Are Movie Theaters Being Killed Off by Home Theaters?
Written on Nov 29, 2008 by Brian and filed under News
Every so often it becomes popular for mainstream media types to declare the death of the movie theater because of some new technology innovation. The movie theater system has died a few times due to Betamax, VHS, DVD and now Blu-ray. But really, as good as home theater systems are these days, they’re still not a replacement for movie theaters.
The entire notion may seem counter to what this site is all about. What we’re about though is helping consumers find the best home theater system for their space, that’s hopefully easy to set up and configure. We want people to settle in for the night with a good movie and great sound. The home theater system helps immerse you in the action, or depending on who picks the movie, the love story. In any event, a plasma television and Blu-ray player coupled with a nice HTiB system might do a lot for your enjoyment of a movie, but that doesn’t replace the theater does it?
It’s easy for writers to get bogged down in things like Netflix streaming, the new Blockbuster set-top box and other technolgies. Couple this with a struggling economy that sees consumers cutting back on everything, including entertainment, and it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that home theater systems are finally going to kill off the theaters. That conclusion is easy, but not logical.
People like to go to the movies because most of us don’t have a 100 foot screen at home, stadium seating and 50,000 watt speaker system. There’s also just something nice about going out to see a movie, to experience it in a way that’s very different from what you get at home. Sure you have to deal with people and paying $5 for popcorn we all know costs 50 cents to make, but that’s all part of the deal.
So while it’s fun to stir up controversy by claiming the movie theater is dead, the reality is that couldn’t be further from the truth. While most of us want to watch movies at home with the best video and sound setup we can, there’s still something about the movie theater that can’t be replicated, no matter your budget or technology.
I think it may vary based on the quality of your theater experience. I haven’t gone to a “real” movie theater in years for the simple reason that I’d have to drive 40 miles out of my way to find even a decent one, let alone a really good one. For that matter, the (bad) one in my little boondocks down bit the dust last year, got bought out and converted. Given the option of driving an hour or so for a moderate improvement in the experience, I prefer to stick with my home system.
$500.00 to $1200.00 paid out for a surround sound system will gives you years of pleasure for any program and at anytime. Take care to notice that even tho the component systems do cost more they will give you better sound , longevity, and expandability for upgrades (if needed or wanted) in the unforeseeable future. Hopefully you have a DVR with your video provider so you can pause the media you are watching to take care off personal needs (bathroom or pizza delivery). Think about it. Most movies are on DVD in 3-4 months. Stay home, be safe, eat your own food (whether it’s delivered or not) and for GOD’s sake use your own bathroom.