360 HD-DVD Bonus Announced

[Dr.Finger]

Microsoft is pushing the HD-DVD add-on for the 360 hard for the holiday season, touting it as the first mass market sub-$200 Hi-Def player. In that vein they've announced a deal giving buyers five free HD-DVD movies by mail with purchase of a system between now and January. Which movies are part of the deal?Serenity, The Chronicles of Riddick, Hulk, Children of Men, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Troy, Full Metal Jacket, Corpse Bride, The Prestige, Swordfish, Black Rain, Dreamgirls and Word Trade CenterThanks to GamesIndustry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=29790).

That's not a terrible selection for a deal like this.

[Grimgrock]

I bought my 360 HD-DVD drive on Tuesday of this week. These were definitely not in the list of options. My section was much, much, much less appealing.

[drakkarim]

dang, those are some nice titles, too bad i play consoles in the basement, where i don't watch tv, and watch tv in the bedroom, where i don't play games.

they need to start pushing the standalone dual players with these kinds of deals, like 5 hddvd moves and 5 bluray movies for buying a dual unit :) THAT would find its way into the bedroom :)

[Shadowstorm]

Children of Men would be an excellent movie to watch in HD.

[Skampy]

I'm so bad with mail in rebates, when i eventually do get the 360 addon, I'll have to force myself to send it in.

[Codicier]

Still waiting on my free (and not nearly as good as these) Blu-Ray movies for buying my PS3. :(

[eth3rton]

"This Sunday best buy is including the HEROES hd-dvd instantly with purchase of the 360 hd-dvd player. This will also qualify for the 5 free offer. (2 more hd-dvd's of your choice might be available instantly: see wiki for explanation)

Pick between:
Aeon Flux, Babel or The Italian Job.
The Hulk, Pitch Black or The Thing.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Swordfish or Full Metal Jacket.
Firewall, The Frighteners or U2: Rattle and Hum.
Black Rain, Darkman or Troy.

5 Free Offer Link
http://www.ebgames.com/gs/rebate/...rm_R11.pdf

Best Buy ad scan link thanks to xenoforgez. (deal is on the first pdf)
http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...8&t=633844"


http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=68762&t=633925&highlight=best+buy

[YoungAlCapone]

Damn, now I want one, and I honestly would use it so little that it would be pointless. But with free copies of Serenity, Children of Men and The Prestige... I mean... damn.

[Vandenh]

Not a bad deal but I am still not jumping on the next gen storage deals :) Maybe next XMas. Then again, maybe Star Trek Original HD-DVD might lure me in.

[Gorvi]

Not a bad selection of movies there, though that's quite a bit of spin calling it the cheapest HD player out there.

[Spigot]

Serenity, Heroes, Children Of Men and The Prestige would make this worthwhile for me... if I had that much extra cash and a wife who wouldn't kill me if I spent it on that.

[LarsenNET]

Still waiting on my free (and not nearly as good as these) Blu-Ray movies for buying my PS3. :(

Me too. Along with the 5 crappy HDDVD's for buying the HD addon months ago.

[ChaosDent]

touting it as the first mass market sub-$200 Hi-Def player.

That's a really bogus claim for them to make... Without an Xbox 360 it's a sub-$200 paperweight. The bonus movie selection is nice though.

[vladthedog]

So.. do you think if I were to buy it this weekend (to get heroes) I could get in on the GOOD 5 movie offer? Have they announced the official start date?

[Fubl]

you do relize it can be used as an external pc hd-dvd player...

[Vandenh]

you do relize it can be used as an external pc hd-dvd player...

Hmm I wonder if I could use my 360 to watch HD-DVDs connected to my Vista media server? Anybody tried this?

[The Iron Weasel]

You know I've seen Serenity in many a definition but not HIGH definition....I may have to consider this.

[Deunnero]

HDDVD bundle or Rock Band bundle ... this seems to be my biggest dilemma now.

[Reanimated]

Damn, if I didn't already have the drive I'd be all over this. That's an awesome selection of movies.

[Kamalot]

I have to admit, this is mighty tempting.

[Nite_Moogle]

This is probably what's going to hook me in.

[Digital Outlaw]

Gotta have an HD TV to watch HD movies

[karak]

I didn't ever even want the HD-DVD but those are awesome movies.

[caenelgren]

Yeah, I don't even have my HDTV yet but this is so tempting to grab so that I have it ready to go when I can finally afford the TV. Of course by the time I can afford an HDTV they might already be offering nice deals for Christmas 2008 =P~

hafta see what the girlfriend thinks about all this...

[LandStander79]

Does anyone know if I could still qualify for this 5 free movie deal for the 360 add-on if I already used the "perfect offer" earlier this year when I bought my stand alone player?

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't The Prestige a Blu-Ray exclusive in the U.S.? You can get the UK version from amazon.co.uk or xploitedcinema.com, but somehow I doubt they would include an import in this deal.

[Xerxes]

I'd just eat the cost and start bundling it with Transformers if I was MS.

