HD Deals: $10 game credit with "Batman Arkham Asylum"

If you're going to get your hands on the new PS3 Slim, why not pick up a copy of the newest "Must-Have Game" Batman: Arkham Asylum, and get a $10 video game credit as a bonus. Plus more HD and gadget deals* after the jump.

NAD's newest: M15HD surround sound preamp

NAD Electronics has announced a new Master Series preamp that it will be showing off at CEDIA next month. The Master Series M15HD Surround Sound Preamplifier is just what it says on the tin: a preamp with a ton of features for a surround sound home theater system.

The preamp uses a pair of 32-bit Texas Instruments 7.1-channel DSPs for audio processing, and can decode nearly any audio signal, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Its VXP image processor supports any resolution up to 2048 x 2048 (not quite 4K, but twice the resolution of 2K video and much higher than 1080p), and it can convert to and from any refresh rate in both NTSC and PAL standards. It includes 4 HDMI 1.3 repeater circuits, a secondary zone for both audio and video, and 1 input and 3 outputs each for 12-volt triggers and IR controls. It's also the first device to feature NAD's Modular Design Construction, which the company says will let users add new features to the preamp easily thanks to its compartmentalized circuitry.

The beefy feature set comes with a price tag to match; the M15HD will cost about $4,500 when it ships in September. Still, it sounds like plenty of bang for the buck, as long as you have the buck.

— Will Greenwald

Xbox 360 is officially getting cheaper

After Sony announced a new slimmer, cheaper version of the PS3, it was only a matter of time before bid daddy Microsoft announced a price drop on their Xbox 360. From here on out, the Xbox 360 Pro will be no more, with the remaining stock being sold off for $250. The Arcade (no hard drive) will drop to $199 and the Elite (120 GB HDD) will live on at the same $299 level as the PS3.

The move makes complete sense, as holiday season is just around the corner. But, it might be worth waiting until Black Friday if you're going to buy a new console. They don't usually come down in price for the big sales, but stores are a lot more likely to throw in a heap of free peripherals and games to get you in the door.

HD Deals: Buy An HDTV, Get A Blu-ray Player Free

Want your dollar to go further when buying an HDTV, well buy one of these Samsung TVs and get a free Blu-ray player. Plus more HD and gadget deals* after the jump.

Geneva Sound S dock coming to luxury stores

Stylish audio company Geneva Sound is rolling out a new iPod dock, with a hefty price tag and an impressive retail pedigree. The Geneva S is the company's newest product, a 9-inch-wide glossy black, white, or red box on a removable metal stand that sports some relatively impressive specs for its size.

The dock is a stereo speaker system, with twin 2-inch by 3-inch full-range drivers powered by an internal 30-watt amplifier. It features built-in DSP for processing compressed music, a built-in FM radio tuner, a stereo line-in port, and a dozen different iPod dock adapters to handle virtually any Apple media player. It also doubles as a clock. It's the smallest and lightest sound system in Geneva Sound's entire line.

Despite its small size, the Geneva S has a somewhat daunting price; at $329, the dock is no impulse buy. It's available at luxury fashion and decor stores like Barney's, Conran, Fred Segal, and Design Within.

— Will Greenwald

Major studios to release DivX movie copies

For years, DivX has been one of the major video codecs used by movie pirates. The codec (and the company) itself has no real sinister origin, but since it can compress videos to a conveniently small size while maintaining respectable video and audio quality, it's been a go-to encoding method for people who pirate video. It's also gotten a significant boost in legitimacy thanks to a large selection of DVD players, set-top boxes, and other gadgets that support the format. Now the codec is hitting the market in a big way, thanks to a handful of studios who have decided to start releasing their own legitimate digital video copies in DivX format.

Paramount, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Lionsgate have all entered partnerships with DivX and online video store FilmFresh.com to release their movies in DivX. Currently, several hundred movies are available on FilmFresh.com, with new releases costing up to $16 and older films available for $10.

HD Deals: Polk Audio VM30 3-Way Tower Speaker

If your sound system isn't all that it's cracked up to be why not check out this great deal on a Polk Audio VM30 3-Way Tower Speaker (Black) for $349.99 (normally $999.99). Plus more HD and gadget deals* after the jump.

Jabra HALO Headset Goes Wireless

There is no shortage of drawbacks when it comes to using your phone as a portable media player. But, once you get past the quality issues and the crappy interfaces, you still have to deal with the annoying headphone cord. Jabra’s newest pair of Bluetooth headset, dubbed “Halo,” let you switch freely between music and phone calls using touch controls. It also sports two microphones to make your own voice clearer on the other end of the line.

Because they’re Bluetooth, you shouldn’t expect audiophile-grade sound. Plus, they promise “powerful bass” which generally suggests they will be heavy on the low-end, but we can definitely see the need for a wireless headset that actually produces listenable results without a huge form factor. After all, there isn’t always enough space in your suit pockets for a pair of full-on studio monitors.

B&W adds a new subwoofer to its lineup

British audio manufacturers Bowers & Wilkins has just announced a new subwoofer, the ASW12-CM. The 12-inch subwoofer completes the company's CM series of speakers, which consists of a pair each of bookshelf, floor-standing, center-channel, and subwoofer models. It's the bigger brother to the ASW10-CM, the 10-inch subwoofer the company previously released.

The subwoofer features a 12-inch paper cone driver, and uses the same 500W Class D amplifier found in the ASW10-CM. It includes a 3-position tuning switch that sets the subwoofer to 18, 23, and 28Hz, and a 40-140Hz adjustable crossover gives it flexibility for a variety of home theater setups. It ships next month, and will retail for $2,000.

— Will Greenwald

HD Deals: Man on the Moon (40th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Before Space Shuttle Discovery launches Wednesday morning why not get your hands on one of the best documentaries on space travel; Man on the Moon (40th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] for $10.99 (normally $19.98). Plus more HD and gadget deals* after the jump.