There are a couple of Best Buy promos running through 11/3 that I thought I’d share. One just because it is an amusing promotional tie-in, the other is actually more useful.

So, you’re thinking of buying a nice Samsung HDTV? What would go great with that? Well, it seems Best Buy thinks a $400 massage chair would be just the thing! Free massage chair (shipping extra) with select Samsung HDTVs at BestBuy.com. Now through 11/3. Yep, buy one of 28 different Samsung HDTV models, ranging from 32″ to 63″ in LCD, DLP, and Plasma models, and get a free massage chair. I personally endorse the Samsung HDTVs - at least the DLPs, I have an HL-S6187W and it is fantastic. If I were buying today I’d probably get the HL-T6187S, which is basically a newer version of my set with an LED light source instead of a lamp. But, in any case, I was just amused by the unusual promotional pairing and felt the need to share. It is certainly different from the usual TV stand or Blu-ray/HD DVD/DVD player bundle promos.

On a more useful note, they’re also offering 10% off a wide assortment of DVD players and recorders, and portable DVD players. There are a number of good upscaling DVD players in the list, fairly cheap, and a few DVD recorders. Those may be useful for those of you who want to dump shows off your TiVo to DVD, without messing with TiVoToGo and PC burning software. It seems that as DVRs grow in popularity, standalone DVD burners are getting thinner on the ground. But they have a handful of models on sale: 10% off select DVD players, portables and recorders at BestBuy.com. Now through 11/3.

See this week’s sale events at BestBuy.com

It seems that Wal*Mart is not the only source for sub-$200 Toshiba HD DVD players. Not to be outdone by Wal*Mart’s $198 HD-A2 pricing, Circuit City is pricing the HD-A2 at $197.99. Ars Technica reports that Best Buy is also planning a price cut. It is still $229.98 at Amazon, but I won’t be surprised if their pricing drops too. EDIT: Their price dropped, $197.99 with free shipping.

Via EngadgetHD.

Thank you for the TiVo Rewards Referral, Susan.

Just a reminder, the Lifetime Transfer offer on the TiVo HD expires Thursday, November 8th, 2007. So you have just two weeks left to make up your mind if you’re considering doing the transfer. Also, remember that it has been reported that TiVo is allowing the transfer on retail units. Other deals remain in effect.

This week’s Amazon Unbox 99-cent sale brings us Blades of Glory, We Are Marshall, The Lives of Others, Perfect Creature, Perfect Stranger, Vacancy, The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Uncut), and HP Lovecraft’s The Tomb.

But that’s not all, they’re also running Unbox Halloween Movie Specials, with prices starting at $.99. There are both purchase and rental titles included. Some classic horror films, like Christine, action-horror such as Resident Evil: Apocalypse, cult classics like The Evil Dead, suspense thrillers like Secret Window, and absolute cheese like Decoys: The Second Seduction. A little something for everyone, 58 titles in all.

And if that isn’t your thing, they’re also running a special on Adam Sandler movies. Reign Over Me, Anger Management, Spanglish, Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, and Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights are included - all $5.99 to purchase, except Reign which is $14.99. And you can rent Anger Management for $2.99.

No, you don’t have deja vu. Yes, I made a very similar post just yesterday. Yesterday I noticed Amazon had a page up where you could sign up to be notified when it was available. Well, today it is. You can now pre-order the Playstation 3 40GB Spider-Man Movie Pack for $399.99. It ships on November 2nd, and comes bundled with a Blu-ray copy of Spider-man 3. I expect there’ll be a rush on these.

If you plan to use the PS3 as a Blu-ray Disc player, you’ll also want to pick up the Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote.

It is a good idea to put your electronics devices on a UPS - it helps protect them from surges and dirty power, as well as riding out any brownouts or short black outs. I keep all of my entertainment center devices - TV, TiVos, receiver, etc - connected to UPSes. I’ve had my power go out, flicker, etc, and my TiVos keep right on recording without a hiccup - let alone damage.

I just got a notice from Buy.com that they’re offering the CyberPower 685VA 390W AVR UPS, with 8 outlets (4 UPS, 4 Surge only) as well as surge protection for RJ11/45 and coax, for $54.95 with free shipping. MSRP is $84.95, you save $30. That looks like a pretty good deal. I use similar Belkin UPSes for my gear, it is a good form factor - the widely spaced outlets allow for power adapters that many devices use.

(They have the Samsung HL-R6167W 61″ DLP TV for just $1,379.99 - but it is only 720p. I have the HL-S6187W - 1080p.)

Last week I posed the question “Will Wal*Mart carry a sub-$200 Toshiba HD DVD deck?”

Well, the answer seems to be yes. At least going by this post at AVS forum. A user posted a picture of an endcap display at his local Wal*Mart with 18 Toshiba HD-A2 units and a bit sign for $198. He claims the store had to take the display down because it isn’t slated to sell until 11/03, and it will be in the circular that week.

I’m sure Wal*Mart will sell a bunch of these at that price, though it probably pisses off Toshiba’s other retail partners to be massively undercut like this. Though they may be using Wal*Mart to blow out old stock, since these are 2nd gen units and the 3rd gen HD-A3 is already out. If you’re thinking of buying one, do keep in mind this is Toshiba’s lowest end player with 1080i output. But if you’re comfortable with the specs, it is a good deal. I won’t be buying one, of course.

Via EngadgetHD.

If you want to record digital cable, including high-def content, you don’t have many options. You can use a cable company DVR, a TiVo Series3 or TiVo HD, or a Vista Media Center PC - and that’s about it. And not just any Vista Media Center PC, but one that is CableLabs certified and have the correct firmware to enable digital cable tuning. While Vista Media Center supports up to for CableCARD tuners, most of the PCs have just one or two - and the tuners haven’t been sold separately, so users have been out of luck trying to add more.

That looks like it has finally changed, as SonyStyle.com is selling the ATI Wonder CableCARD tuner as the ‘VAIO Digital TV Tuner’ for $299.99.

Yes, that’s right - one tuner, just the tuner, costs more than an entire dual-tuner TiVo HD. And you need an expensive, approved Vista Media Center PC to connect this tuner to. Yeah… I just don’t see the value here.

Picked up from Engadget. And if you think this means open season for MythTV or the like read these comments.