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Radio is dead. Movie theatres are next.
radioisdead.net — How do you kill the movie industry? Well, first you make it so you don â��t have to actually go anywhere to watch the movie. Then you bring the movie into peoples homes for only one third of the cost of what it would be to go to the theatre. Then, you sell a device that allows people to take the movie with them so they can watch it anywhere.
chrisek- 509 diggs
- digg it
- pock, on 10/12/2007, -7/+53Why would you buy a movie from itunes? Is this guy nuts? $14.99 is outrageous. Rent the movie and be done or friggin buy it from the store for that price and get a nice case and cover........
- Klisk, on 10/12/2007, -14/+20Mer. Radio is only dead because of Howard Stern.
Music isn't going anywhere, and true music fans will always buy albums.
I don't give a damn if people download Christina Agulerearararararara or any other pop star. They aren't real musicians, anyways. They make music for people who don't like music. Well, they HIRE people to make music for people who don't like music, and then POORLY perform what was written for them.
But still. This is america. Everything ran by a big business/corporation goes to hell by default. You lost touch with what it's about, and it's all about money.
America is greedy right now, because our economy is broken, and everyone is thirsty to be rich. It's all about money. Nothing else, nothing more. I personally don't want to live in that world. - mfratt, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17Yep. I paid $14.99 each for all of my 600GB+ of movies.
- Charlotte_Web, on 10/12/2007, -4/+31Because watching a feature-length movie on a two-inch screen with earbuds is exactly the same experience as being in a movie theater and watching it on a huge screen with THX sound, right?
And going to the theater is as much a social event as a viewing experience. In every movie I've ever been to, a good 95% of the people in the audience were there with someone else. When was the last time you got a group of friends together to watch a movie on an iPod? - thespace, on 10/12/2007, -7/+7The second that the movie theaters agree with Steve jobs on lowering the price considerably this will absolutely come true. Renting media over the internet is ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY the future of media distribution. Apple knows it and is running with it, but the movie industry is going to get shakin up. That's why they have to start high and lower the prices gradually. If you just start charging 4 bucks a movie, HELL of alot of people are going to be outta jobs in less than a month.
And note Apple is coming out with an iTV box for your tv set so watching movies on your ipod like the commentor before me stated is just silly. - Kamic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13@pock
I would pay $10 if I could always download the movie in any format for the rest of my life and always have the option to get the dvd for an extra $5 shipped to me.
@everybody
About theaters, I'll see some of the classics opening night with friends. My favorite is driving 3 hours to a drive-in movie thats still in business! its amazingly fun to sit in the car with my girl, bring anything we want, and enjoy the movie.
I really hope more drive-in movies come back :) - v4m21, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6Looks like steve jobs dream blog.
- Agret, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21Radio is dead?
Let's use his summary on radio rather than movie
How do you kill the radio industry? Well, first you make it so you don't have to actually go anywhere to listen the radio. [You can listen to the radio at your home, check]
Then you bring the radio into peoples homes for only one third of the cost of what it would be to go to a live performance. [Yeah, radio in my own home, check]
Then, you sell a device that allows people to take the radio with them so they can listen it anywhere. [Car stereo, MP3 player, Walkman all have the radio, check]
So the radio is alive from the very things that are killing movie theatres. How can you say radio is dead anyway? I listen to it every day. I hear you guys complaining about how much it sucks, well I live in Melbourne, Australia and we actually have good radio here :) - violentvinyl, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10@ Agret
I agree 100%, it'll be a sad day when everyone uses MP3s. You know why? Because most people have no exposure to new music that way. You still have to give people a way to try it before they buy it. Radio is just evolving, whether it be through streaming music, or satellite. - brianjlowry, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17Radio died when mainstream music became terrible.
- leobaby, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12Yes, radio killed itself.
- OmegaNine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I agree, the conveyance to value pay off not enough for me yet. I rent them when I cant, and I have a net flix account, but if I want to see a movie I cant get, i download it.
- masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4The radio is not dead -- we use it all the time in our cars (unless you listen to CDs).
Moreover, movie theaters will never die, that is, they will likely cease to be in their current form, but they will restructure.
As of now, it's -very- expensive to run a movie theater. They make all of their money on their concessions. However, I have a feeling that once movie theaters turn to a digital system, in which they no longer need to buy the massively-expensive film rolls and instead can just download the movie in digital form, via hollywood, then it will be much cheaper to run a movie theater. Also, if they make the move to digital, we can start having movie theaters like we used to -- movie theaters that play news and TV. Can you imagine heading to a movie theater to watch the superbowl, or other such large event? I persoanlly wouldn't, but I'm pretty sure that a gigantic high-definition with ultra-surround-sound broadcast of the Superbowl would attract a large number of people. And with it being digital, they can do it for cheap, as well. - ShrimpCrackers, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'd never buy 640x480 movies from iTunes. The quality is terrible. Especially for $14.99.
