Noir bored me...
anyway I think the price per episode is an interesting point. Compare this to the price it costs (last i heard) to download an episode of Lost via iTunes in the US (though i live in the UK T_T). i think it was $1.30, and either cheaper than that if you buy the series togeather! ok so its at the smaller size but if you argue that you could argue that should anime companies decided to perhaps provide the "cheap alternative" version it would be a bigger seller.
its interesting you talk about profits, but its not always about selling high and maintaining customers. for example say they did knock the price down to $1.30 an episode...this is a completely reasonable price in my eyes...and i would gladly start buying anime again. now think if i would, how many others would start as well, assuming they are making a profit at $1.30 they could actually end up with bigger profits overall through more sales.
all of this doesnt matter however for one good reason. blu-ray! soon the time will come when an entire 51 epsiode anime will quite easily fit on a single blu-ray disc. as far as i know the reason prices are so high on current anime is because they keep stretching it over many dvds, though blu-ray will be more expensve than a dvd at first, i doubt one will be more expensive than 9 DVDs
