Bit torrent really is often the most convenient way to get music/movies. I want to pay to download this movie, but I can't.
Torrents have become to much work. Maybe I have just been "out of the scene" or whatever for too long... In the days of suprnova, the front page would be filled with albums or movies with plenty of seeds and MODERATORS that removed torrents that contained crap or trojans. Bittorrent now is as bad as kazaa (if that is even still around).
I buy TONS of music...mostly bands that I found back in the suprnova days, actually, and I buy most of it on iTunes...
I'm at work...dealing with the idiots at the pirate bay is too much of a pain in the ass and not worth the $9 an album costs on iTunes.
As soon as somebody comes out with something better, I'll migrate to that.
You're exactly right, it is all about ease of use. Using torrents used to be easier than going to the music store. That is no longer the case.
Although....there is still IRC ;-)
Quality is good, and it is easy to find new independent artists.
But I see what you are saying. Private sites just let the admins control the quality of the torrents and site, not keep people from finding out that the site exists.
If you are looking at music sites, the minimum quality allowed is usually 192kps. So none of the $.99 songs on itunes would be allowed on. Also, since the sites are invite only, most sites force you to seed to keep your account. Checking reviews of private trackers, I see that a seeder/leecher ratio of 40:1 is common. So speed is not an issue.
And the sites make it easy to discover new music. The sites are filled with people who actually care that a song is lossless, or want to take the time to actually rip an album from vinyl instead of cd. These type of people don't usually limit themselves to bands on Top-40 lists.
most vinyl is cut from CDs these days, not studio masters.
You don't want to pay for the movie, and if you really think that, you're lying to yourself.
What I don't want to do is go looking for it at the store or wait on shipping. I want to get it digitally.