Secondly, movie theaters around the world have adapted a bit, trying everything except for shooting/booting those that forget to turn off their cellphones on sight (something I'd pay for).
In Taiwan most theaters have first come first served arranged seating, everyone has comfortable chairs, and they even have a more expensive center section with big leather couches with the best angles to improve the experience. Food is delivered and sold before the movie and delivered to your seat by people running around like they do at the stadium and coupons encourage you to return at a discount.
On the otherhand I spent a few thousand over the course of half a decade to build my cheap basement theater with most of the cost going into the projector. It was worth it, I have the walls covered in crimson cloth like they have in certain theaters, I brought the ceiling lighting from ikea, the lighting controls manually from RadioShack, the speakers are better and more accurate than THX (which is mainly just loud), and managed it. It looks convincingly like a small private theater. Worth the effort, definitely, everyone loves it and the movie starts when you want it. I even put in the Hi-Def Quicktime trailers I get from Apple Movies. - mavere, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"America is greedy right now, because our economy is broken, and everyone is thirsty to be rich. It's all about money. Nothing else, nothing more"
100,000 years of human history says hi. - dissident, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'd prefer watching a movie at home actually. I find theater movies to have good sound, but the picture blurry, and I'm not a fan of loud people, cell phones, and the like. When I do go to a movie, I try to go during a weekday when few people will be there.
I don't think movie theaters will die though... lots of people do love them. It's more of a social thing... a place to take dates, and the like.
- Klisk, on 10/12/2007, -14/+20Mer. Radio is only dead because of Howard Stern.
- martalli, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19I don't know if I would trust the guys at "radioisdead.net" to be objective about radio in the least. $14 for a movie on itunes? That's ridiculous...you can't even get to on a DVD, so the only way to play it in your car (for the kids) or on trips is to jury-rig your ipod or computer to the dvd player/tv. It's just increasingly complicated.
Instead you can buy a dvd often for that price and have a 'hardcopy' as a backup. Most diggers are probably perfectly capable of using dvd::rip or autogordianknot to get a computer file out of their dvd if they so desire.- jesterod, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4you can get the videos out of itunes fairly easy and than re-encode it than burn it to a DVD but id rather just download it from a torrent my self less aggravating
- Shoeler, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2See I think you're missing the point. Most portable DVD players double as portable monitors. Mine has an input - svideo and composite. So you use the video out capability of the ipod and hook it up to your DVD player - no more switching DVDs, no more scratched skipping DVDs, etc. It seems like quite the good idea if you ask me.
- jesterod, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3thats if you want to shell out the what... $300 for a video ipod
sounds like a bad idea to me - Shoeler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Eh? You can get a refurbished 30G video ipod for $179 from the apple store. Besides the article is not about price - it's about how the ipod and itunes may kill the movies. I happen to disagree as I love the big screen for some movies. It may kill the rental market, but I doubt that too. I'd say the video ipod and itunes selling movies will just make it easier for people to take their movies with them, like they do with their music today.
- jesterod, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3if i wanted to take my videos with me id put them on my PSP not a ipod the screen is tiny even if you can use the A/V out you will need a screen id rather burn a DVD
- musters, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5Buying a PSP is cheaper than an iPod video.. let me see, what has a better screen, bigger screen, wider screen, plays games and has kickass graphics... for cheaper. Why do people even bother with Apple? A true techie stays far removed from "crap"ple.
- Shoeler, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7How is it less expensive? $250 for the PSP, $100 or more for a sony proprietary memory stick big enough to hold a feature movie, and then you can watch what - one? I'm not an apple fanboy - I love my ipod, but it's the only apple product I own. I tried out other portable music players - did you? Hell I own two minidisc players - one of which is about 10 years old. The iPod is the best overall portable music player and ITMS has the best selection I could find. What was your point again?
I had a PSP - bought it launch week. Traded it in 2 months ago for a DS lite and I love the DS - much better game selections.
- sdrawkcaB, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8So then we should eventually get some kind of awesome future update to the theatre, like radio did with XM?
- culbeda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I don't consider XM to be a huge improvement other than the shear number of channels and constant availability because it still has plenty of advertising on its music channels, despite the monthly premium.
And honestly, unless you're listing to retro (70's, 80's, etc) or current pop hits, most of the channels will annoy the living hell out of you. Even Fred, Ethyl, etc. (Yes, for those who have never had XM, those are real channel names. Another "brilliant" move was to name some of the channels so obtusely that new subscribers can't figure out what's on a channel without listening to it for awhile first.)
