Rate King Kong

[Desdichado]

A theory that won't ever manifest in reality until home theater screens and speakers are as big as those in movie theaters.

That will only be necessary when your living room is as big (and has the same acoustics) as a movie theater. It's not that hard (or expensive) to get a theater quality viewing experience off of home equipment. 5.1 digital audio systems are really cheap; less than $150 at the low end, and hi-def projector TVs are only a couple hundred bucks too. With that, you can already have proportionally a better viewing/sound experience than most theaters. Plus, it's at home.

As HDTV continues to bring the theater home, movie theaters are responding to the challenge by bringing the living room to the theater. All over the country high class theaters are opening with leather reclining seats and automans, gourmet food that is brought to your seat by a waiter, live entertainment before the show, ushers who will request to be notified if anyone disrupts the experience, etc.

As awesome as new home technology is, theaters like "Cinetopia" are making the theatrical experience better than ever.

That's a great theory, but I've never seen more than a handful of those innovations. And I live in a very large metropolitan area which would have them if they were really the direction the theater industry were going. Frankly, I really doubt it; theater ticket sales are way down, and what you're talking about is not cheap. Where's the revenue supposed to come from that funds these extra costs? Where's the profit in it? Not to mention the fact that do those things really outweigh the convenience of watching movies at home? Who cares about "catered" theaters with ushers and waiters and live entertainment when you can just order a pizza, throw some popcorn in the microwave, lay on the couch and watch movies at home in your underwear with the same visual/sound quality (if not better), spend tons less money (especially if you subscribe to Netflix, or the Blockbuster equivalent, or whatever), pause it whenever you need to take a leak or get a drink, etc.? I mean, where's your data that these changes are going to really be widely adopted? Or if they are that it will make any difference? 'Coz I can point out that I've never seen a theater that does what you claim; the closest we've got are the Emagine theaters where you can get cardboard pizzas in addition to popcorn and nachos, and there's a bar--otherwise, the theatrical experience is strictly conventional. And, ticket sales are down 7% from this same point last year--and last year was a doom and gloom year for the industry too.

I mean, I like the theater experience. My wife and I literally get flack from our friends because we see so many movies in theaters, but that's what we do. I'm a fan of the theatrical experience. But even I'm bearish on the theatrical industry. I think it's got to radically restructure what it does and shrink if it wants to survive at all; I expect we'll move to a more blockbuster direct-to-video approach at some point, and theaters will cater to niche markets in the future.

 

[Rykion]

The revenue from DVDs has been increasing while the revenue from theaters has gone down, even though ticket prices have gone up. This really seems to indicate that the age of the home theater is on its way, or has arrived. I don't think releasing DVDs at theaters on opening day will help much, as major retailers will complain and many people will still wait to pick it up cheaper somewhere else.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I think the specialty theaters that Kia Lord talks about will survive when the traditional theater becomes totally obsolete. But they will just serve a niche customer while the vast majority buy the DVD, or the download once that is feasable. How much more is a ticket to one of these theaters? I would guess they can't hold as many people due to having couches vs stadium seating, so are tickets going to cost a lot more so the theater can make a buck? Gourmet food is probably going to be pricy considering they will hit you for 3.50 for a crappy hotdog.

In any event watching a movie on a 50"-60" Widescreen HDTV with surround sound totally beats going to the theater in cost and enjoyment IME.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I seem to have soap boxes and this is one I have noted for some time, big screen is just going to be an ad/marketing tool for DVD sales BUT there is something new, ON DEMAND movies and I can see on-demand movie release at the same time as the big screen then a DVD release soon after (six weeks or less) just as a hard copy of the movie you just viewed, sort of hey do you want it burned...yes or no.

 

[Kai Lord]

How much more is a ticket to one of these theaters?

Cinetopia is $9.50. There's one in Vancouver, WA, one planned for Seattle and another in Portland, Oregon. There was a news special in August about how state of the art theaters like Cinetopia are spreading throughout the country to respond to the need for a more comfortable and enjoyable theatrical experience.

I would guess they can't hold as many people due to having couches vs stadium seating, so are tickets going to cost a lot more so the theater can make a buck? Gourmet food is probably going to be pricy considering they will hit you for 3.50 for a crappy hotdog.

Cinetopias do have stadium seating, much more dramatic than "standard" stadium in fact. The people's heads in front of you don't even come up to your knees. The auditoriums do hold less seats, but we're talking a row or two less than many current auditoriums (to make way for the extra legroom.)

