http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/the-...cure-tv-lines/
THE END OF MOVIE THEATERS? FCC Will Allow Studios To Send First-Run Films Directly To Consumers Over Secure TV
By Nikki Finke | Tags: Big Media, MPAA, Regulation | Friday May 7, 2010 @ 2:23pm PDT
The MPAA, which is the Hollywood studios' lobbying organization, just made this announcement about the FCC's very bad decision. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: once again, Big Media shows that it doesn't want to share its profits with anyone else. Today's action allows the major movie studios to undercut the entire process of theatrical release. It would put the struggling cinema chains virtually out of business.
(Updates MPAA Asks FCC To Let Studios Transmit First-Run Films Directly To Consumers):Washington, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), saying it was “in the public interest” today approved a request by the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) to permit recent movies to be sent directly to American households over secure high definition transmission lines from their cable or satellite providers prior to their release on DVD or Blu-ray.------------------------
“This action is an important victory for consumers who will now have far greater access to see recent high definition movies in their homes. And it is a major step forward in the development of new business models by the motion picture industry to respond to growing consumer demand.” said Bob Pisano, President and Interim CEO of the MPAA. “We deeply appreciate the recognition by the FCC that recently released movies need special protection against content theft when they are distributed to home televisions.”
Specifically, the issue before the FCC was a request by the MPAA for permission to use selectable output control (SOC), which would allow televisions with digitally secure interfaces to receive high-definition content from a cable, satellite or IPTV provider, before its release on DVD or Blue-ray. Using SOC protects content because during the broadcast it essentially disables non-secure, analog outputs to avoid illegal cir vention and distribution of copyrighted material.
In its order, the FCC said: “On balance, this limited waiver will provide public interest benefits– making movies widely available for home viewing far earlier than ever before – without imposing harm on any consumers.”
“The first, and best way to view movies will always be in movie theaters – and nothing can replace the pleasure this brings to millions and millions of people all across our country and the globe,” Pisano said. “But for those people unable to make it to the theater and interested in viewing a recently released movie, thanks to the FCC, they will now have a new option. For other consumers who prefer standard, linear, on-demand or DVD or Blu-ray options, these services will be unchanged."
What do you guys think? Death of movies theaters?
My take: Fewer movie theaters and the focus will eventually expand to showing non-first run movies with limited showings, along with live events and concert recordings.
I think there is still an appeal to seeing the blockbuster movies and comedies with a crowd. And certainly big-screen 3-D has a lasting appeal. But some of the less mainstream new movies will probably find limited place in theaters. I'd love to see theaters devote a few screens to limited-time showings of classics.
Or even outside of movies, I think technology is allowing a lot more options for live material that theaters can entertain audiences with. Live concerts, sporting events, etc. Who needs film anyway?
Could be a win-win for everyone in the end. There are some pretty ty movie theaters out there and I don't think it's any great loss if some of them have to shut down because of this. In the end, it gives more options to the consumer, and I would rarely side against that.
So, for once, good job, FCC and MPAA.
Last edited by Spurminator; 05-08-2010 at 06:19 PM.
I say the movie theaters, ive got a projector with 110" hi def screen and surround sound and can have snacks and drinks for less than $5.
I'm disgusted by the greed of not only the movie companies but the theaters as well. Id rather get raped a bit on the movie than paying $8 for a bucket of popcorn that costs them about .15-.20 cents in popcorn kernels. And $5 or $6 for a soda that cost about .30 cents in syrup.
I welcome this change. I hope movie theaters get destroyed by this.
Theaters have to charge that much cause the studios get 90% of box office profits. But this means that instead of ty camera feeds to download we'll get awesome rips when the movie comes out. If you do that sort of thing, which i don't
I am for that. This is capitalism. Not "we have to prop up a certain business model" society. There are always risks that the business model could change and become outdated. I for one would love to be able to watch new releases at home instead of getting murdered at the theater.
I understand somewhat why the movie theaters charge what they do, but that does not mean I like it.
Okay explain the continuous inflation of snacks? They are already gouging this year but they will go up next year, and the year after. Pretty soon you will be paying $10 for a large Soda.
They get enough volume of business that they don't need to rape their customers. In fact lowering their prices a bit would ensure that they'd be a of a lot busier. There are probably a couple million people boycotting theaters on principle alone.
There was a time when it was .25 cents to see a movie, snacks were also very cheap for the longest time. In the last 10 years or so the prices have gotten out of hand. It will now cost you about $35-$40 if you want to take a date to a movie. In Cali movie ticket prices can be $10-$11 now.
I tend to go to the drive in a lot, because its $7 a person for two first run movies. Snacks are stil a bit pricey but not quite as bad as the movie chains.
I also pass on many movies Id go to to wait until they come out on Dvd or Blu Ray.
If in the long term it kills movie theaters, then I say boo. Even if I had a mondo home setup, which I don't/won't for a long while, I'm a theater goer at heart. Especially for big movies. Saw Iron Man 2 today in a packed theater with a lively audience and I can't imagine watching something like that for the first time any other way.