If radio is dead (which it's not, it's going through a rather painful and costly metamorphosis), it's due in large part to talk radio. Sirius didn't overtake XM because of their music channels (which are similar but commercial free), they were able to do it because of Howard Stern, etc.
- culbeda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I don't consider XM to be a huge improvement other than the shear number of channels and constant availability because it still has plenty of advertising on its music channels, despite the monthly premium.
- royall64, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8The first part of the title is true. The next part is questionable.
- ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7i don't know, i like some radio. There is a local jazz station that i just can't stop listening to.
so i doubt radio is dead yet.
And if radio is, in fact, dead then it was music piracy and not iTunes that 'killed' it. So logically movie piracy would kill movie theaters. - drlha, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Neither piracy or iTunes killed radio. The record companies killed radio when they started dictating what radio stations played, and the radio stations reduced their playlists down to 30-40 songs a week. I listen to radio to hear things I haven't heard in a while or have never heard, if I hear the same song every day for months, I stop listening.
- daven1986, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17radio died when they started playing the same songs over and over again. there are so many songs out there, there is no need to repeat them that much.
- affanjam, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I still listen to Coast to Coast at night on the radio.
- timetrap, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2You only listen to Coast to Coast on the radio because of two factors . . . It's really the ONLY thing on in the late night early morning timeslot, and you have to pay to listen to the online archives
If Coast to Coast went to a podcast the radio show would probably slowly shrink and die - pauleric, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3@driha and daven, maybe you're listening to the wrong stations (i.e. the same ones 13 year old girls and American Idol fans are listening to). The local public radio station here plays all kinds of music, jazz, blues, celtic, classical, and other obscure random stuff. True, it's not all music all the time.
- almightystoph, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I agree, movie theaters still have a value add (screen size and sound, you can't get the same experience at home unless you are filthy rich). As for radio, I can look no further than the Internet and get a much better selection than the Top 20 crap my local stations play.
- phr0ze, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I don't know, with an $800 dollar projector and your existing sound system you can get very close. Much better than having some idiot talk through the whole movie behind you. My last few trips to the theaters have not been enjoyable because of other people in the theater.
- violentvinyl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"The next part is questionable."
Yes, author of this article has clearly never dated or had family in from out of town on a raindy day. - almightystoph, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@phr0ze:
So you have a projector, 40 ft. screen, stadium seating, and a THX-certified audio system in your house? You're doing better than me... - drlha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@pauleric: I do listen to NPR, mainly for the news programs, but for music its no good because I'm not a classical or folk music fan. For the kind of music I like, local radio stations don't supply what I want, barring maybe the college radio station for 1 hour a day (for most of the day my college radio station plays classic rock believe it or not).
The radio stations that do exist here are easily replaced by a $5.99 Target compilation CD of "The Best of the 60s/70s/80s/90s" or whatever "Now!" compilation is current put on repeat 24 hours a day, with added mindless banter and commercials to pad it out. - phr0ze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3No, but I've had it fill the wall for just over a 12 foot screen. And I like my sound system just fine. Often at the theater there is something with the sound system. Besides, I got it to 12 feet just to see if I could do it. It was too big for the shorter viewing distance. And that needs to be taken into consideration.
- norris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2here (mpls) the Current rules. Then again, they don't play corporate crap mixed with commercials.
- ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7i don't know, i like some radio. There is a local jazz station that i just can't stop listening to.
- titlesaysitall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Up next, are your walls killing you? More at 11.
- KevinJ, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Fighting with Frizzies at 11
- thespace, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Snakes on a plane....ah ***** it this is silly
- jbrevik, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Movie theatres will not go away for a long time. In fact, they might become even more popular with the integration of the "Imax Experience" in several movie theatre chains.
- Snakedal337, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6If every theater had the 30 foot imax screen and the gazillion.2million speaker set up, I would revive this "striving" industry with my $8 for sure.
Till then my 64" Plasma, and 8.1 surround sound give me the same experience as most theaters....except I have a comfortable leather couch and a beer - ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7@snake
FYI
There is no such thing as 8.1 surround sound.
Also, you got seriously ripped off if you bought a 64" Plasma. - Snakedal337, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I also dont own a leather couch, nor am I legal to drink a beer, nor do I own the 64" plasma, and my audio set up is only a 5.1 :-(
....Anyway I was just shooting of examples from the top of my head to show as to why most people don't go to theathers. In summary you can get the same experience in your home, but if all theaters were IMAX style, people would have a reason to go. Its something they cant acomplish in their own house, plain and simple. - angelp, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5@Snakedal - I actually do own a 60-inch TV with 5.1 with reclining leather seats and it still doesn't match the theater with certain movies. For dramas or comedies, I'm perfectly fine waiting for the DVD to come out. But something like Spiderman 3? You have to watch something like that at the theater. I don't care how big your screen is in your home theater...unless it's the same size as your local theater, it's not the same.
