Now that Microsoft has ceased production on its external HD DVD player for Xbox 360, the only thing left to do is get rid of all the units still on the market. Effective tomorrow, Microsoft will be slashing prices for the remaining HD DVD players to $50 apiece.

Toshiba officially announced that it was discontinuing the HD DVD format just last week but Microsoft has seen this coming for a long time. At the beginning of February, they announced they were reducing the price of their HD DVD player from $179 to $129. Even earlier than that, they were offering 5 free HD DVD's with the purchase of a player. Many retailers have seen the writing on the wall and have steadily lowered HD DVD prices on their own as well.

Don't buy it. There's no more eloquent way of putting it. While $50 is a huge markdown, that's still too steep of a price for an ironic purchase. I mean, how funny is a picture of an HD DVD player being used as a doorstop really? Keep that money for the day Microsoft decides to make a Blu-ray player for the 360.