4 ms·

Many people thing $10 is too expensive for a movie ticket, why would they pay $150?

tssva 11y ago
Each movie is $50. The set top box is a one time fee of $150. Tickets at the closest theater to me are $12.10 and that is average for the area. With popcorn, drinks and online ticket fees your total approaches $50 for 2 people. If you have a family with kids the cost is going to blow by $50. Some people like the theater experience and this may not appeal to them but there is definitely a large number of people it will appeal to.
- forgetsusername 11y ago
  >definitely a large number of people it will appeal to How large? Because we can't pretend that piracy isn't a thing. The theatre is expensive, sure. But it also has an audio visual experience that dominates anything anyone can have in their home, which is part of the premium. Is it worth $50 for a one-time movie experience in your home? Are people so desperate to see a movie they can't wait for it to reach Netflix or Amazon for "free", or pay $20 to own it on Bluray? I'm skeptical.
  - pavel_lishin 11y ago
    > Are people so desperate to see a movie they can't wait for it to reach Netflix or Amazon for "free", or pay $20 to own it on Bluray? I'm skeptical. Plenty of movies I want to see will never see Amazon or Netflix (Where can I stream The Avengers?), and plenty of people have no interest in cluttering up their house or apartment with BlueRay copies of movies they only want to see once.
    - douche 11y ago
      The Avengers has been on steady rotation on TBS (or maybe it's FX, one of those channels...) for years now. I think I've watched it at least a dozen times, without even trying.
      - pavel_lishin 11y ago
        But that's TV, not Netflix/Amazon - not on demand. Entirely different thing.
    - alexhutcheson 11y ago
      The Avengers is on HBO Go now
  - tssva 11y ago
    For some movies the audio visual experience at the theater is key but for many movies it doesn't provide a huge increase to the enjoyment of the movie. I think you over estimate it as a driver of people to theaters. I think the a more than large enough number of people are there because they don't want to wait for the movie to reach Netflix, Amazon or Bluray. Unfortunately despite this I don't see this service becoming a reality. At least not with a selection of movies beyond indies. I don't believe the major studios will risk their relationships with the theater chains.
  - Karunamon 11y ago
    Visual maybe just due to screen size, but audio? No way. 5.1 on a even modestly specced surround receiver is at least as good as any theater. There are fewer and fewer reasons to go to the theater. Why would you pay upwards of $10 for a ticket, $20 for a popcorn and soda to sit in someone else's filthy chairs to be advertised to for 30 minutes straight and listen to people chatting and children screaming? Unless you're there for the social aspect, i.e. with friends, the value just ian't there.
    - douche 11y ago
      Exactly. I can watch a movie on my own couch, with my own popcorn and soda, and my friends and family basically for free. With a 40"+ flat screen that costs about the same as four or five trips to the theater. I've noticed in the last few years that there are fewer and fewer movies that I'm even vaguely interested in seeing. Maybe when I was living at home and near a theater that offered $4 tickets, and no ads, I might take a flier on a potentially bad movie, but at $12-15 a pop at the chain cinemas around here, when the movie doesn't start on time because they are showing 45 minutes of ABC commericals... Nope
      - Thlom 11y ago
        Regarding ads: 45 minutes sounds crazy. At least in most of Europe the advertisements are programmed to end 10-15 minutes after scheduled time or the feature to start 10-20 minutes after scheduled time. depends on the cinemas agreement with the advertisement company.

tssva 11y ago

Each movie is $50. The set top box is a one time fee of $150. Tickets at the closest theater to me are $12.10 and that is average for the area. With popcorn, drinks and online ticket fees your total approaches $50 for 2 people. If you have a family with kids the cost is going to blow by $50. Some people like the theater experience and this may not appeal to them but there is definitely a large number of people it will appeal to.

forgetsusername 11y ago
>definitely a large number of people it will appeal to How large? Because we can't pretend that piracy isn't a thing. The theatre is expensive, sure. But it also has an audio visual experience that dominates anything anyone can have in their home, which is part of the premium. Is it worth $50 for a one-time movie experience in your home? Are people so desperate to see a movie they can't wait for it to reach Netflix or Amazon for "free", or pay $20 to own it on Bluray? I'm skeptical.
- pavel_lishin 11y ago
  > Are people so desperate to see a movie they can't wait for it to reach Netflix or Amazon for "free", or pay $20 to own it on Bluray? I'm skeptical. Plenty of movies I want to see will never see Amazon or Netflix (Where can I stream The Avengers?), and plenty of people have no interest in cluttering up their house or apartment with BlueRay copies of movies they only want to see once.
  - douche 11y ago
    The Avengers has been on steady rotation on TBS (or maybe it's FX, one of those channels...) for years now. I think I've watched it at least a dozen times, without even trying.
    - pavel_lishin 11y ago
      But that's TV, not Netflix/Amazon - not on demand. Entirely different thing.
  - alexhutcheson 11y ago
    The Avengers is on HBO Go now
- tssva 11y ago
  For some movies the audio visual experience at the theater is key but for many movies it doesn't provide a huge increase to the enjoyment of the movie. I think you over estimate it as a driver of people to theaters. I think the a more than large enough number of people are there because they don't want to wait for the movie to reach Netflix, Amazon or Bluray. Unfortunately despite this I don't see this service becoming a reality. At least not with a selection of movies beyond indies. I don't believe the major studios will risk their relationships with the theater chains.
- Karunamon 11y ago
  Visual maybe just due to screen size, but audio? No way. 5.1 on a even modestly specced surround receiver is at least as good as any theater. There are fewer and fewer reasons to go to the theater. Why would you pay upwards of $10 for a ticket, $20 for a popcorn and soda to sit in someone else's filthy chairs to be advertised to for 30 minutes straight and listen to people chatting and children screaming? Unless you're there for the social aspect, i.e. with friends, the value just ian't there.
  - douche 11y ago
    Exactly. I can watch a movie on my own couch, with my own popcorn and soda, and my friends and family basically for free. With a 40"+ flat screen that costs about the same as four or five trips to the theater. I've noticed in the last few years that there are fewer and fewer movies that I'm even vaguely interested in seeing. Maybe when I was living at home and near a theater that offered $4 tickets, and no ads, I might take a flier on a potentially bad movie, but at $12-15 a pop at the chain cinemas around here, when the movie doesn't start on time because they are showing 45 minutes of ABC commericals... Nope
    - Thlom 11y ago
      Regarding ads: 45 minutes sounds crazy. At least in most of Europe the advertisements are programmed to end 10-15 minutes after scheduled time or the feature to start 10-20 minutes after scheduled time. depends on the cinemas agreement with the advertisement company.