- Prelude76, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Spidey 3? yeah, thanks for reminding me WHY i stopped going to movie theaters.
- gizmo490, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I fully agree with angel, I have a big TV at home comfortable leather couches and a nice stereo system but there is just something a little bit better about going to see a movie in theaters. Not to mention the fact that asking a bunch of friends to go to the movie theater to see a movie will usually get a much more enthusiastic response than asking them if they want to rent/download a movie and sit at home watching it.
- KingPhallus, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Can you smoke in a theater? Can you pause the movie in a theater to take a piss, get some food, or any other reason you may have to peel your ass out of your seat? No. You can't.
Unfortunately that has nothing to do with why the movie industry is slowly dying at the theater. It's because they put out the same ***** movies year after year. Then they bitch because nobody goes to them, so they put out the same movies that nobody went to. - SrLnclt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@ahhell
8.1 audio does exist, it just isn't used very widely yet, and to me seems like overkill. But then again I think HDDVD/BluRay are a waist as well
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/surrounding-yourself-with-sound-in-your-home-theater/153096 - thespace, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3IMAX can suck my balls. Those frickin glasses give me an INCREDIBLE headache.
- ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"IMAX can suck my balls. Those frickin glasses give me an INCREDIBLE headache."
then don't go to imax3d. - jbrevik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yea 8.1 is available but that many speakers in such a small area would cause a lot of cross cancellation. You would really need a large room (40x40) to really get the effect of 8.1.
- Agret, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"I think HDDVD/BluRay are a waist as well"
Only if they're exercise ones, watching normal movies is going to increase your waist.
- Snakedal337, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6If every theater had the 30 foot imax screen and the gazillion.2million speaker set up, I would revive this "striving" industry with my $8 for sure.
- charbarred, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Every time I go to the movie theatre and shell out £20, I wonder why I'm still doing it. You sit with tons of noisy kids and eat stale overpriced popcorn. I can rent a DVD and watch it in the privacy of my own home without losing 5 minutes everytime I need to pee.
Only good thing I discovered is that if you go to an indie movie on a Saturday morning, you pretty much have the theatre to yourself (even got a private screening last time).- datastorageguy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5You have to take your bird somewhere don't you?
- MAdaXe42, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I take mine in the comfort of my living room.
- f0dder, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4An apple article on DIGG?? Seriously you guys are doing way more harm than good.
You're like the nerdy kid who has to constantly remind everyone how cool you are.- KingPhallus, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Nvm, digg down
- thespace, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Dude get a clue, Apple is pushing new product every quarter and innovating faster than any company out there. OF COOOOURSE they're going to get talked about!!! If you don't like it, don't read the article, don't comment, don't even click on the link.
- constantin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Cinema is still the #1 dating place !!
- ICSU, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It just shows how unoriginal most of people are.
- geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Also shows how little there is to do in Smalltown, USA; the cinema is practically the ONLY thing to do in a great deal of small towns, including my own.
Too bad I'm not exactly on the dating scene, and have no interest in 98% of newer movies. - MulanLang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1constantin: I don't think that helps theatres get ticket sales from Diggers.
- Jeffrey903, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I wouldn't even say that radio is dead yet. I still listen to the radio while in the car. And until satellite radio is free, I'm not going to switch to that.
- halcyon77, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3My only question regarding this article is how was this man able to buy the large popcorn, 2 slushies and the all the candy for only 20 bucks?
- AlexApetrei, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2no silly £20 is not $20 , it's more like $40 . Get with the currency, it's all about the pound , not the dollar and not the euro.
- Jeebugorn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2yeah, i was wondering that too. a large drink and popcorn cost close to $20 by themselves.
- Jeebugorn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3"“Large popcorn, M&M’s, 2 slurpies, an iced tea and a Diet Coke, please.” $20 DAMN!"
taken directly from the article.....that appears to be a dollar sign in front of the 20, not some crazy, squiggly L with a line through it
- acrim, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Radio offers a much poorer experience than a CD.
The theatre offers a much better experience than a DVD or download (experienced through the vast majority of consumers A/V set ups).
I don't think it's an accurate parallel.- Jeebugorn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8better expieriece? people talking, kids crying/sreaming/running down the isles, cell phones ringing, people walking in front of you every 3.7 min to go to the bathroom. yeah, that reallly adds to the movie watching experience.
- RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2^-- Maybe you should stop going to early matinee's of children's cartoons on a Saturday.
