Originally posted by J Geoff:
HBO is what, $10-15/month? That's about $3/episode, much less than you'd pay for copies - plus, you get all the other shows/movies. And if you have digital cable, you can watch the episodes whenever you want... :p 
Not really. Considering it costs less than $1 per blank disc, and depending on whether you can borrow from your library (free) or rent each disc from Netflix or Blockbuster, and the initial price of a burner, it would be cheaper in the long run.
This is especially true since you cannot save the Sopranos in digital quality anymore - I've heard HBO is instituting some new copy protection so that it only is stored on your DVR/Tivo for 10 days, and automatically erases itself, and it also prevents you from making analog copies onto VHS or digital copies to blank DVD's. I think you still could just tape them to your VHS right from the TV signal, but the quality would be analog and you'd need more tapes than if you burned it 1:1 quality on blank DVD's.
I've got all 5 seasons now (except #5 which I purchased) in my DVD library, 1-4 are burned, and it probably cost me $60 ($50 for the burner, and $10 for the 50-pack spindle of DVD's).