I tend to think it will play out closer to the way Spurminator suggested in the OP, though. Big chains will probably thin out, which sucks from a job point of view (our obsession with convenience is going to lead to insane unemployment rates in the near future), but is probably unavoidable even without this move. The theaters that stay open will be more about blockbusters and specialization, and I'm perfectly okay with that. Especially if it means a return to proper art houses or revival theaters. Also love this move in the ability to hopefully watch smaller films when they come out instead of waiting forever for DVD release. It's been a long time since I lived in a big market and it sucks watching the indies either pass me by completely or play locally for only a week.
I can't explain it, but I said I can somewhat see why they charge what they do. They have to make their money on snacks. Ticket prices aren't where the profit comes from if I understand it correctly.
So in order to make up for a struggling economy and to keep them as profitable as they could be, they gouge you on the concessions. They also do it because there is really no alternative to watch new movies. It is an economics thing. People have preset justifications in their mind for how much they will pay for something. A beer is a beer, but when you go to a bar, you are fully willing to pay more for that beer. Same basic principle.
Sure there is a limit, but evidently people still go so that threshold has not been crossed by the majority yet.
ing awesome.
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...hlight=theater
i will definitely sign up for this.
I get that, but it is the same thing with restaurants. Restaurant survival rates are so low, but nobody props them up. It is unfortunate when these things happen, but if there is a market desire for them, they will survive.
A lot of it is due to some of these chains being corporations, they have a duty to their stock holders to increase the value of their shares/dividends, and in a down economy the only way they can do that is by continuously raising prices. This is the downside of capitalism. Consumers will always be screwed because of this. This is why eBay is running itself into the ground. They had a great thing going but the continuously raised their fees over the years and now have pissed off so many people they are leaving eBAy and selling on Amazon which is kicking major ass and or selling on their own websites.
at the Navy base I lived on when I was 10 to 13 years old, the theater showed afternoon movies for .25. I remember that when they went up to .35 while I lived there, I got upset...There was a time when it was .25 cents to see a movie...
Last movie i saw at a theater was avatar 3D. It was about $40 for two tickets, 2 popcorns, 2 sodas.
The prices are pretty ing out of the world right now. 6 bucks for a small popcorn? That is about a quarter's worth of product, IF that.
When I went to go see IM2 yesterday Jess and I spent nearly 40 bucks and all we got were the tickets a hotdog and 2 drinks. I have a good home theater at home, and I LOVE watching movies on it because the sound is good and the video quality was good as well (better than the theater to be honest).
I won't lament the death of the theater. I've gone to see a lot of movies recently and I enjoy it, but I enjoy it just as much at home where I can have a drink and not have to take out a loan for it.
Yeah, I have to agree. While I never want to see people losing jobs or going out of business, that is the type of society we live in and if it happens naturally because the people want something different, then so be it.
There are no guarantees in business, and like I said, if they want to save themselves, they had better come up with something that makes people want to go to the theater.
I find it hilarious how places continuously raise prices on refreshments year after year even in a horrible economy. I went to Disnelyand and myself when I saw a dill pickle for like $4.00 come on its a small cu ber.
Disney.
These movies aren't going to be free, are they? Probably cost $15 for the transmission, then more fees on top of that. Pass!
Why would they be free? Tickets now cost $7 - $10 at the theater. If you can get it for $15-$20 and two people are watching that is the same price. Then you can cook at home and even have more people splitting the costs.
I don't get how watching a movie in a theatre with a bunch of people laughing and talking during the movie makes it a better experience. The last movie I saw in a theatre was The Passion of the Christ and I only paid for the ticket only and took in my own snacks and drink.
No way I'm paying $40 to see Avatar. I just borrowed the DVD from my nephew today and will eventually watch it and feel great that I saw it for basically nothing with my own snacks and can pause it an rewind if I need to.
Oh, and I'm watching The Blind Side today for $1 split 4 ways so that's .25 cents!!!
This is pretty stupid to do, isn't? Wouldn't it make it ridiculously easy to pirate these films on Day 1? No more cam versions for the first month, so I hear.
Who buys snacks at movie theatres and then es about it afterward anyways? Eat before or after and sit for 2 hours. It's not that hard. I never get anything and always feel like I am one-upping the movie theater
Aren't movies pirated from day 1 now? If not sooner? On the rare occasion that we do go to the theatre we too eat afterwards if I eat before I have to unbuckle my pants and loosen my belt and that makes other patrons uncomfortable.
Even as easy as it is for most of us to figure out how to get movies for free on our home theater, the truth is the vast majority of people don't pirate movies because they either don't know how, or they think they'll get in legal trouble. I don't think that will change much moving forward, and given the ease and relative inexpensiveness of streaming movies over your cable system, some pirates may decide it's worth a few bucks to watch a movie the legal way.
VHS will kill movie theaters.
Betamax will kill movie theaters.
Laserdisc will kill movie theaters.
DVD will kill movie theaters.
HD-DVD will kill movie theaters.
Blu-ray will kill movie theaters.
If movie theaters become obsolete, the price for streaming a first-run movie will probably be something like $30-$40, maybe more. The cost of making movies isn't going down, and no way are the producers going to let 5 people watch a first-run flick for $10.
But I agree there is no mandate to maintain a bad business model. Even though we're still waiting for the music industry's corrupt model to collapse.
You do realize the difference in those things you listed and what is being proposed?
I would be hard to price it at $30-40 based on the assumption people will be gathering in large masses to watch the movies. I can see it happening that way, but I don't think it will do well.
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