Cinema Versus the Home Theater

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It seems that watching movies has become the most frequently mentioned pastime that is enjoyed by people from around the world. This is no surprise either, because everyone undeniably enjoys an experience when they can escape the daily reality for a little while, and fantasize about anything they wish or at least about what the movie being watched is offering. To live out these fantasies, two contrasting options are available; a trip to the cinema or staying at home.

After a movie theater with its play-list is found, a movie is picked, and the trip is made, customers are faced with the almost certain minimum cost of $8.50 per person to get in. That means a family of four, would have to pay over $35 just for movie tickets. Once inside, if the concession stand is unavoidable the cost continues to multiply because any food, snack, or drink is always at least half the price of a movie ticket.

Naturally, sometimes people just want to leave the house and go somewhere. A new or seasoned couple might be looking for place to get together. Like an instinct, as a result of frequent movie advertisements, the movie theater is one place that comes to mind. It offers a unique experience that starts with the massive and imposing screen that occupies the theater room where all seats are faced forward. The screen and front-faced seats, coupled with the absence of light, are the first things movie-goers notice when they enter the room. This commends all attention to the giant screen, and the already found sense that something new and exciting is about to appear, grows stronger. Eventually, the seats are filled, phones are turned off, chatting stops and the lights are dimmed; as the stream of new and exciting previews begins. From then on, all ...

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... 30 year veteran journalist, producer, then a president of CBS News and now the chairperson and CEO of Sony Corporation of America, had this to say about the future of movies, "I think domestically, it's video on demand. There will be huge audiences for movies that people want to see when they want to see them. And they'll be able to download them on a multitude of devices at convenient moments in convenient places. And that's got to change the nature of viewing.” The world listens when business giants like Stringer make such statements, and it sounds like the home theater experience will only become even more convenient and desirable.

Works Cited

Quittner, Josh. “Are 3-D Movies Ready for Their Closeup?” time.com. Time. 19 Mar. 2009. Web. 22 Jul. 2010

“The Monster That Ate Hollywood.” Frontline. Dir. Michael Kirk. PBS. WGBH, Boston. 22 Nov. 2001. Web. 22 Jul. 2010

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