Who Wants Tickets?

I've found a reason to hate the Internet: Ticketmaster.

The concept makes sense ORIGINALLY. Allow for fans to buy tickets via the Internet and they can also have them sent electronically to their e-mail database. Makes sense. My first problem with this is the service fees that come in. There's always fees. Data fee, e-mail fee, stadium fee, convenience charge, there's about $10-15 in fees per ticket.

If you've bought (or tried to) buy tickets through the system, which is likely, you've most likely struck out right away. But Ticketmaster is so kind that they encourage you to go to their site-operated TicketExchange, where people who bought tickets and "can't go" can sell them - for whatever price they please. Ticket scalping is considered illegal or controlled in most states. But the Internet is free from those rules.

Since anyone can access the Internet, they can buy the tickets. So I can buy tickets to the show in California from PA and have 0 intention of going - but know that if I get good seats from Ticketmaster, I can probably flip them on a site like StubHub (or the TicketMaster CREATED TicketExchange where they basically APPROVE OF SCALPING SO THEY CAN MAKE MONEY MONEY) for a high multiple of what I paid. Sounds like a nice way to make some money. But how gutless and brutal. Not only that, there's ANOTHER service charge on StubHub to keep the price increase going.

I don't know why this is allowed. I just looked up some concert tickets in my area. John Mayer is performing in Philly in early August. Highest FACE VALUE is $75. On StubHub, those same seats are going for $500. For the Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the maximum price is $5,000 on StubHub. I don't know highest face value, but I will bet $5,000 it's not that high.

HOW IS THIS LEGAL

Seriously. These bastards should be stopped somehow. They prevent the fairness of everyone having the opportunity to go. Most people could afford the $75 to see Mayer if they wanted. Not everyone could afford the $500. $500 on a two hour event. Who really pays that?

I know following a Bruce Springsteen ticket incident that some bands and somewhat Ticketmaster are taking it into their own hand and making it a bit harder to crack - your credit card is your ticket. You HAVE to bring your credit card you paid with to get in. I REALLY like this idea. Of course, it's flawed too - if you can't attend and give your tickets to a friend, I don't really know how that works out.

That's the only instance where I approve selling the ticket online again - if you can't go. And if that's the case, then make your money back and move on. Don't take advantage of other people.

I love when people buy them - with never having any intention of going - and end up selling them online and have to slash the price so they actually LOSE money. I've taken advantage of this a few times and gotten into games and concerts for less than face value, and I laugh because most of the time it's sellers trying to make sure they don't get completely burned.

In the meantime, there should be something REAL done to try to prevent the massive increase of prices from sale. I don't know how this is done, and I'm not in charge of the company. It just makes Ticketmaster look bad that they approve of raising prices on tickets that were meant to be sold at a fair face value so that EVERYONE has an opportunity to go. Instead Ticketmaster just looks greedy. Good job Corporate America!

Buying Movies is Becoming More and More Difficult

Over the summer, we had just purchased an HDTV and I was excited about the advancements of watching TV. Then I started getting into the idea of Blu-Ray. I had heard it, seen it, wasn't going to do it because I didn't have a Blu-Ray player and I wasn't looking forward to spending more money than I have to.

I'm not sure what exactly it was that changed me - but I wanted to get involved. I wanted a PS3 anyway because I wanted to play the MLB game, so getting Blu-Ray was an added benefit of getting a PS3. I was in luck because my friend was selling his for real cheap, so I got a PS3 and now I just needed the discs.

I got all of Lost (obviously,) True Blood, and Weeds on Blu-Ray, and the picture is awesome. The content is different - more interactive. The discs were only $5 more expensive than regular DVD, I figured it was worth the High-Def quality. It totally was.

Problem is, Blu-Ray isn't as portable as DVDs. By that I mean when traveling or not at home, I can watch DVDs on my computer. I can't do that with Blu-Ray. This really limits where I can watch them. Also I can't take them over to my friend's house unless they have a Blu-Ray player either. So it's frustrating.

Then there is the Digital Format problem. Anyone can download movies/shows from iTunes - but they are limited to watching them on their computers. It's restricting and frustrating. Sure I can watch it on my laptop or my iPod (which I find incredibly frustrating to watch on an iPod, even the Touch) but I can't watch it on my TV easily. Apple's got the Apple TV deal, but it's not very successful.

It leaves the average consumer in a quandary. Which copy do I buy? Do I want the best picture? Do I want portability? I'm not buying 7 different versions. What is anyone to do?

I really like what Disney is doing. Most of their movies are for sale in a "Combo Pack" which includes DVD, Blu-Ray, AND Digital Copy versions of the movie. FOR 5 DOLLARS MORE THAN A REGULAR DVD. WHAT A SMART IDEA.

I wish every company had that policy. Yet they don't. Instead they're greedy and want to milk us for whatever they can get out. I'm sure someone bought The Dark Knight in all three different ways. Avatar will be bought in 5. It's a rip off.

The future is definitely headed towards the Digital format. A huge database of your films in one storage location. You won't buy discs, you'll just download from the store. It's already happening. What's one to do with the movies you already have? There will need to be some way to convert it.

In the meantime, I'm really trying to not buy anything. I'm not giving anymore money to those greedy bastards.