Why is TV series so expensive on iTunes?

You can rip them using HandBrake. I find it's much easier and less time consuming to just by the shows on iTunes. I was going to rip all nine seasons of the X-Files DVDs but it took entirely too much time just to do three seasons that I gave up and bought all nine seasons on iTunes. I also like the quality better on iTunes. I just couldn't get it right through Handbrake. There would be these jagged edges all the time on things and it just bothered me when watching on the computer. I don't get jagged edges with iTunes store bought videos ripped for iPhone.

that's the copyright

hexonxonx said:

You can rip them using HandBrake. I find it's much easier and less time consuming to just by the shows on iTunes. I was going to rip all nine seasons of the X-Files DVDs but it took entirely too much time just to do three seasons that I gave up and bought all nine seasons on iTunes. I also like the quality better on iTunes. I just couldn't get it right through Handbrake. There would be these jagged edges all the time on things and it just bothered me when watching on the computer. I don't get jagged edges with iTunes store bought videos ripped for iPhone.

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ouff, how much did that cost you?

hexonxonx said:

You can rip them using HandBrake. I find it's much easier and less time consuming to just by the shows on iTunes. I was going to rip all nine seasons of the X-Files DVDs but it took entirely too much time just to do three seasons that I gave up and bought all nine seasons on iTunes. I also like the quality better on iTunes. I just couldn't get it right through Handbrake. There would be these jagged edges all the time on things and it just bothered me when watching on the computer. I don't get jagged edges with iTunes store bought videos ripped for iPhone.

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Then you were not using Handbrake correctly.

iTunes business model works by allowing people to buy single songs/shows etc. for a good price. Before iTunes you had to buy an album on CD, or pay an excessive amount for a single, they scored landmark rights from the music industries for this when they started iTMS. However they do not provide discounts or price cuts when buying an album or a series (for the most part). Unfortunately thats just how it is. You use iTunes if you want single songs/shows, and you buy CD's/DVD's, and rip them if you want albums/series.

julianna1973 said:

Please tell me how you do it. Have you succesfully transferred it to your iphone?

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Buy the DVD, download handbrake http://www.handbrake.fr select the iPhone/iPod Touch Preset, hit go, wait an hour to a day depending on your Mac (few hours max on any Intel machine), voila

Then drag and drop the finished file into the movie sections in iTunes.

Another vote for Handbrake here. I've ripped most my DVD library, and parts of my friends.

Cromulent said:

Then you were not using Handbrake correctly.

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I was using the iPhone preset. How was that not using it properly?

nick9191 said:

iTunes business model works by allowing people to buy single songs/shows etc. for a good price. Before iTunes you had to buy an album on CD, or pay an excessive amount for a single, they scored landmark rights from the music industries for this when they started iTMS. However they do not provide discounts or price cuts when buying an album or a series (for the most part). Unfortunately thats just how it is. You use iTunes if you want single songs/shows, and you buy CD's/DVD's, and rip them if you want albums/series.

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I haven't bought a CD since Alanis Morrisette's Jagges Lil Pil came out in the 90s. In the late 90s there was Napster. When that went away there was iTUnes. I prefer to buy all my whole CDs there because I hate having a physical copy of anything, DVDs included. I hate having to put a CD/DVD back in a case after I am done playing it. I have stacks of CDs that I burned sitting in a cabinet all with no cases because I have no idea what to do with them. That's also why I have an iPod, to not have to worry about buying another CD again.

That is also why the iTunes model succeeds, people don't like buying CDS as much anymore because they don't have to and it's more convenient.

hexonxonx said:

I was using the iPhone preset. How was that not using it properly?

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If you got jagged edges you probably need to turn on deinterlacing options.

Also the best way to use Handbrake is to use it for encoding only.

Use MacTheRipper to rip all of your discs, then with Handbrake you can queue up everything so it encodes while you sleep or go to work.

I wish it was cheaper too. I would like to just use iTunes and skip using DVDs and Handbrake. The price needs to be better or even possibly subscription based.

odinsride said:

If you got jagged edges you probably need to turn on deinterlacing options.

Also the best way to use Handbrake is to use it for encoding only.

Use MacTheRipper to rip all of your discs, then with Handbrake you can queue up everything so it encodes while you sleep or go to work.

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Well I don't plan on ever buying DVDs again, it's why there is iTunes.

