I already managed to get Microsoft's HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 over an offer I couldn't refuse, and have been enjoying Batman Begins, King Kong, and especially Planet Earth all in their high definition glory with a sharpness and clarity that makes DVD seem like some old VHS copy taped off of UHF.

Not everyone has been convinced it's worth the additional expense, however, which is why Toshiba has temped new buyers by lowering the prices of their standalone players.  Now Microsoft has fallen in line, reducing the price of the add-on to $179.  If that wasn't enough, buy the add-on within the next month, and you'll get your (somewhat limited) pick of five free HD-DVD movies, which just happens to include the greatest movie of all time, Casablanca, in an absolutely stunning transfer that's worth the price of the drive alone.

To drive the spear of temptation right through your heart,  Microsoft are also working hard to promote the upcoming HD-DVD releases of the 300 and Heroes Season 1 with exclusive content on the Xbox Live Marketplace.  300 in HD will be showing up in their on demand service come August 14th, while soon XBL subscribers will be able to download the pilot episode of Heroes for free.

"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."

This is the perfect time to jump in on this offer, since in only a few days the second and third greatest movies of all time, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, will be hitting store shelves, with all the high definition gore and gunplay exclusive to HD-DVD.