Blu-ray Promo Gives ‘Free’ Players with TVs

The cost of some Sharp and Sony Blu-ray players can now be covered with rebates when purchased with eligible hi-def displays.

We won’t say that you can get a Blu-ray player for free any sooner than we’ll say that the free pizza that you get with the purchase of a $30,000 car is “free,” but the companies behind Blu-ray have definitely cooked up a sale to move players off shelves. In separate Sunday circular ads, Sony and Best Buy advertised rebates of up to $500 when an eligible Blu-ray player and display are purchased together, effectively negating the cost of the player.

In Sony’s case, a $400 rebate can be had when a Sony Blu-ray player (only the $400 BDP-S300 would be completely “free” with the rebate) is purchased with one of three qualifying TVs starting at $2,300 MSRP. The offer from Best Buy is good on most Sharp displays over 42 inches with purchase of the Aquos BD-HP20U player, the cost of which is covered by a $500 rebate.

While many commentators chalked up a victory for Blu-ray following Warner Bros. announcement of exclusive support for the format in the future, Toshiba stabbed back last week with its own announcement, slashing prices on HD-DVD players to as low as $150. Given this latest move from the Blu-ray camp, Toshiba’s efforts may have actually worked, forcing Sony and company to offer their own incentives.