August 17, 2013

Breaking Bad Download Decision

Last December we got rid of cable. I haven’t really missed it that much except from a few sporting events.[1] With all the money we saved from not paying for cable we planned to buy seasons of shows every now and then. We hadn’t really decided if we were going to do DVD’s, iTunes, or Amazon… and that is the problem. We haven’t bought anything yet. Mostly because Netflix and Hulu + has kept us plenty busy, but also because we haven’t decided where we want our content to live.

I was holding out for an announcement from Netflix on Breaking Bad similar to what they are doing in the UK. Alas, it doesn’t look like that is going to happen, so I decided to buy it. That was the easy part. Now I have to figure out where to buy it from and this I cannot decided. It is between iTunes and Amazon, but both have their advantages and drawbacks. We have an Apple TV on our main television, so iTunes seems like the logical choice. However, we also have a PS3 on there that allows me to stream Amazon video. Other than the purchase process, I think Amazon video offers the better experience for viewing on an iOS device.

I’m leaning towards buying the final season of Breaking Bad on iTunes just because it offers slightly less friction for watching it on our main tv.[2] However, I am thinking about getting a Chromcast for our bedroom tv, and there is no way that would allow us to watch items in our iTunes library. So, to future-proof our purchase I feel like I should go with Amazon. And this is why I haven’t purchased anything in the last 8 months. Both are walled gardens, and I’m just not sure which one to commit to. Once I pick one the decision going forward will be easy, but right now I can’t pick.
  1. Especially the BCS national championship, Martch Madness, & the Tour de France.  ↩
  2. I can use the Amazon video app on my iOS device and air play to my Apple TV, so it really isnt that much easier to have it in iTunes.  ↩


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