As it turns out, I can actually (and legally) on Fox's Web site--and in full-screen mode, the video looks quite nice even on my 23-inch LCD. Sure, it's not available on all my devices, but if what I really want to do is watch something on my Mac, free sure beats $70.

If I really want 24 on all my devices, and I find the $70 to be a huge burden, another quick trip to Google finds that all four episodes of the new 24 season are readily available online. Legal? Not even close. A tempting alternative for those who aren't able to afford $70, or perhaps live outside the geographically-restricted area where they could buy 24 even if they wanted to? You bet.

So by pricing the season at a somewhat ridiculous price point, Fox has not only lost a sale, but has probably encouraged people who would otherwise give it money to go find alternative solutions. For me, I would've gladly paid about $30 to $35 for the season pass--the ability to watch on any device would be nice, and I'd love to feel like I'm supporting the series.

Instead, I've chosen to do what I've done the prior years--record 24 on my Tivo, and then watch it (skipping commercials) on the big screen. Not as convenient as having it available everywhere, but $70 is simply well past my cutoff point for a convenience cost.

Some shows get it, it seems. You can buy 16 30-minute episodes of for $10, or about $1.78 per hour of entertainment. Contrast that with 24, which will cost you $3.80 per hour (I'm using the actual show lengths here, i.e. 21 minutes or so for The Daily Show and 44 minutes for 24). But The Daily Show is an exception; current seasons of most TV series seem priced to dissuade purchase, rather than to encourage purchase.