Movie Theaters vs. Home Theaters
In recent years, the technology involved in high-end home theater
systems has proven to be a major competitor for the money that
people spend at movie theaters. With television screens becoming
larger and the advancements in audio systems, many people would
rather enjoy movies from the comfort of their own home rather than
making the trek to the nearest movie theater to see a movie. But
even with the comforts of home, there are still some amenities that
a movie theater offers that provide a greater form of enjoyment for
some.
The obvious drawback to a movie theater is the price. A family of
four can easily spend between $75-100 to enjoy a movie at a movie
theater with the price of tickets and the price of refreshments. For
a family that frequents the movie theaters, investing in a decent
home theater system can pay for itself in a matter of a few short
years. You can buy popcorn and snacks at the grocery store for a
fraction of what it costs at the movie theater. A movie night at
home could also include a couple movies so more of the family
members can choose a movie for everybody to watch. At a movie
theater, everybody is forced to watch only one movie.
One of the drawbacks to home theaters is the fact that you have to
wait until the movie comes out on DVD in order to watch it. For some
movies, the DVDs are released after a short period at the movie
theaters. However, with more popular movies, releases might not be
until six months or more after the movie is taken out of theaters.
This could be frustrating when the movie is the “talk of the town”
and you still have to wait six months to see what everybody is
talking about. Several movie companies are trying to solve this
problem. Some are discussing the possibility of releasing the DVD of
the movie (or on a pay-per-view service) on the same date it is
released at theaters. Renting the movie on its release date will
cost more than they normally do, but it still will not compare to
the price of going to the theaters to see it.
Some people would still rather go to the theater, though. The
atmosphere that a theater provides with others who are watching the
same movie is one of the draws of the movie theater. It provides a
type of camaraderie of like-minded people who laugh at the same
things and are thrilled by the same scenes. Movie theaters, for
some, provide an escape from the ringing phone and the familiarity
of home. This is why movie theaters will continue to flourish,
despite their increasing prices. There is still something to be
said, however, about staying at home and enjoying an old-fashioned
family night with the kids.
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