I think HBO have made some fantastic shows, Band of Brothers is one of my all time favourite series. I'm in the UK so not experience the restrictions that you guys in the states are facing. I'll tell you what is really annoying though is when they post a video on Facebook and then it's location restricted. This is not just HBO shows, still annoying as hell, particularly when it's just an interview of one of the shows actors or something. Seriously people, you have fans all over the world, these marketing channels need to reflect these global views!
The location restrictions are the same when I try to view something on BBC or Sky websites. They are just interviews or report snippets but it's restricted for viewing in the UK only.