The Problem with the Entertainment Industry and iTunes

I have way too many DVDs. They take up shelves and books and, in this day and age, a horrible way to store media. Ever since I got the ability to stream video files to my PS3 I’ve preferred to have digital copies of my favorite TV shows and/or movies. I don’t have to worry about finding DVDs, making sure they aren’t scratched, or putting them away when I’m finished. I use my remote control and watch the video files like I would watch something on TV or my DVR. It’s not all great though. I have run into an issue: The Entertainment Industry.

Why is it that I can buy DVD versions of the same TV shows that are found on iTunes for LESS than what they cost on iTunes? This makes no sense to me and goes to show that the movie/TV industry is living in the past and going to run into the same issues that the recording industry ran into. With digital downloads you don’t have the cost of producing the discs or the packaging. So they are saving money there. Yet, for some reason, they feel the need to charge more for a digital file. I think this has to be the one of the things that has held back technology such as set-top media centers and AppleTV. I really think that the entertainment industry needs to come up with new ideas and stop living in the past, especially if they want people to stop pirating their products and purchase them instead. $50+ for a single TV season download? Thanks, but no thanks. You’ll just have to live without my (and the increasing number of disgruntled consumers) business.