Why going to the Movies is Still Better Than Home Theater

[admin]

There is no doubt in my mind that just about any decent home theater system I assemble, using some of the better equipment on the market today, rivals most of the local Cineplex’s (IMAX and Disney theaters not included). Virtually anytime I go to one of my local movie theaters, I almost always find faults in the audio or video quality. But despite the limitations of most local theaters, it is often still my choice venue when viewing full length featured movies


Discuss "Why going to the Movies is Still Better Than Home Theater " here. Read the article.

[GlocksRock]

hahaha, so glad I don't have kids!

[Jim Robbins]

I have kids, but they are old enough now to not be much of a problem (8 and 11). We usually use the home theater when they are in bed, and the Basement theater room is isolated enough from the bedrooms on the second floor of the house to be enough sound reduction usually. Once in a while the kids get out of bed, come down two flights of stairs and yell, "Dad, turn it down!". Most parents are yelling at their kids to turn stuff down, so I feel I have a distinct advantage with my kids as they become teenagers. *laugh* In any case, I still do enjoy going to a good movie theater, but not the local theater... The "Good" one is about 45 mins away from my house, but the $100 I spend for babysitter, dinner, and the movie, is sometimes worth it. One night, $100... Seems like a lot, but considering how much I have dumped into my home theater, it isn't all that bad. Plus, that's a fantastic date night with my wife! Oh, and watching a huge blockbuster movie with a couple hundred other people has a very interesting group dynamic you don't get at home. It's actually pretty cool on an opening weekend when a theater is packed and people "ohh", "ahhh", and laugh as one big mass!

[ned]

I'm not sure I totally agree with you. Do you mean to say there are no kids/teenager or adult acting like kids in movie theater? At least at home I can control the kids.

[Adam]

A couple of questions from a guy with no kids:

1) Is it illegal or unethical to muffle your kids and put them in a cage for a couple of hours? Movies don't last that long, after all.

2) If you're going to pay for a babysitter, couldn't you pay someone to watch your kids while you and the wife stay home and watch a movie?

(FYI, I'm not serious about the first one...no need to call the cops. At least not for that. )

[j_garcia]

Kid free zone. That's a laugh. Around here you pretty much can't go to the theater without there being kids there, even in movies that they probably shouldn't be watching... Our theaters are pretty decent in the area, but I still prefer to view at home. My kids are old enough to pay for their own movies...

[birdonthebeach]

we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, Gene. (of course, my kids are now 10 & 14)

But I will say this, if I am LA, I will go to Westwood, in particular the Village Fox, and remind myself of what going to the movies SHOULD be like!

see my take on the theater experience...

[stratman]

Gene I'm not with you on this one bud, any movie worth watching (unless you go to a matinee) will be full of kids or worse, pre-pubescent teenagers (loud and obnoxious), so my HT is my get away from the cineplex and I have a 4 year old.

[Guiria]

I think you're all missing the boat...the freedom of not having to be a parent for a couple of hours is what makes the 10. Who cares if there are other kids in the theatre, they are NOT YOUR kids, and not your responsibility.

OP...I'm with you all the way

PS. My kids are 2 and 4

[stratman]

I think you're all missing the boat...the freedom of not having to be a parent for a couple of hours is what makes the 10. Who cares if there are other kids in the theatre, they are NOT YOUR kids, and not your responsibility.

OP...I'm with you all the way

PS. My kids are 2 and 4

So basically going to the movies to get away from you kids? If I feel the need to get away from my kid the last place I want to go is a theater full of kids! For that I take my wife to a nice restaurant and drop off my kid with granny, thus I enjoy peace and quiet.