CNN Money is reporting that Toshiba is slashing HD DVD player costs and pairing the price drops with an "extended campaign of TV, print and online advertising to promote the format."

Toshiba has lowered the cost of its HD-A3, its cheapest player, to a mere $149.99 from $299.99; the HD-A30 has received similar treatment, going from $399.99 to $199.99 while the HD-A35 has dropped from $499.99 to $299.99.

You can bet that the price drops are Toshiba's attempt to bolster the HD DVD camp, now backed by two studios - Paramount and Universal (and shakily at that) - while Sony's Blu-ray format has received a recent surge of support from Warner Bros. abandonment of the HD DVD format as it moved to join four other studios in the backing of Blu-ray.

Said Yoshi Uchiyama, group vice president of digital audio and video at Toshiba America Consumer Products, "While price is one of the consideration elements for the early adopter, it is a deal-breaker for the mainstream consumer."

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