UK highstreet retailer (argos FWIW), saying price is down from US$240 equivalent.

[blizz419 @ May 6th 2008 7:12AM]

is that the N. Attleboro MA Dollar Tree? sure looks like it

[AJ @ May 6th 2008 9:30AM]

Nope, the N Attleboro store would have an 1190 over the doors...
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&q=dollar+tree&near=North+Attleboro,+MA&fb=1&cid=0,0,11819610821578661117&t=k&ll=41.945096,-71.346889&spn=0.015353,0.029011&z=15&iwloc=A

[brianjg @ May 6th 2008 7:24AM]

I live in Ireland and I just rang GameStop and they said they are 99.99Euro. Check your sources I'd say.

[teckx5 @ May 6th 2008 7:41AM]

They are definitely going for 9.99euro, I got one myself. xtravision are doing the same deal also!

[Raheem @ May 6th 2008 7:59AM]

Yeah this was on Hot UK Deals a few days ago - I would buy one if they crossed over to mainland, however I've always been such a proponent of digital downloads, I'd be a very large hypocrite. I guess that's why I studied Politics?

[Carl @ May 6th 2008 9:26AM]

Kmart in the US has em for $25, thats cheap enough for me to stop if I see a Kmart. I've got 3 backups. Only reason is because I have alot of HD movies, and with prices under $10, its cheaper to buy HD than standard DVD. I saw American Gangster for $7, and that was combo format.

Granted I'm sure no one cares, but I like it. Just waitin for a PS3 package I like, then I'll start buying blu

[AJ @ May 6th 2008 9:34AM]

Looks like the Kalamazoo, MI 49009 store.. yep, slow day at work.

[Popple3 @ May 6th 2008 9:34AM]

Does the Media Center remote work on a normal Windows MCE PC?

[Rock Stone @ May 6th 2008 1:14PM]

I can confirm the remote works on the Linksys Media Center Extender. I had to unplug the Linksys 'cause every time I used the remote, two devices would respond. 360 FTW

[justnorth @ May 6th 2008 10:16AM]

so the Xbox 360 HD DVD drives are going for about the same as a McDonalds meal across the pond?

[Pdexter @ May 6th 2008 10:34AM]

Actually just spotted today here in Finland Xbox 360 HD DVD drive going for 29 euros.

[Petur @ May 6th 2008 11:22AM]

I have an awesome story about the HD-DVD vs. BD war, I was working in a computer store, not very unlike Best Buy. And for I worked there for two years and I sold SOOO many HD-DVD players that it couldnt be true. And everyone didnt listen to me, I told them to wait to see who won the format war, just wait and see what happens.

But no, they baught their $2-300 HD-DVD players and today, they are hopefully very mad at them selfs, that they didnt listen to the big man in the comptuer store.

[ZeroCorpse @ May 6th 2008 2:00PM]

Why would they be mad?

I mean, it still works, and they probably got use out of it. It did what they wanted. They watched a library of HD-DVD movies on it, and they probably bought quite a few when they dropped in price.

No, it's not future-proofed, but I hardly think the people who own HD-DVD players are gnashing their teeth and tearing their hair out, yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOO! WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN TO THE GUY WHO SELLS ELECTRONICS?"

Seriously, dude. Perspective.

[Michael Chastain @ May 6th 2008 12:00PM]

I picked up an X-box 360 HD-DVD drive here in the US a few weekends ago for $50 minus a $50 rebate at Hastings. I don't think it came with a media remote, but it did come with the King Kong HD-DVD. It's hard to beat free.

[Byrdman @ May 6th 2008 1:29PM]

i just got one of these last week cause i needed an external drive for my eee pc to make installing operating systems easier. it does the job and the hd movies look awesome on my 360. yeah its a dead format but for the price its going for now (i've seen it at FYE for $20) it is totally worth it.

[sinai @ May 6th 2008 1:50PM]

will these work on a macbook air?

[phanbouy @ May 6th 2008 1:53PM]

works on a MBP, fwiw

[Popple3 @ May 6th 2008 3:37PM]

Local GameStop (Longford) sold out... The worst thing is, I asked a friend to get me one (he was getting one for himself after I told him) while I was at work, and he came back with one... The only one... For himself :(

[HunterXI @ May 6th 2008 4:47PM]

"the once mighty red format"

HD DVD was NOT a red format. It was a "blue" one. I wish people would stop making that mistake.

Not that it'll matter much in the future.

[tiptop @ May 7th 2008 5:19AM]

hi people3, i was offered one the other day at 40 euro cause game shop in longford were sold out, rosscomon was and athlone were sold out aswel...

The lad i bought it off has 2 left, 40 euro a pop. i only took it cause argos and the other stores are still asking for 49. i rang there head office and they said they wont be reducing it any furture as they already reduced it recently from 149..

let me know if you care to buy 1 of the fella @ 40 and il give u his number

he lives in ballymahon if thats closae to you..

[Conor @ May 6th 2008 10:37PM]

i reported this story to engadget after buying 3 of em in xtravision (2 for mates, 1 for me). its hard to beat as a very cheap stop gap before bd becomes affordable. films are €6.99 at play.com (free delivery) and £4.99 at hmv.co.uk

[hamburgmjd @ May 7th 2008 6:27AM]

There is a suburb in California called "Dublin". This is not Dublin, Ireland. A simple Google Search would have resolved that it's a US business.

7745 Amador Valley Blvd
(between Regional St & Starward Dr)
Dublin, CA 94568
[phone]
www.dollartree.com

The signage in the windows is in $ and not EUR! Did you also notice the trademark yellow paint on the sidewalks and typical Californian architecture?

Cmon guys you can do better than this.