Sony’s decision to release “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” on TV streaming before DVD’s is a step ahead if it wasn’t for the outrageous price. Do they think customers need expiation more than entertainment? Normally the Roberto Blog focuses on our movies, but that doesn’t stop us from commenting on absurdities in the movie business. Especially since our hope for MovieWithMe.com is that it becomes a resource targeted at the new methods of streaming movies on to your own personal big screen (via all the devices we list on “Let’s Meet” and more arriving all the time).

So here is Sony, with a big hit that is, in my view, a really good movie, deciding to take the pioneering step of releasing it to internet streaming capable TV’s before the DVD release date. Great move, until you see the fine print: $24.95. And you can only get it from Dec. 8 to Jan 4. And since it is streaming, you can’t keep it either.

At this price, Walmart doesn’t need to worry about the competition-which may be the whole point. Meanwhile the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) is trying to get the government to outlaw copying movies from STBs (cable set top boxes-if you read this blog long enough you’ll learn a lot of abbreviations). It’s all part of a subtle campaign to make us think Hollywood wants to embrace new technologies in its business model when they are doing exactly the opposite. Punishing the public for wanting their movies now is like raising the price of cigarettes because you shouldn’t be smoking anyway.