Chicago (IL) - As Toshiba is phasing out its second generation of HD DVD players, retailers are slashing prices to get rid of their inventory. Circuit City is offering the HD-A20 model for $112.47 in the Chicago region.

The new price is 55% below last week’s price of $249.99 and it appears that even Circuit City stores can’t keep up with the price cuts as we have found price tags with varying numbers throughout a store in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. However, a sales representative confirmed to us that $112.47 is the actual price. At the time of our visit, four players were in stock at that particular store. We were told that "several dozen players" were available at this price through Circuit City stores nearby.

This actually may be your best shot yet to get a cheap 1080p HD DVD player - it even undercuts the prices of most 1080p upscaling DVD players on Circuit City’s shelves. It will be interesting to see whether this scenario will translate into increased sales for Toshiba: If you can buy a HD DVD player for less than what you would pay for a high-end DVD player, the value proposition of a HD DVD player could get much more interesting.

Of course, the HD-A20 is a unique case, as it is a phased out model (which was introduced about one year ago for a MSRP $599) and consumers who choose a HD DVD player over a regular high-end DVD player should know that these players have a painfully long startup time of about 35 seconds. Still, this "clearance" price may be low enough to a few more buyers.

Meanwhile, the HD-A20’s HD-A30 also looks as it is seeing substantial price drops. The MSRP is still $199, but some stores are selling the device with a big discount. Amazon.com, for example, currently offers the player for $151.70. The flagship HD-A35 has a MSRP of $299.95, but there are plenty of online stores that are selling the model for less than $250.