[Venkman]

According to gamasutra.com, this deal is from Microsoft UK. Can anyone confirm it in the states? The major retailers in the US seem to offering the same old stuff.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15923

[roboninja]

Wow, a good selection from free movie add-on? Is the world ending?

[Xerxes]

According to gamasutra.com, this deal is from Microsoft UK. Can anyone confirm it in the states? The major retailers in the US seem to offering the same old stuff.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15923

I got it in a email last night.

[H1PO]

I still need to convice my dad that we are gonna need to buy one of these before long. We don't buy many DVDs, so he doesn't see the point. But I wanna join Netfix again, cancel our subscription to HBO. Maybe that'll convince him some.

[Venkman]

I got it in a email last night.

Sweet. It is tempting me now! :)

[vodka_mike]

Wow! A bundle deal with some movies that I would have actually bought on their own.

This might be a good idea for Christmas!

[LandStander79]

According to gamasutra.com, this deal is from Microsoft UK. Can anyone confirm it in the states? The major retailers in the US seem to offering the same old stuff.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15923

I checked the Best Buy website, no mention of getting Heroes free, but this is the list of movies they offer:

5. Select 5 HD DVDs
6. **ONLY SELECT ONE HD DVD FROM EACH
7. CATEGORY**
8. *************************************
9. Category A
10. ( ) Aeon Flux [PG-13]
11. ( ) Babel [R]
12. ( ) The Italian Job[PG-13]
13.
14. Category B
15. ( ) The Hulk [PG-13]
16. ( ) Pitch Black [NR]
17. ( ) The Thing [R]
18.
19. Category C
20. ( ) Charlie & The Choclate
21. Factory [PG]
22. ( ) Swordfish [PG]
23. ( ) Full Metal Jacket [R]
24.
25. Category D
26. ( ) Firewall [PG-13]
27. ( ) The Frighteners [NR]
28. ( ) U2: Rattle and Hum [PG-13]
29.
30. Category E
31. ( ) Black Rain [R]
32. ( ) Darkman [R]
33. ( ) Troy [R]

[Franjo]

How is the add-on as a hddvd player? Is it loud?

[CynicSter]

The free Hereos starts Sunday, it will be in the ad

[Grimmjow]

Some nice movies but I will wait when the HD-DVD drive addon is below $150.

edit: I just noticed my favorite movie of all time is on that list :( I may have to pic kit up sooner than I expected.

[Franjo]

Also, a quick question for somebody. I have the premium version without HDMI. I do have the vga cable though as well. In order to get 1080p, do I have to use my DVI port on my tv and hook my 360 up to that? thus enabling 1080p on the HDDVD?

I use the 360 on component right now on my 42inch sharp aquaos. It says I'm running in 1080p. I'm really tempted for this addon, it's inexpensive and it's a pretty good deal.

[Amankhan]

The movies listed in this deal are in fact for UK customers only.

http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/news-features/news/Get-5-Free-HD-DVDs-16102007.htm

Here's the US offer:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360hddvdplayer/hddvdnow/default.htm

[Franjo]

nevermind, answered my own question:
Q: Will the HD DVD player upconvert current DVD titles

A: If you use component cables, the player will not upconvert DVD titles. If you connect a VGA cable between the 360 and the TV set, you can upconvert your DVD titles to 720p, 1080i, or 1080p - depending on what your TV supports

Q: What resolutions can the HD DVD player play back HD DVD titles at?

A: If your 360 player is connected via component cables, then you can play back at 720p or at 1080i. Update (11/25/2006) - If you have an HDTV which supports 1080p over component, then you can view 1080p from your 360 via the HD DVD player (but no upscaling of other content mind you). If you are connected via the VGA cable, then you have the option of displaying HD DVD titles at 1080p. AGAIN - this is assuming your television set supports the resolutions in question.

[Xerxes]

Damn... US options suck. Give me Transformers and we made a deal. Heroes is nice and all.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Microsoft is pushing the HD-DVD add-on for the 360 hard for the holiday season, touting it as the first mass market sub-$200 Hi-Def player. In that vein they've announced a deal giving buyers five free HD-DVD movies by mail with purchase of a system between now and January. Which movies are part of the deal?Thanks to GamesIndustry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=29790).

That's not a terrible selection for a deal like this.
Man, I'm so glad they have the Prestige in high definition. So much would be added to that movie by a higher pixel count.:rolleyes:

[gzsfrk]

Dang. It.

I'm seriously running out of resolve to avoid buying one of these now. Still, I'm going to try and make it through till after Christmas to see where the format war is. If HD-DVD can build some momentum off the <$200 stand-alone HD-DVD player rumored to be coming to Wal-Mart this year, then I might be comfortable enough to go ahead and purchase either the HD-DVD add-on or a stand-alone unit.

However, I run the risk of not having this deal after Christmas. :(

As for the movies, I would pick of Serenity, Chronicles of Riddick, Corpse Bride, The Prestige, and... um.... Maybe Dreamgirls for the wife?

