Dear Rupert Murdoch: Let’s Talk Piracy & “The Simpsons”

All of my friends pay $120/month for satellite/digital TV... I pay $120/month towards expanding my personal data storage space.

Up to about 7 terabytes now..

I'm sorry but this is a classic episode of WMFS syndrome (aka, "where's my free shit?"). You can't have exactly what you want, when you want it for free, so it's someone else's fault. If you wanted the show, you could watch it right now. But you don't want it $3.99 (?) worth, or whatever iTunes/AMZN charges for it.

Since you didn't avail yourself of the opportunity to watch it the first few times you had the chance, you pay for the privilege. You might not like it, but that's how it goes. You can't walk up to an airline and buy the same seat at the same price the day before it leaves, either, so this sort of price discrimination is hardly remarkable.

First, as you say, you did have the chance to watch the over-the-air broadcast (for which Murdoch should pay you/the gov't for use of the airwaves; if you don't like the current financial arrangement, write your Congressman). You didn't avail yourself of that opportunity.

Next, you could have DVRd it, as you say. But you didn't, for whatever reason.

Now you are upset that Hulu Plus doesn't have it. Do you yell and scream when the public library doesn't happen to have purchased the book you want? Because you pay for those books too. Go get a refund from Hulu Plus, if you're unhappy, but it's an economic decision not to make it available on Hulu Plus or on Fox's website.

The fact is, you had several chances to watch without paying more out of pocket. You missed them, so now you have to pay, if it's important to you. That is no one's fault but your own.

Update: formatting

>I shouldn't bother with any of the payment options in the first place.

Many people on HN don't pay for any content. It's no secret how they do it but there is probably something in the rules that would see me stopped.

"Blocking TV Devices Promotes The Piracy You Hate"

That's like saying the high price of Porsches promotes car jacking. People are pro-theft or anti-theft. I'll never download copyrighted content without permission. It doesn't matter what anyone does. Having the Simpsons is a privilege, not a right.

It wasn't that long ago that shows would air once and never be seen again (as far as audiences knew at the time) and I don't remember people rioting or breaking into studios to steal the original tapes because shows only aired a single time.

When you steal copyrighted content, that's exactly what you're doing, even if you aren't busting down physical doors and rummaging through physical storage rooms.

Just my two cents.

"Having the Simpsons is a privilege, not a right"

A $120+ a month privilege? If I was paying that much for TV, I'd be expecting to watch what I want when I want.