In any event watching a movie on a 50"-60" Widescreen HDTV with surround sound totally beats going to the theater in cost and enjoyment IME.

I'll take 50-60 feet over 50-60 inches any day of the week. And your sound won't hold a candle to state of the art auditorium systems. I don't care if you've spent 50 grand.

Time will tell, but the comforts of the living room are heading into mainstream auditoriums. I'm not talking about obscure theater pubs, I'm talking 50 foot screens with HD and film projectors for first run movies. People like seeing movies on the big screen, they like the "event" of a theatrical community experience (when it isn't ruined by other theater goers of course) and they don't typically mind paying more.

I like that ticket prices are going up. Helps keep the riff raff out.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Cinetopia is $9.50. There's one in Vancouver, WA, one planned for Seattle and another in Portland, Oregon. There was a news special in August about how state of the art theaters like Cinetopia are spreading throughout the country to respond to the need for a more comfortable and enjoyable theatrical experience.


Cinetopias do have stadium seating, much more dramatic than "standard" stadium in fact. The people's heads in front of you don't even come up to your knees. The auditoriums do hold less seats, but we're talking a row or two less than many current auditoriums (to make way for the extra legroom.)


I'll take 50-60 feet over 50-60 inches any day of the week. And your sound won't hold a candle to state of the art auditorium systems. I don't care if you've spent 50 grand.

Time will tell, but the comforts of the living room are heading into mainstream auditoriums. I'm not talking about obscure theater pubs, I'm talking 50 foot screens with HD and film projectors for first run movies. People like seeing movies on the big screen, they like the "event" of a theatrical community experience (when it isn't ruined by other theater goers of course) and they don't typically mind paying more.

I like that ticket prices are going up. Helps keep the riff raff out.

The comforts of my living room include .50 cent sodas and a beer that only cost me .80 cents or so. Making my own popcorn and stuff. Along with pause when I have to hit the john and no one talking or stinking next to me.

For me the day when top flight movies go straight to DVD or download will be a great day. Sure a huge screen is cool, but I was watching Revenge Of the Sith on a 65" DLP TV and it was freaking awesome in its own right. Sound...I'm not an audiophile enough to tell the difference between a high quality home system and the movie system. Actually I've been in several theaters where you could hear the speakers crackling and distorting under the massive volume they have put the movie on, which is usually way to high. The laying on my couch with a beer from a six pack I paid 5.50 for instead of buying a beer at 7.00 is way more appealing than the largest screens. Sure there will always be movie buffs who want to "theater experience" but I find that most people I know, especially those with kids, are way more into DVD's and big screen TV's.

 

[Rykion]

I like that ticket prices are going up. Helps keep the riff raff out.

That's the reason I stopped going to the discount theaters, as I seldom got a chance to pay attention to the movie rather than the audience. That said, cost is a big reason why theaters are likely to go from mainstream to a niche market item. It will probably lead to better, but far fewer movie theaters with more people watching movies at home.

 

[barsoomcore]

Mark this day, folks. I agree with Kai Lord.



We've got plenty of those style of cinemas up here in the Great White North -- with all sorts of food options, big comfy reclining seats where you're NEVER blocked by someone else's head.

And I'm sorry but 60 inches in no way equals 60 feet, thank you very much.

Watching movies in your living room is a fine thing, and believe you me, I do plenty of that. It's great to be able to pause, to sit around in your pyjamas, to eat whatever you want, all that.

But the theatrical experience is fundamentally different. You DON'T have that control, and that makes it feel different. You surrender to the glow of the big screen, and you let the story envelope you thereby. And also, you SHARE the experience. You're there with a couple hundred other souls, all gasping, cheering or weeping together. You can't get that in your living room.

Now if you don't like any of that then sure, theatres offer not much (60 feet aside). But I do.

 

[Desdichado]

Mark this day, folks. I agree with Kai Lord.

Yeah, sure, you agreed with him that that's cool. So do I. But you didn't say anything about whether or not moving to that business model can actually save the theater industry.

I tend to think not. Sure, there's a market for that, but it'll be a small, niche market compared to theaters now.

 

[barsoomcore]

Well, I see new theatres like this opening all the time. I think they're making money.

I agree that we'll see less theatres in the future. And we'll see more and more releases not bothering with a theatrical play and going straight to home distribution (whether that's disks or v.o.d. or what).

So I guess it depends on how you define "save". Or possibly "the theatre industry". Or "actually".

Actually.