My local theater is never very crowded, and I always have a good experience there. - Jeebugorn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2more like, 7pm on friday night of whatever new movie is relased....doesnt matter what movie it is....there are always kids there....even at hostel.
- angelp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1We usually go to the movies around 1 or 2 pm on a Saturday to avoid the teenagers who make going to the movies HELL. I'll never go to the movies in the evening time...you're asking for it then.
- darkmotion, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I prefer watching movies at the cinema :) Who could not resist the monster screens? :P
- dartmanx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Sure, the movie is $14.99, but I see the point if you factor in the concessions. I few bags of popcorn and drinks could equal the GDP of some countries...
- ScionX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I don't think the reason theaters are dying is because of movies being able to be watched at home. I think it's because they want us to pay $15 for ONE ticket to watch some lame movie. Then if you happen to get hungry or thirsty, it's probably going to cost you a min of at least another $10.
Maybe if they actually came out w/decent movies I'd pay to go see them at the theater. Last movie I paid to go see was the new Xmen 3, and I still felt raped (god what did they do to that series).
So until they come out w/movies worth paying the $50 to go see for, I'll continue to just download them on bit-torrent.- angelp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've definitely stopped going to the theaters as much as I used to, once I started realizing that it was turning into a $35-$40 activity each time my husband and I went. Quite frankly, a lot of movies aren't worth that price. I'm a lot more selective now than I was two or three years ago.
- techlinks, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Oh yes! Theatre is dead! No one wants to watch movies on a fifty foot screen anymore! We all want to watch it on a 50" screen!
Makes perfect sense!
Seriously though...hmm, I think that what may happen is a lowering of the price of theatres.- masonreloaded, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6DELETED - DIGG DOWN
- masonreloaded, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Yeah - less than $10 for a movie ticket is so overpriced - it makes much more sense to spend $5000 to build your own movie theater at home. /sarcasm
And for people complaining about concessions prices. Do what any sane person does and stop by the gas station or grocery store beforehand and sneak your candy and drinks in in your jacket.
- kevbryant, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1wow. total brilliance. Its like you're the next Ray Kurweil. Sp prophetic. You called it man, you called it. You said it first.
im going to start my new prophetic website, blogsaredead.com. - d16n, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I'll go back to a theater when they start selling food that you can't hear being eaten for the first sixty minutes of the movie.
- wyrdness, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Cinema is dead for me. I used to go at least once a week. Now I haven't been for over a year. There are several reasons for this. The first is that cinema in the UK is now too expensive - about £15 (£28) for two tickets. I can wait a few months and buy the DVD for less. Secondly I have a home cinema system with projector that provides a comparable viewing experience. Thirdly, no overpriced popcorn, mobile phones ringing, chavs, noisy kids etc.
- crashingechelon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I don't think the movie theaters are dead. There's something that I prefer going to the theater over being in a home theater. Not only that though it's a completely different experience then watching it at home.
- dbalaski, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I do not think either is quiet dead...
Radio still has its place in the world.
But I do agree with one point of the article, going to the theatre is expensive -- especially with the quality of the movie plots these days... I know I wait for the DVD to be released these days. I have a 50" HD TV and surround sound, so I am happy with the experience that I can have -- no talking people, I can stop the film for bathroom runs if I want, I can replay sections of the films.. etc Just a better experience IMHO
Do I think itunes will have an impact ?
Yes -- but not as big of one as people are thinking. Their movie price is still expensive too. - dirtySi, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Radio is not dead! How can you say that? Maybe radio in your country is dead, but seriously, look at what podcasts are doing for radio! Podcasting is the essence of radio and they are riculously popular. Radio has along and happy future. Especially if you live in the UK, or if you can access the UK stations via the internet, stations like www.bbc.co.uk/radio1 (available on Sirius too...) In fact of course radio isn't dead - the interent stations like last.fm and pandora are redefining radio, remaking it and making it fantastic. And calling time on movie theatres by comparing it iTunes 7? Don't make me laugh. Most of the point of Movie theatres is a social one, where you and your friends get together and catch a movie, a bit like watching the game in the bar. You can bet that to survive the movie theatres will do more and when digital theatres get more investment new experiences will open up, just give it time. Going to the cinema is an event, a social past-time and it's fun to hit a bar or a restaurant - I hope the next person you take on a date to a romantic movie enjoys waiting for you to mess around with your computer to set up the evening... and forgives everytime you leap up to sign out of your IM client or cancel the automatic virus scan...
- jesterod, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0that's where a modded xbox (xbox media center) fits the bill no IM to mess up and can start the movie withe the DVD remote or any remote if you went the ir mod not the DVD dongle
- Apreche, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Please oh please oh please kill TV after movie theatres. Please...
