4 ms·

How about a video store that lets you watch videos, ie in-store kiosks? $0.99 to watch pretty much anything in stock. They could offer popcorn and soft drinks (

How about a video store that lets you watch videos, ie in-store kiosks? $0.99 to watch pretty much anything in stock. They could offer popcorn and soft drinks (reputedly the biggest profit center at movie theatres). Don't want to finish it right now? Take it home. Have screening rooms for groups of friends to enjoy a film together. It seems to me that an enterprising person could make some money using this hybrid approach. It requires some capital investment up front, and probably some ridiculously expensive licenses to serve drinks etc., but once you're set up it would be a relatively low cost operation.

sillysaurus2 13y ago
Relatively low cost, and relatively illegal. Movie theaters are draconian precisely because it'd be so easy to usurp them if they weren't.
- blisterpeanuts 13y ago
  What would be illegal about it, exactly? Note that I'm talking about playing DVDs, not watching first run movies.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    Something about licensing and copyrights protection would make this plan tricky. See the warnings on DVD trailers about not playing this DVD on oil rigs. With correct licencing it'd be easy. But that opens up some weird bureaucracy.
    - FedRegister 13y ago
      Split it into two businesses - a small shop next door that rents DVDs and a bigger shop next door that rents out DVD/BluRay/Video Game playing space. Problem solved.
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
acjohnson55 13y ago
I once came up with a similar idea, but probably more on the premium side: the micro movie theater. No need for showtimes, just make a reservation. Kind of like a private karaoke place. The perks are privacy, lack of annoying people, better viewing/listening experience than home theater, availability of new releases, etc. I think the toughest thing would be getting the sound and viewing distances right, and what that would mean for how many people you can service per square foot. But in a modern cineplex-style building, you could stack all of these mini-theaters pretty high, I'm thinking.
- DanBC 13y ago
  Almost what you propose: The Screening Rooms. It's a very small cinema. It has to-your-seat food and drink service, including wine and beer or hot drinks. It has wide, deep, comfortable seats. It has a reduced number of seats (maybe 50?). It's a little bit more expensive than the regular cinema (right next door) but that's good. http://www.thescreeningrooms.co.uk/experience http://www.thescreeningrooms.co.uk/experience They don't show any photos of the inside which is stupid, because it's nice. This trip advisor page has some user supplied photos. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186284-d3207985-Reviews-The_Screening_Rooms-Cheltenham_Cotswolds_Gloucestershire_England.html http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186284-d3207...
FedRegister 13y ago
This would work wonderfully on a college campus. The only difference would be to make this "bring your own content". Provide fast Internet connectivity, premium cable TV access, VHS, DVD, BluRay, and current/next-gen video game consoles and controllers along with a screen so that kids in the dorms can take in a movie or play games with friends in a place that isn't their tiny dorm room. If you're worried about copyrights and having your own content, split it into two stores - one small shop that does nothing but rent games/movies and one bigger area (physically separate, two separate entrances, owned by two separate corporations) that provides the viewing area.

sillysaurus2 13y ago

Relatively low cost, and relatively illegal. Movie theaters are draconian precisely because it'd be so easy to usurp them if they weren't.

blisterpeanuts 13y ago
What would be illegal about it, exactly? Note that I'm talking about playing DVDs, not watching first run movies.
- DanBC 13y ago
  Something about licensing and copyrights protection would make this plan tricky. See the warnings on DVD trailers about not playing this DVD on oil rigs. With correct licencing it'd be easy. But that opens up some weird bureaucracy.
  - FedRegister 13y ago
    Split it into two businesses - a small shop next door that rents DVDs and a bigger shop next door that rents out DVD/BluRay/Video Game playing space. Problem solved.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]

acjohnson55 13y ago

I once came up with a similar idea, but probably more on the premium side: the micro movie theater. No need for showtimes, just make a reservation. Kind of like a private karaoke place. The perks are privacy, lack of annoying people, better viewing/listening experience than home theater, availability of new releases, etc. I think the toughest thing would be getting the sound and viewing distances right, and what that would mean for how many people you can service per square foot. But in a modern cineplex-style building, you could stack all of these mini-theaters pretty high, I'm thinking.

DanBC 13y ago
Almost what you propose: The Screening Rooms. It's a very small cinema. It has to-your-seat food and drink service, including wine and beer or hot drinks. It has wide, deep, comfortable seats. It has a reduced number of seats (maybe 50?). It's a little bit more expensive than the regular cinema (right next door) but that's good. http://www.thescreeningrooms.co.uk/experience http://www.thescreeningrooms.co.uk/experience They don't show any photos of the inside which is stupid, because it's nice. This trip advisor page has some user supplied photos. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186284-d3207985-Reviews-The_Screening_Rooms-Cheltenham_Cotswolds_Gloucestershire_England.html http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186284-d3207...

FedRegister 13y ago

This would work wonderfully on a college campus. The only difference would be to make this "bring your own content". Provide fast Internet connectivity, premium cable TV access, VHS, DVD, BluRay, and current/next-gen video game consoles and controllers along with a screen so that kids in the dorms can take in a movie or play games with friends in a place that isn't their tiny dorm room. If you're worried about copyrights and having your own content, split it into two stores - one small shop that does nothing but rent games/movies and one bigger area (physically separate, two separate entrances, owned by two separate corporations) that provides the viewing area.