Microsoft have announced that the price of th Xbxo 360 HD-DVD player has beeb cut by $20 to $179. To further sweeten the deal, Microsoft will also be throwing in five free HD-DVD movies if you purchase in August or September. There's no news on European pricing changes at present.

"With the price reduction to $179, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player continues to be the most affordable way to enjoy high definition," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "From the beginning, we set out to offer Xbox 360 owners an unrivaled high-definition experience, with a choice of optical discs on the HD DVD format and digital downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace — both of which have a selection of the best content Hollywood has to offer. Today’s announcements around '300’ and 'Heroes: Season 1’ are great examples of how we believe HD content can be offered to consumers."

Is it almost worth getting one just for the movies? And is the HD-DVD add-on player really as bad as some epeople make out?