HBO Shows Make Appearance On iTunes

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Even I have to admit that HBO has put on some great television over the years. The Sopranos, Deadwood, True Blood–lots of greats have come out of the relative uncensored capability of the premium channel. And now, some of that joy has landed on iTunes, and in HD, no less. But as you might well expect, there will be some down sides to this news, and we’ve got it all right here for you.

The good news is that there will be a substantial variety of shows available, including each of the three I mentioned above. Plus, they will indeed be available in HD…of a sort.

Now for the bad news. The list is incomplete at best, with some shows only offering up half their content in HD (which is actually 720p, but still technically HD) or even as little as one season. Six Feet Under, for example, only offers seasons three through five, and Entourage starts at three and goes to seven. Curb Your Enthusiasm will only give you season seven, and those wanting Flight of the Conchords will only get season two.

And of course, with the HD content, you’ll pay significantly more for an episode; most of the HBO stuff, for example, is running at $2.99 an episode in standard definition, but making the jump to high definition comes in at a hefty $3.99 an episode. Some, though, are comparatively cheaper with $2.99 for an HD release and $1.99 for the SD. But if you’re interested, the shows all seem available in both the US and Canada.

Considering that many seasons  run 12 episodes, a complete season at these prices would run you $47.88, which is a bit more than the Blu-ray release would charge. So it’s enough to make me–and probably plenty of you–wonder just what the attraction would be in getting these for iTunes when you could instead watch on your much bigger television at home for less. But then, considering what seems to be the studios’ opinion in the digital vs. physical media delivery concept (overwhelming support for physical), this may just be one more step in that direction.

What do you guys think? Are you willing to pay more for the ability to watch your favorite shows anywhere? Or is it a better idea to get them in at your house? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!