Are television and the movie theater any different now? Most of the general public aren't going to the movie theaters as much these days. Thanks in part to Netflix, flash video streaming, home theater video technology, and Hollywood going more towards HD video instead of the film stock format. What is happening is that film is changing its looks more towards the aesthetics of television. The reason is not an artistic approach but a business approach of low cost digital capturing though the quality is not better. Luckily though the normal movie watcher has no idea that what they are looking at is sub par quality. The only thing the viewer is capable of is being intrigued by the story.
While net video streaming sites such as Hulu or Youtube still allow much to be desired due to buffering and HD video streaming taking even longer, it is an acceptable way to watch shorter movies that are under an hour and half long. The only true downside is the size of the video monitors. People want to watch movies on a big screen even though the only thing the viewer is capable of is being intrigued by the story.
Netflix is a great little service, maybe some folks out there have heard of it? Most movie lovers have a dedicated queue of twenty or so movies that they can pick from to watch at their liesure at home, or on their home computer with a compatible DVD player embedded into their machine. Downside of Netflix is that the discs that they send can be scratched and there isn't a great way to take care of that problem, though the company is showcasing a bigger library of titles to view online also, so it seems the future is streaming net video technology.
Home video technology has expanded to plasma televisions and wide screen high definition capabilities that rival theater systems without the bucket seating and annoying people that bring their infants to a rated R for nudity film. A small disadvantage is the rigging of new technology together. As one new standard is adopted there is a much required nuisance of having to upgrade every couple years with hopes that all the other equipment will conform. Anybody upgraded to Windows 98 from Windows 95 before? Its a pain. There is no main disadvantage for home theater systems except needing bricks of money for the adventures of buying large seating, expensive newest technology, and your very own popcorn machine which Skymall seems to have in abundance.
Hollywood movies are made more and more with HD video that looks more and more like film every year. The issue with the technology is that all the information is based on magnetic discs that are easily corruptible and serious cash can be lost by using these input devices as storage without backup systems in place. Filmmmakers who consider themselves artists are very one sides about using one medium or another. Luckily, the only thing the viewer is capable of is being intrigued by the story.
In these times television is played on the internet. Movies are also played on television and the internet. The time frame to get a movie from the theater to a digital copy is narrower than before. A summer blockbuster will be on disc or on-demand within a few months if not sooner. With sequels becoming the rage, movies are no longer a single entity. They are transforming into a series of films, which is in essence: Television. Yes, TV on demand on the internet but with higher blockbuster budgets.
What is already happening to the industry? Lower budget indie films. Big budget movies are becoming a thing of the past but now the movies have sequel minded endings. Its all television series if you ask me, and I don't even have cable.
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