Reasonably Priced Legal TV\Movie Download Site???

Is there a reasonably priced legal video downloading site?

I'd like to use iTunes, but its prices are just stupid. Looked at the Star Trek Series 1 collection. £53 at iTunes, can buy the box set from amazon for £12.

Looked for The Wire series 1. iTunes £35, Amazon boxset £12.

I'd actually prefer not to buy the DVDs. I don't want the clutter, nor do I want to fill up landfill with DVDs either, but I also refuse the pay the prices that iTunes is charging. If you look at the comments on iTunes video downloads, many of the comments are complaining about the stupid prices.

Considering that it should be cheaper to sell a download movie than ship a physical product, these prices make no sense to me at all.

I can't find another site, that operates in the UK, that provides something similar.

What has been your experience?

Amazon.com has a digital download service, similar to iTunes.

Mac23 said:

Amazon.com has a digital download service, similar to iTunes.

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Unfortunatly that, like hulu, is only available to users in the USA.

amazon.co.uk only has mp3 downloads at the moment

Amazon's service bites the bullet compared to iTunes in this case. They still have no software for the Mac to download your purchases. You can only stream them.

Even with the windows software, you can only authorize 2 computers. And if you forget to de-authorize one prior to selling, re-installing the OS, your hard drive dying, etc.; there is no possible way to ever go back and de-authorize that machine and you are now down to only a single computer that can play their content.

I would suggest thinking very hard before making any purchases of digital video content there. On top of that, their pricing is typically not any better than iTunes.

The fact is, iTunes SD pricing for anything still in it's prime is typically lower than the regular DVD pricing on Amazon, except without all the sales Amazon has.

Sadly, iTunes is about the best place for the purchase of digital video content at this time. If you're purchasing first run movies and TV shows, the pricing is not too bad. For all those past their prime, where the DVD pricing has dropped, then the physical media is the way to go.

Do you have a service like Netflix? It's internet movie rental and you can stream movies, but there is no downloading. As much as I watch movies though, the $8 a month for the basic service is worth it to me.

Village Idiot said:

Do you have a service like Netflix? It's internet movie rental and you can stream movies, but there is no downloading. As much as I watch movies though, the $8 a month for the basic service is worth it to me.

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We have lovefilm in the UK and I do have an account there for DVD rentals.

They have some movies available for online streaming, but it only works on Windows. Also, its more expensive to watch the movie online than to get the DVD?

Makes no sense to me, besides the windows only rubbish, that a download/stream can be MORE expensive than the physical DVD.

I will give a HUGE thumbs up to BBC iPlayer though.

Village Idiot said:

Do you have a service like Netflix? It's internet movie rental and you can stream movies, but there is no downloading. As much as I watch movies though, the $8 a month for the basic service is worth it to me.

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Yes I completely agree. I use my laptop, which is hooked up to my 60 inch tv, and watch all my movies, shows that way.

LegalSounds.com > click link on left of opening page. Membership free, but pre-paid account for any downloads. I don't do movies, music only, but the site has a Very Good rating from reviewers.

Be advised:
1. the site is located in Russia, be canny about any cookies emanating from it, other than those essential for operation of a download account,
2. the site is slow, but stable.
3. never a problem with account management, or 'missing' account funds.

Village Idiot said:

Do you have a service like Netflix? It's internet movie rental and you can stream movies, but there is no downloading. As much as I watch movies though, the $8 a month for the basic service is worth it to me.

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I have been reading that the Replay software from Appian can save Netflix movies.

Why would I want to do something like that, that most likely violates their terms of use?

As you are UK based, why not just join Love Film. You can get all the films you mentioned from them very economically. When you are done with films, you return the DVDs to them - thus averting the landfill problem you seem to be concerned about.

iTunes is slowly getting better, but it depends on the provider. Star Trek Voyager seasons 1 - 3 are going for $12.99, as is Enterprise and DS9, but it's SD only and quite honestly it looks quite pixelated even on an iPad, let alone a 40" TV.

The next few years is going to be interesting in terms of content cost. I don't like where it is heading.