WarnerMedia/HBO Max Plan, Will it Kill Theaters & Do We Even Care?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Digital, digital, digital.

At first I also thought things would go "back to normal".

But do things EVER go back to "normal" after such devastating worldwide events like this COVID-pandemic and 911 before that?

I think NOT.

I agree with the article in that things have been changing for a while now toward Digital media and Streaming.

Eventually, DVDs, BDs, Vinyl, and all physical media will give way to mostly Digital media. And it's going to be the same way with commercial movie theaters.

We've also seen most new movies and TV series being shot using all Digital cameras, except Christopher Nolan, who still clings on to his Analog films for dear life.

Do I care if commercial theaters die out? Not at all.

Most of us here have always thought that the sound quality of our home theaters best the commercial theaters, especially when it comes to Atmos and DTSX movies.

What am I missing from commercial theaters? The cold virus, flu virus, other viruses and bacterias, guns, bombs, gas, terrorism, and annoying people who have no respect for the rest of us trying to watch our movies.

So I am 100% for movies going directly to streaming services so I can enjoy safely with my family in the comfort of our awesome home theater.

But just don't let directors make movies like Wonder Woman 1984 because that was an excruciating experience. At least we didn't have to RISK COVID-19, the flu, the cold, other infectious diseases, guns, bombs, terrorism, and annoying people.

 

[ellisr63]

I agree 100%. Movie theaters will most likely be a memory, as this worldwide pandemic will most likely continue for many more years. The theaters will not be able to afford the loss, and will close their doors for good. We are already seeing theaters sell off all their equipment. If you want to get out there are plenty of places to go other than a theater. The one thing I am hoping is that with the demise of theaters...they will continue to sell movies on discs too.

Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I agree 100%. Movie theaters will most likely be a memory, as this worldwide pandemic will most likely continue for many more years. The theaters will not be able to afford the loss, and will close their doors for good. We are already seeing theaters sell off all their equipment. If you want to get out there are plenty of places to go other than a theater. The one thing I am hoping is that with the demise of theaters...they will continue to sell movies on discs too.

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Yes, I do love 4K Atmos Blu-Ray discs.

 

[Trebdp83]

Everything old is new again. Movie studios are trying to get theater chains back in their own hands. Notice how they are delivering their own streaming services and pulling everything from other services to their own when licensing agreements run out. This is why Amazon and especially Netflix invested heavily in original content as they would have little to show as the studios pulled their movies. They’ll use the “pandemic” to starve out theater chains until they go under and then the government will let them go back to the way they did business in the 1920’s to “save jobs” and one of America’s favorite pass times. They’ll own the theaters and not have to pay theater chains anymore. And, if you just can’t get out to Mickey’s multiplex, Disney+ will be happy to let you watch that new release for 30 bucks on top of your regular subscription cost. We all win?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/constitutioncenter.org/amp/blog/the-day-the-supreme-court-killed-hollywoods-studio-system

 

[Movie2099]

Last year a rumor was going around that Amazon was looking at purchasing AMC Theater. Have not heard anything since last summer when I first heard about it. Which I think at that time AMC would only cost Amazon around $10 billion to purchase. Which is chump change for Amazon.

Even though I'm not an Apple fan, I think they need to up their game for movies and programs on their streaming channel. They can afford anything in Hollywood as far as movie/show rights. I know that MGM was shopping the next Bond movie, but they were asking $600 million for the rights. Which yeah is a ton of money for one movie, but Apple could easily pay for that. I saw yesterday that 62% of Apple subscribers are on some form of a free subscription. Since anytime you do anything with their phones, they offer a free year. Outside of that it's $5/month.

I think HBOMax really needs to up their game. They said they are putting a ton of their 2021 movies on their streaming service. They need to get their streaming service 4k/Atmos ready and build that up. WW84 was atrocious. I would hope they would get that under control for future releases. Next up for them, as far as "big movies" goes is Godzilla vs Kong. That movie could be a huge Atmos movie. But I don't have faith HBOMax will improve their quality in time.

I think Disney+ is going to be the only other major streaming competitor to Netflix. Disney+ already has close to 100 million streamers. I think they'll drop more major releases on their streaming this year. I know right now they are saying they aren't and holding strong against it, but I think with more people staying home and upgrading or investing in better audio/video gear, I think they're going to find the money is streaming.

I love theaters, or I used to love them. I agree with AcuDef that not having to deal with stupid people after paying $40-$60 or more, and having people on their phones, chatting, etc....I can enjoy the movie in my own home and save the money for other things. I think major theater chains might be going away and smaller ones that offer more than just movies will be around.

Just my random two cents.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Next up for them, as far as "big movies" goes is Godzilla vs Kong. That movie could be a huge Atmos movie.

Oh yeah, I look forward to watching "Godzilla vs Kong". This movie was shot with 6.5K-resolution digital camera Arri Alexa-65 and Atmos Soundtrack. Should at least look much better than "Tenet" and "WW84".