- maklershed, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I'll agree with the statement that radio is dead. It's easily replaced by Sirius and Xm. But the movie experience cant be replaced by a piece of technology. People go to the movies because it's a social thing to do. It's a way to get out of the house and interact with others. Not to mention, nothing is going to beat a huge screen and sound system of a theater.
- stealthboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2> "It's easily replaced by Sirius and Xm."
Not for me. Satellite radio is just more stations of people deciding what you need to hear. Sorry, but I want to decide for myself.
iPod FTW. - oxymoron69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Radio is definately not easily replaced with a subscription service and proprietary equipment....
I for one am not paying a subscrition so my clock radio can play tunes in the a.m. - ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Not for me. Satellite radio is just more stations of people deciding what you need to hear. Sorry, but I want to decide for myself."
because you get to hear a whole lot of new or obscure music when randomly downloading from BandYouLike X.
- stealthboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2> "It's easily replaced by Sirius and Xm."
- netdroid9, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2...*****. Radio's not dead, I listen to it all the time in the car. It's just not as widely used. Same with movie theaters. Especially because movies take about a year to come out for rent after they debut in the movie theatre,
- lebaige, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Radio is free, easily accessible, and in use across the globe. Calling it "dead" is a massive overstatement. Personally I don't know a single person who uses those subscription radio services.
- m00nstone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Yes, people like to make the claim that another multibillion dollar media industry is dead (or dying). Just when they've re-invented radio on satellite. When an industry is finding new ways to make lots of money, it's far from dead.
Are these the same people that generate stories like this to push more DRM in the movie industry?- gizmo490, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2And by people you mean one or two idiot bloggers right?
- livestradamus, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Radio isn't dead. Radio just sucks.
People, aka sheep, are the ones that are dead. It's just that those other people, free minded human beings such as myself, realized the wackness on the radio dial have stopped listening to them.
Net radio ftw- H2SO4, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The sheep will do anything they are told to do, and that is way adverts plaster ever square inch of free space. I only go to the to the second run theater - two movies 5 bucks, popcorn and pop 1 dollar. Two movies under 10 dollars.
- moisie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Radio certainly isn't dead in the UK, radio audiences are pretty consistently going up.
- JimGardner1973, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5That's a very easy headline. Actually radio in the UK has never been more vibrant. There's a real return to form going on even among certain commercial broadcasters. But the BBC in particular is truly great.
I guess by "dead" the article assumes the world IS America? No change there then. - Jeebugorn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3all you people talking about the size of movie theater screens being superior to home theater screens seem to be forgetting one thing.....yes, the movie theater's screen might be 50'....but you're sitting 50 feet away from it (rough estimate of the distance from the screen to the center of the theater where we normally sit). so they way your eyes see it at that distance makes it appear to be 7' screen. now i have a 60" screen at my house and sit about 6 feet away from it and at that distance the screen in my house looks about the same size as the screen i saw clerks 2 on (the local theater stuck it in some tiny theater in the back of the complex).
so i dont see a real benefit of going to the movies.....aside from fortifying some friendships with my group of friends.- mrgreen4242, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Size doesn't exactly work that way... you brain KNOWS that you are looking at a 60' screen even if it takes up the same field of view as the 60" screen at home. That's why those "60 inch TV headsets" don't work for crap (well one of the reasons)... you mind still knows it's a 2" LCD just really really close to your face.
Don't get me wrong, I love my HT - I spent some decent money building a dedicated room with a 100" projection screen and 5.1 sound. It's as good as going to the movies, for me, but my eyes still know I'm looking at something the size of a car, not something the size of a house.
- mrgreen4242, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Size doesn't exactly work that way... you brain KNOWS that you are looking at a 60' screen even if it takes up the same field of view as the 60" screen at home. That's why those "60 inch TV headsets" don't work for crap (well one of the reasons)... you mind still knows it's a 2" LCD just really really close to your face.
- solomongrundy0, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Please... Radio is very far from dead. It's just undergoing a redifinition.
Modern Radio = Classic Radio, Podcasts, Net Radio, XM... And these are far from dead.
Modern Theater = Dying a tiny, but will soon undergo a transformation. This means offering better screen qualities and things streamed live to theaters like concerts and such. It's just the next thing to undergo it's transformation.
...though I really think that TV will just be phased out. This is because producers could just as easilly put something up on the web and do product placement like they did back in the early days. And consumers would be able to find what they're looking for and currently are finding this to be true... There will be a use for traditional TVs, but more as just big screens for your shows. - scooter17, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Hmmm... Those three steps seem awfully familiar...
- celchu33, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Learn to spell check.
- GhengisKhan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The movies were supposed to be dead when VCR's came about and they only got more popular. What's dead is the CONTENT; the whole industry has hit a brick wall.
