My old setup: I paid for cable television, could record to my DVR, and would occasionally buy DVD sets of television programs.  So to watch a program, I paid an upfront cost for cable and then the cost of of a DVD set.  I would also get content via Netflix.

My current setup: I’ve dropped cable television and my Netflix subscription.  I watch some programs on Hulu and still occasionally pay for DVD sets of television programs.

Buy on iTunes? There are some shows that are delayed on Hulu (like Burn Notice) or not available for free online (like Dexter).  However, you can pick up the episodes earlier on iTunes or Amazon.

So, do I buy the shows online?  I would get a portable version that is locked down if I bought online.  Is that really any different than recording to my DVR?  Getting a program off a TiVo takes work and time.

In the end, I probably won’t buy the shows online from iTunes or Amazon.  I’m more likely to resubscribe to Netflix to get a greater variety of programming even if the delay is greater.  If something is compelling enough, I’ll buy it.