Purists- this might be heretical but...

I have been shooting black and white for some time, primarily HP5plus and TMAX. However, I have pretty much converted to a dry darkroom- I process my negatives in a drum, and then scan and photoshop contrast adjust and inkjet print.

I have been thinking about starting to shoot color, so that after I scan, I can then use color channel adjustments to better tune the tone relationships before I convert to monotone. Honestly, I am tired of fiddling with traditional filters, and have only had limited success previsualizing their effect when in the field.

The downside for me is that I will probably have to pay $1.90 per sheet for a lab to process (ouch!).

Has anyone else made this conversion, who primarily is interested in Black and White output? Any film recommendations for this, or any other tips along these lines?

Can anyone think of benefits I have by sticking with black and white film (aside from the cost, and obvious loss of control I have by doing it myself)?

Thanks!