Oh, and as for radio...Rush Limbaugh? Like him or not, he is popular.- bucksfan10, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0 As has been stated many times here, watching a movie in a theater is a completely different expedience than seeing it at home. I go because I like the large screen and decent sound. And I have yet to see a home theater that gives me the same impact as a large movie theater screen.
But my likes and dislikes aren't going to help the theater industry. I never have the problems with noise and rude patrons because the people I go with and I are usually the only ones there; sometimes there are another 4 or 5 people watching.
And the cost? I never pay more then $5.75 (before 6:00 PM - which explains why there's never anyone else there) to see a movie and if it's been out for at least two weeks it's only $5.00 anytime. It's taken me awhile but I have finally gotten used to not having popcorn with my movie. But it's worth it to see the large screen and to have no interruptions from phones or kids.
Radio: I listen all the time. I enjoy talk and sports radio. And I AM NOT going to pay for radio as long as I can get it over the air for free. I have things time out pretty well on my drive to and from work (about an hour each way) and avoid commercials by switching channels. At night I just put up with the ads.
Neither Sirius or XM is making money yet. And may never. Their success is certainly not a done deal. Only time will tell.
- bucksfan10, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0 As has been stated many times here, watching a movie in a theater is a completely different expedience than seeing it at home. I go because I like the large screen and decent sound. And I have yet to see a home theater that gives me the same impact as a large movie theater screen.
- nandes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Radio will be dead when those of us who work in advertising decide to no longer use it.
- musters, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Radio will not die, many many years from now it may not be radio waves, but the radio companies will evolve and continue to provide similar content. Their live experience can offer something uncomparable to just creating your own playlists.
- koregaonpark, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The guy bashes traditional radio and is posting about the good qualities of ONLINE radio.
- chench, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's true. The tagline on the blog says, "Radioisdead.Net hopes to bring you the best free net broadcast info and free music and music video downloads you can find. There is nothing on traditional radio worth listening to any longer. Radio is Dead! Long Live Radio!"
- stealthboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1
I disagree completely. The reason radio is dead is because there is someone else deciding to what you should be listening. iPods and the like now give people the opportunity to listen to their choice of music. Oh, and no commercials. Isn't that obvious?
The same analogy doesn't necessarily hold with movies, because you still choose which movie you want to watch. Of course I no longer go to the movies because of poor theater quality, advertisements, and rising prices. The theaters are killing themselves. Don't think that the iTunes movie store has anything to do with it...
Oh, and taking movies with you to watch anywhere? No way. That doesn't even enter into the equation. Who wants to watch movies on 2 or 3 inch screens?- chench, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My kids sure like watching movies on a 2 inch screen in the car.
- joaob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1From the Consumer's standpoint
Movie Theater = New Movies
iTunes = Older Movies
Advantage = Movie Theater
From Hollywoods standpoint
Movie Theater = 4 People at $10 a head
iTunes = 4 People at $14.99 total.
Advantage = Movie Theater
Argument over. - iFrank, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Radio is dead? By whose standards? I'm sure the geeky swine who inhabit this site are not very representative of the general population. I still listen to radio quite frequently--though I must admit, XM is really earning its place in my heart--and I haven't seen a steep decline in the quality of music being played. Just like anything else, you just need to know which stations to listen to. You people are ridiculous.
As for movies being dead, well, I agree with several of the comments made above: the content is poor, but how many people can afford THX Certified surround, a 3298273" Hi-Def TV, and a Blu-Ray *gasp* player? Answer: not many. I live in New York City, and I only pay 10 dollars to see a movie--6 dollars for a matinee--at a really big, super high-tech United Artists theater. People seriously pay 20 dollars to go see a movie? - devoinregress, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@the movie industry
Just start making good movies again and and adapt to new technology instead of suppressing it. - phr0ze, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's a funny cycle. The people who provide entertainment eventually want to get paid. Then comes advertisement. Suddenly those entertaining shows decline as advertisement leads to over management to maximize profits. People stop being entertained, advertizers leave, the old entertainers leave, and it its place steps up something fresh that people start using.
- HCJfilms, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Nothing can emulate the unique experience of seeing a film in a theater. Why anyone would want to see a new movie without the proper environment is beyond me... No surround sound on your iPod (or whatever TF they're gonna use)... "How do you kill the movie industry?"--Please don't.
