Do you think movie theaters will become irrelavent? and if so how many more years do they have left?

[Scarim Coral]

It pretty much they say when they play that ad for saying thanks for watching it in the cieema than to pirate it, it's for the experiences.
I do not have the money to recreate my tv or my pc into that cinema experiences (suround sound and large tv etc) eventhough they're getting cheaper. I also lack the paitences to wait for the months for it to appear on DVD and even still I would have to watch the film first before deciding if it's worth buying it on dvd. Lastly it's a good activity to do when hanging out with your mates which again is part of the experiences.
I'm not sure how many more years they got left, I guessing it is until you can buy the whole cinema experiences for a very very cheap prices.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Seeing the movie on a 6 story screen has an appeal. not to mention the sound system. It's more of a "Cinematic Experience" then anything. They release it later because it gets them more money and the people who liked it enough to buy it will.

True but these days televisions and stereo systems are getting cheaper and in regards to the televisions larger. You can create the same cinematic experience at home with enough cash. Anyway if you want the cinematic experience only a theater can give you ( and don't want to spend the money on a home theater system) then go to a theater, but why the need to give theaters an exclusive ability to show movies, why not allow direct streaming from the internet in congruence with the theater?

MONEY MONEY!

If they did that someone would learn how to hack the stream and the movies would be free release from day one. Until like 70% of the population has enough money for home theatre systems they will still make money off of movies. And the reason why they don't just release it straight to DVD is because it's cheaper. If you see a movie in the theatre without buying to much you can see it for 12.75 here. Blu Ray Dvds here cost 25-35 dollars here. thats a big Diff. Plus not every has 3D so that's another thing.

Heck, I've got a decent sound system -- one that, in the space I use it in, sounds as good as or better than most of the theaters around here -- and I still prefer to go to an actual theater for the big event movies. There's just something special about that 30 foot screen, not to mention the fact that seeing an action film or a comedy with an audience is a much better experience than seeing it on your own; I can't speak for everyone, but most people feed off of others' emotions when they're at an event like that, and said emotions tend to be more intense as a result.

Plus, you know, it's a nice social event -- whether it's a date, or you're going with a group of friends, it's got a different character to it than sitting on someone's couch and watching a DVD or a Bluray.

As for the OP's question about streaming, I have this to say: I've put a fair amount of money into my sound system, and I don't have an easy way of getting 5.1 sound from my laptop to the sound system. I can get Prologic II, but not Dolby Digital or DTS, to say nothing of the Bluray specific HD audio formats. Short of selling me a box specifically for streaming media (isn't that what the cable box is for?) streaming the movie is going to be inferior to a DVD, at least with my current sound system.

 

[Kagim]

Never.

No matter how cheap home entertainment systems get movie theaters will always do it bigger and better. Even at ten dollars a ticket it still means a decent sized HD tv will cost me the same as watching over a hundred movies at the movie theater.

Also add the fact that not everyone lives in a place where awesome sound systems can even be used. If i were to have placed a sound system while watching a movie in my old apartment I would be given a warning never to do it again the first time, and an eviction notice the second. Even with my current awesome landlords i doubt they would be to happy with me cranking up the noise when they have a six month year old baby. Going to a movie is honestly the only way i can experience a movie like that. Hell, cloverfield is actually kinda shit when i watched it at home. However when me and my buddy watched it in theaters... My god that is the only way to watch a movie like that!

A home experience will never replicate that, unless you think we will eventually all live in giant mansions where we can dedicate house sized rooms to personally watch movies... And if you believe that i got this bridge to sell you...

 

[Devil's Due]

I thought this as well a week ago before I went to see Transformers 3 and Cars 2, until I walked inside and saw how the movie theater where I lived did a complete re-vamp. No more does the theater have those old, uncomfortable chairs. Instead, they replaced ALL of them with these massive, red lounge chairs that are electric and allow you to recline straight back. It cuts the amount of people allowed in a single room by about half from how big the seats are, but it allows a very, VERY comfortable and immersing experience, while still being at the theater.

Half the people, so half the noise and idiots, but still the move experience of having an audience. Massive, reclining chairs that allow you to relax and escape reality and still talk (or hell, even cuddle up) to your special someone. The darkness and extreme loud volume and massive screen mixed with the always reliable Icee's and pretzels were a rather amazing touch. I'm not sure if theaters will last too many years into the future, but if they all updated to like my current theater, they'll have at least another 20 years good to go before they have to make some other large advancements.

 

[Fiery Killer]

well somtimes It seems pointless If I can get a really good movie for like $10 on DVD but theatre ticket is almost $20

I will see a movie in a theatre ONLY if I really want to, I mean the experience can be awsome

most of the time theres nothing out that I want to see that badly, I mean who thourght up the Idea that New release=better?

Jesus christ, are tickets really $20 where you live? Where do you live?
Here in Florida tickets tend to go for $9.50, and when I lived in North Carolina tickets were as cheap as $6.50

The thing is, Theaters sell an experience, they're not just an avenue to see a movie. There's something incomparable about the atmosphere in a movie theater, that I think will be hard to replicate on personal, home basis.

Right. The bad smell, sticky floors, expensive food, assholes with phones,annoying kids, and assholes who talked through the whole movie. Who would ever want to miss that?

I think you're exaggerating. I've never had a problem with bad smell in a theater, sticky floors very occasionally but they're in small spots that could be avoided. Children don't tend to be in most theaters unless you're watching a G rated movie. I've never had a problem with people talking through the movie, typically they at least have the politeness to whisper in which case the sound of the movie will well drown them out.

I love going to the theater. I usually don't bother to re-watch any movies so I like to pay for a one time viewing. If I miss it in the theater I usually invite over a friend and get it off netflix or something.

 

[Charles_Martel]

People have been writing the obituary of movie theaters for a long time now. They will come to an end as all things do but not in the near future.

People like the movie going experience. The latest Transformers movie broke records a 4th of July opening. I wouldn't see it but plenty of others enjoyed the experience.

 

[Vault101]

well somtimes It seems pointless If I can get a really good movie for like $10 on DVD but theatre ticket is almost $20

I will see a movie in a theatre ONLY if I really want to, I mean the experience can be awsome

most of the time theres nothing out that I want to see that badly, I mean who thourght up the Idea that New release=better?

Jesus christ, are tickets really $20 where you live? Where do you live?
Here in Florida tickets tend to go for $9.50, and when I lived in North Carolina tickets were as cheap as $6.50

The thing is, Theaters sell an experience, they're not just an avenue to see a movie. There's something incomparable about the atmosphere in a movie theater, that I think will be hard to replicate on personal, home basis.

Right. The bad smell, sticky floors, expensive food, assholes with phones,annoying kids, and assholes who talked through the whole movie. Who would ever want to miss that?

I think you're exaggerating. I've never had a problem with bad smell in a theater, sticky floors very occasionally but they're in small spots that could be avoided. Children don't tend to be in most theaters unless you're watching a G rated movie. I've never had a problem with people talking through the movie, typically they at least have the politeness to whisper in which case the sound of the movie will well drown them out.

I love going to the theater. I usually don't bother to re-watch any movies so I like to pay for a one time viewing. If I miss it in the theater I usually invite over a friend and get it off netflix or something.

Australia however I cant remeber the prices exactally and it depends on a number of things

like if its for children/adult/student or if its in 3D...I think it might be $18 for an adult, eather way I dont remember it being less than $10 for a long time

I guess it just evens out liek the amout us aussies pay for games