Whats the point of Theater anymore? - Page 2

i sooooooo would not rather go to the theater anymore, but i will for a couple movies (avengers, batman, and maybe prometheus/spider-man). for the rest i'd rather just buy/rent the blu or 3d blu 3 months later. the price is basically the same anyway and u can watch it whenever you want (or re-sell it). in-home projection is the only way to go!!!!!

Guess you haven't checked out the Cinema Suites. Beer (or wine, martinis or any other drink) and dinner brought directly to your seat! (Dinner too.)

http://dinein.amctheatres.com/

Yep, a lot of things conspire against watching out. You start out with a wait in line. You pay a ridiculously high price to get in and once you're in you have to pay for the ridiculously overpriced concessions. Then there is that two percent of people that tend to ruin things. In a theater with fifty people you have a good shot at being annoyed at some point by someone. Normally its something minor that doesn't get in the way of your good time but sometimes it can taint the experience pretty hard. All to watch a movie where the picture quality may end up being great or really poor and with sound quality that almost never matches up to what I have at home.

Then you start doing your cost/benefit analysis. I can BUY the movie for less than it costs me to view it one time at the theater. Even a new 3D release. I can watch this purchased movie at my convenience. I will not step in something sticky as I make my way to my nice comfy chair. I will be snacking on exactly what I wanted and washing it down with a beverage of my choosing, neither the food or beverage will be ridiculously overpriced. At no point during the entire show will a baby cry or a phone ring or anything else intrude upon the experience.

So, Whats the point of theater anymore? Good question. For me home theater and simple economics have made them a poor choice for my entertainment dollar.

It sounds like the theaters in your area suck.

When I go to the theater, most of those things are not issues.

I buy my tickets online, most of the time I just use the app on my phone. This also allows me to pick my seats (seating is assigned) and view which seats are taken or open. There is no waiting in line for me. In fact, I'm almost always running late and end up rushing to get in my seat before the start of the previews. I haven't waited in line for a ticket or to get inside for about 13 years (since the original release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace). And that was in a different state, not at my current local theater (which was not even built back then). That was also long before you could buy tickets online or on your phone. It just wouldn't happen to me today.

At my local theater they don't even allow texting. They have a few big "announcements" telling everyone to turn their phones off or they will be kicked out during the previews. You don't have to worry about anybody's phone ringing. I've never seen it happen at my local theater.

The audio and video completely blow away anything you'll find in a home theater. Film has a much higher resolution than any TV, projection unit, or computer monitor. You simply aren't going to match that at home unless you're buying film. It's also smoother than the 24p bluray standard. Not to mention the huge screen that engulfs you into the movie. So if it doesn't always look better in your theater of choice, you need to find a different theater.

Same thing with the sound. I don't know how many speakers they have at my local theater but it's at least 20 or 30 (and possibly more). Nobody has that type of setup at home. If your local theater doesn't best your home surround sound, you are going to the wrong theater. I have a 7.1 surround setup at home and it's not even close to comparing to my local theater. The room I have mine in is rectangular is shape, which is good. But it's not the same as a theater that was built for this purpose. The theater has the ideal shape, really high ceilings, and acoustic walls. Combine that with about 20 or 30 speaker surround sound, and my 7.1 surround at home just can't compete with that.

I agree with you on the concessions though. Way too expensive. A drink, popcorn, and candy is like $10. It's highway robbery.

I'd suggest you find an Imax theater and try it out. If your home theater is actually putting out better audio and video than an Imax theater, then you must have a home theater made of components not available to average residential consumers.