BornAgainMac said:

I wish it was cheaper too. I would like to just use iTunes and skip using DVDs and Handbrake. The price needs to be better or even possibly subscription based.

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Many times, it is cheaper on iTunes to buy the whole season than it is to buy the season DVDs at the store. Way back when each X-Files season first came out, each box set was about $99. I bought the first five seasons that way, then gave up because they were too expensive. Later, the seasons were released without all the fancy cases and no extras for $35 a season. I then bought seasons 6-9 that way to complete the series. Now, the X-files is selling for $25 a season on iTunes, $10 cheaper than the DVD box sets at the stores.

Seasons are only expensive on iTunes if you buy the HD versions.

BornAgainMac said:

I wish it was cheaper too. I would like to just use iTunes and skip using DVDs and Handbrake. The price needs to be better or even possibly subscription based.

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I'd like cake to be cheaper. It's not so I buy bread and coat it in sugar. That's economics.

If you want itunes to have cheaper / different prices don't buy from them.

(By the way I do buy cake really- that whole sugar thing was a lie. )

julianna1973 said:

So you would recommend using this mactheripper rather than relying only on Handbrake??

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Using a 3rd party ripping utility is the official recommendation of the Handbrake project.

julianna1973 said:

So you would recommend using this mactheripper rather than relying only on Handbrake??

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Definitely. Mac the Ripper is far better than Handbrake and easier to use.

While I love using Handbrake, I've found myself just buying seasons from iTunes instead of waiting for the DVD sets to appear. This allows me to enjoy instant gratification, and saves me from the time spent encoding and tagging (gathering info from various sources, I like my tagging to be as complete as possible).

Trip.Tucker said:

Definitely. Mac the Ripper is far better than Handbrake and easier to use.

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I guess, but they also serve very different purposes. One rips MPEG2 from the DVD to your hard drive, the other encodes to MPEG4.

Handbrake isn't that hard to use... open the source (preferably pre-ripped to your hard drive), click on the appropriate preset (the new Universal is probably OK for the majority of people out there), and click encode.

For me I'd say £10 (£15) and £20 (£25) would be a good price structure for shows, with the price is brackets being new releases. Which priced is used depends on the amount of episodes in the season.

As much as I prefer having a digital library I honestly don't have any interest is buying films as long as they do not come with all the feature on the DVD (extras and commentaries.) Paying a near DVD price for just a film is ridiculous; worse if the DVD is cheaper.

NightStorm said:

I guess, but they also serve very different purposes. One rips MPEG2 from the DVD to your hard drive, the other encodes to MPEG4.

Handbrake isn't that hard to use... open the source (preferably pre-ripped to your hard drive), click on the appropriate preset (the new Universal is probably OK for the majority of people out there), and click encode.

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What's the difference between using MacTheRipper and just dragging all the source files from the DVD itself? I just ripped Fight Club using MacTheRipper and all the files seem to be the same as those on the DVD, so why use MacTheRipper to begin with?

It seems to me, in most cases buy the actual DVD's are cheaper than buying from iTunes. I like when iTunes does the deals on shows, sometimes making episodes $.99, I've gotten a few new shows that way.

I like to have the DVD's but then also rip them to my computer for quick watching. I like extras such as commentaries and behind the scenes stuff, and that doesn't come with the iTunes files.

There is one case where it was much cheaper for me to buy the shows on iTunes rather than buying the DVD's, and that was the Cosmos series by Carl Sagan. It seems like that series is easily over $70 most places on DVD, but it only cost about $25 on iTunes.

Topher15 said:

What's the difference between using MacTheRipper and just dragging all the source files from the DVD itself? I just ripped Fight Club using MacTheRipper and all the files seem to be the same as those on the DVD, so why use MacTheRipper to begin with?

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The files are the same, minus any encryption/protection.

I agree with many of the users. I buy the seasons box sets (mostly Family Guy and Simpsons) when they're on sale, I pay no more than $20 per, as of late $15 for FG and got the Simpsons for $13. Then I just use handbrake to rip to itunes for my iPod to view on the go. I don't care to buy from iTunes b/c I don't ever watch movies/TV via my computer so I use the physical dvd to view on a TV.

I rip directly from Handbrake to iTunes and had no issues with it, but whatever works for you. I find this the best option for me.

Trip.Tucker said:

Definitely. Mac the Ripper is far better than Handbrake and easier to use.

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I wouldn't consider inserting a DVD, selecting a preset, and clicking go, difficult.