Cinemas: An Endangered Species
With the quick release of movies to DVD, the act of going to the theater is becoming an ancient form of entertainment. With the ever rising price of watching a movie at the cinema, families seem to be opting out of the movie going experience and bringing it home with DVDs. Many are even bringing the crystal clear resolution of Blue Ray DVDs and home theater surround sound into their homes to make their movie watching experiences equal if not superior to the effects of the cinematic style of movie watching.
Many cinematic blockbusters are finding their way to the format of DVDs quicker than in the past. The turnaround time from the screen to the TV averages around four and a half months. The average time used to be around six months in length. Now, the wait time for some movies to be released to DVD can even be shorter depending on the time of the year and certain holidays. Many movie companies try to release certain movies that correlate with holidays or events. Movie companies try to maximize their movies' earning potentials based on the time of the year and when people buy movies the most. Since DVDs usually come out for sale and rent on the same day, many people opt to buy the movie. Those sales are usually much greater than the ticket sales of the same movie's cinematic showing.
Something new that movie distributors are doing is releasing the Blue Ray DVDs of movies slightly before the release of the regular DVD. Blue Rays are a little more costly, but the quality is superb when compared to the standard DVD. By releasing these first, movie companies are hoping to entice the DVD watching public to spend a little bit more on the high definition product rather than waiting for the less costly, but lesser quality, DVD.
Many movies never even make it to the theater. Movie companies will often send movies that they deem as having a low earning potential in theaters straight to DVD. Movie watchers can find thousands of movies that they have never even heard about yet can be just as entertaining as the hits of the silver screen. With the seemingly endless ocean of movies available on DVDs and Blue Ray DVDs, why would anyone even bother with the hassle of the theater in today's technological world?
Between snacks and movie prices, taking a family of four to a movie on a Friday or Saturday night could cost anywhere from $40 to $100 depending on the snacks purchased. Times have changed greatly since the Nickelodeon. Has the whole world gone insane? No, just those who still pay for the cinematic experience.