I prefer going to the movie theater over watching on my not very expensive or elaborate home system. The truly big screen and much superior sound systems in the theaters I typically go to make the experience worthwhile.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. They pride them self's on a great movie experience. Strict no talking or phone policy, they will kick you out. No kids under 6 (except for baby day ). No kids under 18 allowed without parent. Serves real food and adult beverages right to your seat. Every other row of seats are missing for tables, so no one directly in front of you or right behind you, so you don't have that guy behind you kicking the back of your seat. Instead of ads or mind-numbing content named after the number of minutes you have to sit through it if you get to the theater early, they create custom preshows with content themed to most of the features they program. Great picture and sound system. I can't go back to a regular theater any more. In stead of a over priced soda and popcorn I can enjoy a nice pint or two and a burger.

Regarding concession prices. From what I've heard and read. That's the theaters bread n butter. They don't get hardly anything from the admission price charged. They have the commercials and the snacks. That's one reason some theaters are being used for other entertainment purposes besides movie showings. Once I read that I felt different about the price of popcorn in a theater.

I like going out and staying home to watch movies. Going out is an event though, in comparison. For the wife and I, there is also a need to get out of the house. Especially in the summer time which is my favorite time to see a movie. That comes from going to theaters in the summer when school was out in my youth. I'll never abandon going to out to see a movie.

Dang I wish we had those around here! It sounds perfect!

HowlinWolf, I've been to dozens of theaters in a wide variety of cities and haven't found one that matches my in home audio experience. Disney's "Philharmagic" is known as one outstanding public venue for audio. My first visit there, it completely eclipsed my home experience. Second time (last year), I have surpassed it.

I'm not tooting my own horn. I have a few friends that have rooms that surpass public theaters too. It is not that difficult or expensive.

Yeah we got 2 free tickets for Christmas 2010. Had trouble using them and got 4 more this Christmas

We just watch everything at home.

There is a DC location is underway and talks of a NY and LA location in the future. They also take customer feedback seriously. The owners are also big movie goers also.
I would not be surprised to see more of this style theater to pop up all over the place in the future.

That dine in theater does look awesome! The industry needs to find it's niche' again. That just might be it!

What do you have in your setup, if you don't mind me asking?

I just can't imagine a 7.1, or even one of the cutting edge 9.1 surround systems surpassing the 30+ speaker THX systems in the theaters. If this is really possible I'd like to know what I should be upgrading to, lol.

Three Klipsch LaScala across the front, Klipsch Heresy for rears, RS62's for sides and two Danley DTS10's for subs. Danley equipped the Chicago Aquarium IMAX with four equivelent subs. So, it's essentially half of an IMAX in subs. You can see photos on my thread.

Highly dynamic and sensative (LaScala are 104db) speakers are the ticket. Research the top of the Klipsch line, JTR's, Seaton's, JBL, Geddes, Danley, Chase, eD, Pi, etc. and you'll find lots of options at various price points.

I've experimented with 9.2 in my room and felt that the number of speakers didn't change the experience much as long as the 5.1 portion was fully capable. But that's my taste.

Mind sharing what you currently use?

I don''t find that to be the case, unless you are speaking about 65-70mm film.
The actual visible resolution of 35mm is not what you think. What I see at home is much clearer, and smoother, than in the theatre (excepting true IMAX). It is all about scale. A 9'-10' screen, in a dedicated room can be every bit as "engulfing" as a theatre.

Have you seen what is available for the home now, to base your opinion on? I'm not trying to pick a fight, but it has to been seen to be believed. My new 3D PJ is very nice.

Art

Agreed on the video comments. My screen is 14' wide and I have rows at 11', 19' and 23'. I get more engulfed in the image at home.

I just checked the prices at the AMC dining theater in Atlanta. $12 is suprisingly reasonable. Of course, a $10 burger and $8 milkshake and an outing for our family of four would be... $120 I do a movie at home with all you can eat smoked ribs and beer for about $30.

Holy crap! Those are sweet. I thought my Epik dual 12" was nice, but wow.

You sound like me Tony when I fire up my theatre. I have the crew show up I make 3 slabs of baby back ribs with my homemade rub and vacuum seal overnight. Smoke on my grill for 4 hours with hickory, turn every 1/2hr. And spray with a mixture....did that this past weekend. I think I gained 10#s. You can't get food like that in any theatre I know of

Adpayne, they are fairly intense. My dad once vomitted during a demo. He claimed the subs literally turned his stomach. Hahahahaha.

