Will cinemas disappear soon?

@faisai (1138)
Hong Kong
June 13, 2009 11:43am CST
When VCD comes out, people start to wonder whether people will still go to the cinemas and of course it is not that a big impact because of the low picture quality. Then, DVD comes out and with the much better quality, people start to shift away from cinemas but yet the number of people who watch DVD instead of going to cinema is rather limited because if you can go out to buy the DVD, why not just go to the cinema? And then, BT comes into play which effectively makes distribution of DVDs too easy that more and more people opt to download movies now. BlueRay disks are fueling the change because of the exceptional quality. Do you still go to the cinemas to watch movies?
1 person likes this
13 responses
@hotsummer (13837)
• Philippines
14 Jun 09
i would definitely miss cinemas in case they will not be any more available for us to go to. ithink that we often realize the importance of one thing when it's not already available for us to have or see. i too have not watched cinemas for quite some time now. i do intend to watch but i keep postponing it because i feel that i lack the time and i have smoetimes have no money when i have the time to watch. or sometimes i haven o one to go out to watch with me cause i don't want to watch cause that it kind of boring to do that . dvd is not the main reason i don't watch cinemas cause i rarely watch dvd's too. mostly the reason is i don't see any interesating movies to watch. i am quite picky. i don't enjoy moives that often. only few movies appeal to my taste .
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. I used to find somebody to go to cinema with me in the past but these days I enjoy going there alone. Being along means that there won't be a friend to disturb you during the movie. I want to stay focused on the movie and I really prefer not being disturbed.
• India
14 Jun 09
I dont go to the cinemas as it has become very very expensive for me. With the plexes coming in and stand-alones losing out, an outing at the cinema with all the stuffings of a plex, does burn a hole in the pocket. So that is one reason I think people are avoiding cinemas. Regarding DVD, I have watched quite a few pictures thru them, but the effect is not the same. Watching a thrilling scene on the big screen with the booming sound effects, is altogether a different experience. So people who genuinely love cinema or who can afford to spend on it, will go. So to me, more than the DVD invasion, the cost of going to watch cinema is more important.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. I also think that the ticket price is getting too high. They try to charge us more but they don't realize just how many competitions there are. I mean when will they finally realize that their business model has to be changed in order to live in the current world.
@pengbubu (1011)
• China
14 Jun 09
I don't think so, even through I never come to cinema before. Because I am poor, and I will go the the theater if I am rich. To some degree, watching in front of the big screen feels better, don't you think so? Firstly, the sound effects are different. Secondly the screen is big than yours. Haha! Have a good day, Faisai.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. I also think it the same way and thus I visit the cinema if the movie I wanna watch is one I expect to be good. But there are so many people these days prefer to watch movie at home instead. Watching a movie should be enjoyable and I don't think doing it at home would be more enjoyable than at the cinema.
• Philippines
14 Jun 09
I don't think cinemas will be out of picture in the future because that is one of the biggest earning resources of the movie industry and they will do their best to make it stay forever and to convince people that bigger screen is better and the first to watch the new movie really feels good . Maybe they will make inhancements to cinemas to make it better and better to drive more people to watch if time comes that people rather stay at home and watch dvd or cd or just use the internet to download movies. But cinemas is also part of the outing place for people who go on dating not for lovers but also for families. SO i think it will stay longer as it is.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. The movie industry really need to think why people should go into the cinema instead of buying a DVD when the ticket price is so high and DVD is offering quite good quality for average customers already. Yet, they only know to blame people for downloading movies from the net.
@ionsquare (530)
• Singapore
14 Jun 09
Hi, I still goes to cinema once in a while to watch movies. Cinemas will not disappear that soon but business owners may need to reduce the price of movie tickets to attract more movie goers. Cinema is still a nice place to hang out with friends. Some action packed movies are more interesting to watch in cinema.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. I also still visit the cinema once in a while because there are movies that are so much better to watch in that big wide screen. Like the Transformer, it is so much more exciting to watch in the theater rather than the tiny screen at home.
