I'm in a similar boat -- I'll download things that I can't get otherwise. Cartoons I watched when I was younger and would like to see again, for example; if you're really lucky, you might find an old VHS tape of one or two episodes somewhere.
Except I have nothing that plays VHS tapes. Hm.
So I have no qualms about downloading, nor about trading with friends. I'll always prefer a DVD to a download both for legality and convenience's sake. If the DVD were available, I would buy it. Since it's not, I don't.
Oh, and I don't own a TV, so the computer is the only way I can watch any of these shows.
I agree with the above -- market the downloads to the fans, we might even tolerate some form of DRM (maybe), and I think companies would find that most of us are willing to pay for what we want if they would let us.