Browning, yes indeed sir! My favorite smoker is my Ugly Drum. Mmmmmm. Half the time I can't touch my remotes because my hands are all sticky.

I completely understand why you would stay home and fire up the grill and watch a movie, but remember the average person only has a smallish TV and maybe a few speakers.

I wish I could wax poetic about my street of dreams home theater but that is not the case. I have a nice setup but I believe your first point to be accurate, the theaters around here suck. The nearest Imax is a three hour drive. All those things you mention, there is not a single theater within an hour drive that has them. I'm afraid I don't exactly live in the big city. Where I do live my own home viewing experience far exceeds what can be had anywhere reasonably close.

For me it isn't so much about the money its more about having the sense of being ripped off. I have season tickets to the 5th Ave down in Seattle and that is a much more expensive venture but I feel like I get value for my money. When I go out and watch a movie I feel like I just got my pocket picked to no particular end when I could have had a more enjoyable experience at home anyways.

As to the concessions, I don't know where to go with that. I have read all the arguments on either side of the pricing as I'm sure everyone else here has. To me none of that is as telling as the fact that I don't know a single real life person that frequently goes to the theater anymore. I used to, but not anymore. Talk to someone about it and the discontent at the all in pricing of a movie (ticket/concessions) is universal. IMO something has to give or its just going to get harder to get butts in seats in the future.

I still go to the theater once in awhile for films I can't wait to see. Yet I enjoy em a lot better in my family room theater

Well yeah, I guess if you spend 40 grand on a home theater, basically building an Imax, then you can expect to have better sound than most theaters, lol. Let me just say, holy crap, your setup is awesome. There's no way I'll be upgrading to that anytime soon, lol. I have Onkyo front, center, rear, and surround speakers. I have a Sony sub, and a Sony receiver (it was Onkyo too but I upgraded it a couple years ago). All n all it's about a $1500 audio system. Pretty decent for an average Joe, but it's no Imax.


If it's really clearer and smoother at home then your local theater probably sucks. The bluray standard is only 24 frames per second. Even regular old theaters should be doing better than that. And the resolution is way better than 1080p. You can easily make a 1080p movie out of old film (and it's done all the time) and it won't match the original resolution.


Yeah, your theater is definitely not something a typical residential consumer wold ever have. Most people don't have the room for 3 rows going back to 23', or a 14' screen. And even if someone had the room, not many people can afford a 40 thousand dollar setup (or whatever yours set you back). So just know that when I say the theater has better audio and video, I am not talking about yours, lol. Or anyone else that has something similar, for that matter.


UDS guy, nice. I'm using a modded chargriller myself. I love to throw some meat on there and let the stoker handle the rest. Or do some ribs with the 3-2-1 method. It's about that time of year again!

I did too at one time around 25 years ago. That's why you save your pennies never pay MSRP for anything and don't pay to go to the movies and out to eat before or after the flick. Then that way in 20 years or so you will have a great 25k setup.

Film might have a higher resolution but as more and more theaters go digital is this really even a factor any longer?

I honestly find my 720p content looks clearer than the theaters lol. Even the 4k sony units look eh

Consider getting a better sub and you'd be surprise at how much more enjoyable films are!

Brightness compensation and motion resolution are one thing flat panel displays do much better than in the cinema, at least for now. As i understood it, a flatpanel will take the 24 frames and display them four times.

Depends on its refresh rate I believe. Some TV's have that nice 72/96hz mode. That and my HTPC outputting at 23.97644 makes me happy

Except ALL home video sources are extremely limited when it comes to video compression and color resolution/gray scale. There is no comparison to Motion JPEG2000 with 4:2:2 versus MPEG4 with 4:2:0.

I like my images measured in yards, not inches.