@clorissa123 (4926)
• United States
13 Jun 09
With the quality of story recently, I tried to cut back on number of times to go to the cinemas. I just couldn't afford the high price ticket anymore. $10 for one person entrance, plus $10 to $20 snacks and beverage. That is too much for watching a movie like that. I would definitely stay home and watch the online movies better. Save my driving, and time.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. $10 for a ticket is really a big obstacle. I always wonder whether a movie really worth the price at all. I mean EVERY movie charges you the same ticket price but we all know some are better than others. We pay for what we get. Better movie obviously worth more but nonetheless, we are paying the price for the good ones as well as the bad ones. It occurs to me that the current ticket system is simply not logical.
• United States
13 Jun 09
No, I do not go to the cinemas to watch a movie. Why does anyone? You have to put up with crowds, there are always rude people, expensive refreshments, you can't stop the movie to take a break, you can't back the movie up to see or hear something you missed the first time through, there is the cost of time and money for transportation to the cinema and the cinema is way too expensive. Using an internet based mail order DVD rental service I watch any movie I want for less than $2. None of the problems listed above have to be endured. Cinemas will likely go the way of the DRIVE-IN MOVIE.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. I also hate those rude people especially those who like to keep the mouth busy during the movie. You actually pointed out something that I have struggled a bit: pausing the movie or even rewinding it. At home, you are always free to do so meaning that at the very excited point of time, you can paused the movie (or being paused due to interruption by the phone ringing) that one may not be able to feel what the director want to say. In the cinema, there is nothing one can do except to be very focused at all times because once passed, you can't get it back.
@heathcliff (1415)
• United States
13 Jun 09
I can see the number of theatres and the price to get in will be in major flux over the next few years, but they will exist for a long time to come. It is still a "destination" for people: an escape from their homes and a place to meet or date. Theatres may change alot in the future: better seating, better food and other innovations, but they'll stay around.
@kircho (493)
• Bulgaria
14 Jun 09
With so many DVD films on the PC, I think "Yes" They will disappear soon and everybody, who wants to watch a film, can do this in front of the PC.
• Malaysia
14 Jun 09
No matter how cheap and easily avaiable DVD can be to us, there will always be a urge for us to go to the cinema and catch a movie with our friends and buddy.Though it is a little more expensive for us to watch at the cinema and saves more when it comes to DVD, there are certain things that we cannot get from watching DVD.We can never get the satisfaction of being in hall watching with many people around us.Moreover, you dont want to make valentines dull by sitting at home watching DVD with your partner except you are thinking of making out ofcourse...
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
13 Jun 09
My grandmother used to love going to the movies but there just aren't movies made for her age group. Hollywood is missing a lot of revenue by ignoring this age group. There are more older people living than there ever was. Why make films all nasty? They make them nasty for the college kids but they're all too busy playing video games. Which is true because I read a study that said more people are staying home and playing video games than they are going to the cinema. I'm actually happy that the cinema is dying and hollywood is making less money. Perhaps it will force them to change their strategy and actually make some good films.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply. I also think that sometimes when the hollywood is attacking people for downloading pirated copies of the movies aren't quite sure what the current situation is. They are making a lot of movies but a big portion of them just aren't good. Either they are not targeting the right group of people or the story is bad. I do hope that they can think for a moment whether they really are doing the right thing before accusing others.
@jules67 (2788)
• Philippines
14 Jun 09
I hope not. We all know that watching movies in cinema is much more expensive than renting dvd or buying one. If you have little money extra, then, why not go to the cinema. I myself feel like I am really part of the movie when I go to the theater. And besides, it is one of the things that I enjoy doing.
• India
14 Jun 09
I don't think the cinemas will disappear. On the contrary, they will improve and come up with advanced technology to enhance the user experience. One of the thing which you get in cinemas that you won't get at home is the continuity. While at home there is every possibility of getting disturbed due to a phone call, some one visiting or you get bored and can stop the movie in between. In a cinema hall, you will not get disturbed (unless you are unlucky to get a tall person sitting in front of you, or someone making comments or talking) and atleast enjoy the sound quality and bigger picture.