Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Will it make theatres extinct? Unlikely. Some films are just made to be seen on the big screen. And besides, people, being social creatures, just *like* going to the cinema.

What I do worry about, though, is this: As mail-delivered DVDs, on-demand cable programming and instantly downloadable high-def movies are becoming more widely available and more popular than ever, what is going to happen to the movie ticket price?

As it is, in NYC, the price of going to the cinema is $10.50 per ticket, and few theatres have discounts for anyone but senior citizens. If demand decreases enough because of other options, theatre managers will have to figure out a way to keep theatres open. At first, ticket prices may fall to make a night at the cinema a more attractive option. But there is the risk that movie houses will have to close... or, inevitably, ticket prices will eventually skyrocket to keep the few surviving cinemas open.

I love movies. I love movie theatres, but I also love the comfort of staying at home with a rented DVD and the unparalleled convenience of downloading media. The only chance cinemas have is of keeping ticket prices relatively low-cost, or if they become a philanthropic side-project of the movie industry (where money is reallocated from the highly profitable DVD and download sales to the movie theatre -- even if the latter is operating at a loss -- in order to keep ticked prices down).