- mypenis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hmm. I can tell you why I haven't gone in ages. Its basically because all the reason specified up top compounding into one overpriced, under-performing night. Here's a example: I pay gas (usually) to go to the theater. Whatever. I pay $10 for the ticket (better be a good movie with tons of special effects I've never seen before). I pay $5-8 on popcorn and soda (yeah, stupid I know. but convenience and I feel like I gotta get my "full movie experience"). When I finally get to my seat (luckily found one behind the good RESERVED seats), the ads come on. Not Previews mind you (which I kinda like). 10 minutes of ads (Coke, Cingular, Army, Navy, Marines, etc.,). THEN 20 minutes of previews. So I'm 30 minutes in this thing and I haven't seen the movie yet. Just as the movie starts, some jackass answers his phone and talks...loudly (for those that do that bleep, I HATE YOU!). 3/4 way into the movie, I gotta take a leak (hey it's already around the 2 hour mark at that point. A guy's got limits). Well, that's not a total lost since it was sucking in the first place, but just like those new Star Wars trilogy, special effects movies only get good in the last 30 minutes. So I miss some of the good stuff and might check out the DVD to see what he missed.
OR
I do the smart thing now and just rent out what I was missing and watch it on my TV, on my time, in my space, with my cheapy food. I'm not worried about missing out cause it'll be on DVD next week...or was that the bittorrent version? - IceSabre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The movie industry (theaters included) are killing it and that is a sad day.
Seeing it on the big screen is only a part of what is really enjoyable about what the movie experience USED to be. Social catharsis is where it is at. Have you ever noticed that movies seem more dramatic, funnier, or more awe inspiring when watched with a large group of people? You just don't get that in the privacy of your living room. Our children or grandchildren may never get to know this feeling because they have ruined it and movie theaters no longer exist.- AICkieran, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Beat me to it there, Good point well made :-)
- gregpc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Totally agree. I've seem the same movie in the theater and then on TV or my laptop. I remember when I saw Star Wars back when it came out. When the star destroyer loomed over the audience in the opening scene it was an indelible movie memory. There is just something fundamentally different about the the lights going down, the sound coming up and the action starting that just can't be replicated (yet) at home.
Other people have mentioned how nice it is to be able to pause for snacks, bathroom breaks, phone calls, etc. That can be nice; but being sequestered in a dark theater - totally removed from the world - is part of the appeal.
- AICkieran, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Yeah because hey... Who needs a social life when there's itunes, Right? errr.......
- wtfomg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Death to megaplexes, perhaps, with the dawn of the ridiculously great home theater, and the near-future change to moderately priced legal movie downloads. But movie theaters will never die. At the most extreme they will once again become local phenomena, niche markets for cheaper, more intimate experiences. With smaller theaters not under corporate control we can have more diversity in movies shown, as well, less emphasis on the soulless hollywood blockbuster.
- gregpc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Radio is not dead. People complain that radio forces you to listen to what other people want you to hear instead of what you want. Interesting. And how might one be exposed to new music? Unless everyone's iPods are full of the nursery songs their parents sang to them, they had to have heard something someone else wanted them to hear. Here in Boston - in addition to the NPR stations, there are tons of college stations that play tons of non-commercial music.
When I was growing up I listened to stations at UNH, Emerson College, Boston College and MIT. That experience totally shaped my musical taste. I still listen to those stations but now also listen to XM. I'm not sure which stations people are listening to that include commercials but the ones I like - bluegrass, regional Mexican, reggae - seem pretty commercial free to me; and they have led me to new artists I wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise. - perryb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I would be happy if someone invented a device that could kill radio. Imagine something that looks like a radio and works like a radio but instead of a wave band selector it has a small but functional display screen.
Via a user friendly interface this device could allow you to either listen to on line streaming radio shows or archived shows. So the sound quality might not be up to scratch but the sheer choice would outweigh any downside by far.
WFMU would be my radio station of choice but I'm in the UK - it would be great to be able to tune into content like that without using PC to access it. - BSBishop, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think radio is killing itself off via:
* Too many commercials
* stupid DJs doing stupid things
* poor music selection (well, it's hard to tell with all of those commercials)
Movies are killing themselves off:
* 20 minutes of commercials at start time. Why did I just pay almost $10/head plus $20-40 in popcorn and sugar water to waste my time on commercials?
* Movies are now lame. How many prequels/sequels/remade/old-tv-shows movies can they come up with? Even the 'original' movies are generally pretty bad. I generally expect to be disappointed when I go see a movie.
* They're now too long. Every movie is some 3-hour epic. For some movies this works. For most it's just drudgery and when you add in the 20-min of commercials and another 5-10 mins of trailers you've got nearly 4-hours of your day blown on something that should have taken 90-mins to 2 hours.
What this really all centers around is content:
* Is the content a good movie/radio program/music or is it junk littered with commercials.
* Movies and radio have turned into dumpsters where you occassionally find a jewel, but generally you find trash. -
Show 51 - 58 of 58 discussions
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