Actually, current customers get the best deal!
-$319 for the phone
you get this price if you're a "new" customer. You are also considered new if you sign a new 2 year deal, which existing customers can do if they are elligible.

-$100 NE2 discount. You have to have a monthly plan of at least $69 or something like that) for the 3 months prior to signing the new contract.

-$100 advanced device discount.

-$50 MIR...... and you have a price of $69!

Your "NE2" type discount will only be $50 if you don't have a qualifying monthly plan.

If you already have a plan and have no available discounts, the retail price is $439.

Real simple.

BD will win because of their support. Too many big studios with big movies.

Umm.... Spiderman 3 hit 151.1 mil its opening weekend and made over 381 million world wide! Both are records and Sony Pictures did it! I see a loaded special edition BD Spiderman 3 and maybe even a trilogy pack on BD. This movie alone just might seal the deal in favor of BD. I think a box office monster like Spiderman 3 will inspire people to buy a BD player.
One poster mentioned "mainstream america" and buying the cheaper player. I disagree with that.

As HD takes it's hold more and more, the word will get out about what format the most wanted movies are on. It's ALREADY known anywhere you go that BD, even with its late start, is killing HDDVD.
What the point of buying the cheaper player when you can't watch the movies you want?

I knew this was over from the get go. As soon as I heard that the BD player was included with the PS3 and that it held WAY more information, it was lights out for M$ and their silly hd-dvd.