EDIT: The hell? The US list sucks. Well, not completely, but it's not as good as the UK list. From the US list, I guess I would pick up Aeon Flux, Firewall, Frighteners, Italian Job, and Pitch Black. Man... Corpse Bride and the Pretige were what I was most wanting, too. :(

[BabyJesus]

nevermind, answered my own question:
Q: Will the HD DVD player upconvert current DVD titles

A: If you use component cables, the player will not upconvert DVD titles. If you connect a VGA cable between the 360 and the TV set, you can upconvert your DVD titles to 720p, 1080i, or 1080p - depending on what your TV supports

Q: What resolutions can the HD DVD player play back HD DVD titles at?

A: If your 360 player is connected via component cables, then you can play back at 720p or at 1080i. Update (11/25/2006) - If you have an HDTV which supports 1080p over component, then you can view 1080p from your 360 via the HD DVD player (but no upscaling of other content mind you). If you are connected via the VGA cable, then you have the option of displaying HD DVD titles at 1080p. AGAIN - this is assuming your television set supports the resolutions in question.

Over component I can only get 1080i and 720p when playing an HD-DVD. If someone can tell me how to get 1080p over component when playing HD disks let me know. When not playing HD-DVD my 360 is set to 1080p and as soon as it reads the HD disk it changes modes to 1080i.

[51|RandoM]

Good selection for the 360 demographic. Somebody is thinking.

[Rotting]

Very positive reaction to adding the ability to play HD movies to a gaming console. Usually the response is quite different.

If you already have a 360 and don't already have the HD DVD drive then this is absolutely a great deal though. Being an early adopter sucks sometimes :(

[Pluvious]

I'm not to keen on having my 360 running while I watch movies. My unit is extremely loud even in 'low' fan mode.

[Venkman]

Over component I can only get 1080i and 720p when playing an HD-DVD. If someone can tell me how to get 1080p over component when playing HD disks let me know. When not playing HD-DVD my 360 is set to 1080p and as soon as it reads the HD disk it changes modes to 1080i.

Not all TVs support 1080p over component. Check your TV manual to see if it does support it. Good luck!

[BabyJesus]

Not all TVs support 1080p over component. Check your TV manual to see if it does support it. Good luck!

It sure does, thats why I bought it. As I said the 360 is on 1080p all of the time except for when I play an HD-DVD and it switches to 1080i.

:)

[rainbowblack]

Seeing how I'm buying my sister a Blu-Ray player or a PS3 for X-mas I feel it's only right to now ask for the Hd Add-on in return

not only are those movies a good deal but the HD player won't cost me a dime, no-brainer If I don't say so myself

[EvenStephen7]

Can I ask everyone's opinion? I have a 34-ish ( I cant remember specifics) range TV that puts out at either 480p or 1080i ( for whatever reason it dosen't do 720p..and wont do 1080p). Do you think the HD-DVD drive would be worth it? Do you think I'd see a difference? Or should I wait to get a 1080p TV first and then worry about next gen movie formats?

[vladthedog]

Can I ask everyone's opinion? I have a 34-ish ( I cant remember specifics) range TV that puts out at either 480p or 1080i ( for whatever reason it dosen't do 720p..and wont do 1080p). Do you think the HD-DVD drive would be worth it? Do you think I'd see a difference? Or should I wait to get a 1080p TV first and then worry about next gen movie formats?


You really wouldn't see any benefit. saying that it does 1080i just means it will accept that signal and shrink it to 480. and since the hd war hasn't had a true winner, you wouldn't really benefit from it until you got a TV that could handle it.

[EvenStephen7]

Wow that was actually really helpful. Ive been wondering why I have a tv that skipped 720p. Course, that means my TV could be a lot better. Crap. This was a bad time to decide to finish up college and get it over with. I work part time so I can do school...less money. :-( Oh well thanks, thats one less decision I have to make

[Kelegacy]

Hilarious spin on the sub-$200 player. It's not that at all. You need to purchase or own something else for it to even work.

I'd really like to start watching HD movies, but I don't know if I'm ready to buy something that may be dead in the water. BR or HD-DVD dying would mean I'd have to hold onto my 360 or PS3 forever just to watch those expensive movies I bought.

Xbox Live could be my solution, by renting HD movies, but their library sucks and whenever I'm searching I rarely see something that I am looking for.

[Weedo10]

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=68762&t=633925&highlight=best+buy

Do you have a link to the wiki for the 2 extra movies?

[Darkmatter]

Is there a way for people in Canada to get the Heroes deal? We now have our own 5 free movies deal like the US but I dunno if Bestbuy Canada is offering the Heroes deal too. I can't find it on their site yet.

[Spigot]

Is there a way for people in Canada to get the Heroes deal? We now have our own 5 free movies deal like the US but I dunno if Bestbuy Canada is offering the Heroes deal too. I can't find it on their site yet.I know people were talking about it starting on Sunday so maybe we lucky Northerners will get a crack at Heroes in HD too.

Though I won't be able to partake. Boo.

[Darkmatter]

Has anyone in Canada managed to get the HD-DVD plus the Heroes bundle?

[Stryfe01]

I bought this today. Am I stuck with the crappy selection, or can i get the selection with children of men?