"Godzilla King of Monsters 2019" was an awesome Atmos movie, also shot using the 6.5K-resolution digital camera Arri Alexa-65.

 

[Trebdp83]

As streaming services go, I think Disney+ offers the best bang for the buck. Netflix has high costs that keep raising it's subscription rate ever higher. Disney+ bundled with Hulu and ESPN+ is cheaper than the Netflix UHD subscription. Apple's service isn't worth getting at any price. This may be why they keep giving it away and recently extended the free period. They are a tech company, not a movie studio. I agree in regard to HBOMAX. They need to step it up quickly. I want to see "Godzilla vs Kong" as well. But, I cancelled my subscription before being charged again. I was disappointed in WW84 but enjoyed "Lovecraft Country" and rewatched all nine seasons of "The Middle" as it still makes me laugh. We should all possess Sue Heck's hope and enthusiasm. I still enjoy the theater experience and have had many more good experiences than bad ones over the years. However, I am not a fan of the movie grill model. More annoying than chatter is a wait staff constantly running back and forth because everybody in the row in front of me wants f#%kin' dinner. I fear the demise of physical media. You will own nothing and merely lease the license to view media from the studios. Cutting the cord won't mean anything anymore because one could rack up more than a few subscription fees on top of their internet service because they want to watch "Stranger Things" on Netflix, " Warner TV shows and movies on HBOMAX, Disney, Fox, Marvel and Pixar movies and shows on Disney+, "Star Trekiscovery" on CBS All Access or something on NBC/Universal's Peacock app. Then, there is the UHD/Atmos availability for every device app mess. I hope theaters stick around. More will be lost if they go away than people realize.

 

[JengaHit]

What everyone keeps forgetting is people like to get out of the house once in a while. While a person may not be thinking about going to a theater to see a specific movie they will probably be thinking about getting out of the house and a movie is a good activity to get out for. Whether it be going out on a date, going out with a group of friends or getting the kids out of the house for a while just about everyone wants to get out eventually. Once the infection rates start to drop and a vaccine is available to the average person I think there will be a huge bounce back. Concerts, bars, and movies will be in high demand when the media no longer has an excuse to scare the average heathly person back into their homes.

The theaters that seem to do best are in destination new-style "malls" that have nice restaurants and cafes lining pedestrian walkways and common areas, like the outdoor Grove in Los Angeles. I used to live near there. It was always hopping and theaters were always packed. People liked to go out for a movie and then have a nice meal after.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I could see some drive-in theater could come back.

 

[panteragstk]

I could see some drive-in theater could come back.

Already has where I live. As soon as they closed the theaters here the drive in went nuts. People there pretty much every night.

 

[panteragstk]

The theaters that seem to do best are in destination new-style "malls" that have nice restaurants and cafes lining pedestrian walkways and common areas, like the outdoor Grove in Los Angeles. I used to live near there. It was always hopping and theaters were always packed. People liked to go out for a movie and then have a nice meal after.

Alamo Drafthouse started a good trend of actually caring about their customers experience when they go to a movie. They posted a voicemail from an angry customer they kicked out for being on their phone. Hilarious.

They have decent food and beer, plus people have to shut up. They also show older movies and have kids days and stuff. That sort of thing is what gets people to the theater. Not "here's the latest movie in a theater that hasn't had an upgrade in a decade".

I would love to go to one of the high end Dolby theaters though. Those should blow anything any of us have at home out of the water. Should.

My first IMAX experience was disappointing. It was good, but nothing that blew my mind.

 

[Movie2099]

Alamo Drafthouse started a good trend of actually caring about their customers experience when they go to a movie. They posted a voicemail from an angry customer they kicked out for being on their phone. Hilarious.

They have decent food and beer, plus people have to shut up. They also show older movies and have kids days and stuff. That sort of thing is what gets people to the theater. Not "here's the latest movie in a theater that hasn't had an upgrade in a decade".

I would love to go to one of the high end Dolby theaters though. Those should blow anything any of us have at home out of the water. Should.

My first IMAX experience was disappointing. It was good, but nothing that blew my mind.

I have a full Dolby Atmos theater about 2 miles from my house. It was pretty flipping awesome. When they re-open I would like to see a big blockbuster movie in that specific theater again. Hopefully by summer.

 

[Trebdp83]

Saw "Kubo and the Two Strings" in Dolby Cinema to see if it was anything special. Yeah, it was awesome. They also had the most comfortable and adjustable seats I ever sank into at the movies.

 

[}Fear_Inoculum{]

Yes and no to the thread title.

I'm a big movie buff, and I loved going to see the big blockbuster movies in theatre. Just the experience of it alone usually made it (almost) worth the price of admission. Not bad for just my son and myself, but way over priced if my wife and daughter want to come with us (especially when you add in popcorn and pop).

That being said, now that I've dramatically improved the sound quality in my HT, I wouldn't care if they stopped putting movies in theaters and only released them on streaming. Stop the movie when I want, have an adult beverage during the movie, cheap popcorn and drinks. And much more comfortable seating than most movie theaters offer. Yeah, I'll pay 30$ to have it streaming no problem.

 

[Movie2099]

Yes and no to the thread title.

I'm a big movie buff, and I loved going to see the big blockbuster movies in theatre. Just the experience of it alone usually made it (almost) worth the price of admission. Not bad for just my son and myself, but way over priced if my wife and daughter want to come with us (especially when you add in popcorn and pop).

That being said, now that I've dramatically improved the sound quality in my HT, I wouldn't care if they stopped putting movies in theaters and only released them on streaming. Stop the movie when I want, have an adult beverage during the movie, cheap popcorn and drinks. And much more comfortable seating than most movie theaters offer. Yeah, I'll pay 30$ to have it streaming no problem.

It's going to be interesting to see what Movie companies are going to do going forward. They lost billions last year and will lose some this year as well. With all this continued pushing back releases. Now 2022 looks like there is a new major movie being released 2x a month. It's going to over saturate movie theaters. And really, will people be willing to see 2 major blockbusters a month for 6-10 months? Haha doubtful. Now I see at the end of each movie preview they are marketing the theaters that all have "Dolby Atmos" "IMAX" or some other major upgrade. Trying to get people back to make the experience even better. So far I don't see it paying off. But we'll see how the summer goes.

Streaming has been fun for these new releases, but these major corps need to invest more money into making them better. 4k pictures look great, but the sound has been less desirable.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Saw "Kubo and the Two Strings" in Dolby Cinema to see if it was anything special. Yeah, it was awesome. They also had the most comfortable and adjustable seats I ever sank into at the movies.

Did you ACTUALLY HEAR anything OVERHEAD?

Or was it just good OLD sound?

 

[Trebdp83]

Yes, there was sound overhead. I enjoy the Laika stop motion movies and wanted to check out Dolby Cinema as well. The picture and sound were impressive and I had a great time.

 

[Cos]

I hope that movie theaters never go away, I still enjoy going, have gone to a few during the pandemic when it was open and don't regret it one bit.

I am fortunate that I have plenty of options, with Dolby Atmos, Imax etc. Some movies, even on a 140" screen just don't compare to the move theater experience. I enjoy going with friends, getting an overpriced drink and popcorn.

It's fun to be in a large theater with an audience and the reaction, I miss it. I have also rented out a theater for $140 for 10 friends, which is less than the price a movie ticket.

I will return to the theater, as will my friends. Not everyone has a killer sound system and big screen, so this is still the best way to view a movie for most. I will be going to see A Quiet Place 2 at the theater, and looking forward to it.

 

[Jerkface]

The theater industry has to evolve or die. There are already revenue models out there for them that work. Dinner theater, including alcohol sales, is something I would do (and have done on occasion) to see a first-run movie. Creates some value-add to spending that 20-30 bucks on tickets. The crazy expensive popcorn and candy isn't a value-add, it's a value-drain.

Niche theaters that run vintage anime or cult classics or even campy B-list horror films (or even all the above) would have a market. They had one before COVID.

 

[panteragstk]

The theater industry has to evolve or die. There are already revenue models out there for them that work. Dinner theater, including alcohol sales, is something I would do (and have done on occasion) to see a first-run movie. Creates some value-add to spending that 20-30 bucks on tickets. The crazy expensive popcorn and candy isn't a value-add, it's a value-drain.

Niche theaters that run vintage anime or cult classics or even campy B-list horror films (or even all the above) would have a market. They had one before COVID.

Exactly. It isn't that complex for them to survive, but the days of cities having theaters all over the place are over. I grew up in a place that had ~100k people. A lot, but outside of that area there was pretty much nothing. We had something like 4 movie theaters that all showed new releases. That's usually all they showed. We did have a dollar theater (which was awesome) and that showed movies a bit later than the "bigger" theaters in town. You could get away with that stuff back then because movies didn't hit at home release for a very long time. Now I think it's only 3 months out of the theater and even then some go directly to streaming. Theaters can't compete with that.

What they can do is show older movies like you said. One of the coolest things I got to do in college was go see Raiders of the Lost Ark in the theater. One of my all time favorite movies, but theaters everywhere around me only showed new releases so I would have never gotten the chance had we not gone to this old school theater that only had one screen and showed one movie a night. It was awesome.

Theaters can have events and rent out rooms too. A lot do that now, but more could. PS5 on an Imax screen/sound system? Yes please. Kids would love that.

While I do agree that theaters showing new releases or even older movies with dinner or just quality food/snacks is awesome, but most don't have the capacity to do that and to build that into an existing theater would be expensive. They should do it, but a lot of theaters won't and still need to close.

One of the biggest mistakes companies made was putting too many locations of whatever business type too close together. Now there are so many that nobody cares anymore and just gets everything online. Saturation is bad. People want something new that they can't get just anywhere. The experience has to be special or nobody will go. It's not complicated.