What is the thrill in watching your Home Theatre in the dark?

[Canada]

I always watch movies and play most video games in the dark. I agree that listening to movies/music to loud is bad for your hearing and that watching movies in compleat darkness is not great. I however don't think there any where near the same thing. I think listening to movies/music at deafening levels is more comparable to looking directly at the sun or using a blow torch without a tinted shield.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Canada

I always watch movies and play most video games in the dark. I agree that listening to movies/music to loud is bad for your hearing and that watching movies in compleat darkness is not great. I however don't think there any where near the same thing. I think listening to movies/music at deafening levels is more comparable to looking directly at the sun or using a blow torch without a tinted shield.

I thought the tinted shield for a blow torch was just to guard your eyes from the sparks when welding?

[kevinbr100]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

hahah that article talks about fatigue and eye strain, not ruining your eye sight...

haha and the "study" cited by the article was done by a LIGHTING company .

probably already been mentioned since I did not read the whole thread, but darkness helps focus everything on the picture, the film becomes more immersive, there are less visual distractions. And i actually think that very dim light, not total darkness, is actually less strain on the eye than a brightly lit room,

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by kevinbr100

haha and the "study" cited by the article was done by a LIGHTING company

It's kind of like how people love to quote the study that states that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. The part they always forget to mention is that the study was funded by Hershey I believe.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by Automission

It seems people don't take this seriously. This post is 100% serious.

I never really got this. Sure it's like a cinema, but surely watching your TV in the dark will only cause you eye strain. In the long term, this will no doubt make your eye sight worse, meaning the expensive HDTV you bought won't have as good a picture, due to your dodgy eyes!
Just like having your speakers way too loud, your hearing will be damaged to much to hear it properly!

So if someone can clear up the attraction to this, it'd be great. A discussion on the dark experience of home theatres!

This type of original post/question reminds me of another forum I was in a while back (well I'm still a part of it, but rarely go there anymore). It's basically like saying: "here is my opinion, now everybody argue with me." It's just not healthy for a forum. I'm probably guilty of dragging this on further than it already should've been at this point (three+ pages in less than a day). Not to dump on the original author or anything. He/she has their opinion and I respect that. Slightly different wording may have been preferable, though. I will say that the comparison between watching TV in the dark and listening to music too loud wasn't really a proper comparison, at least in my experience. I've never had my eyes hurt from watching or looking at anything other than the sun or a welding torch or something that was absurdly bright; I've had my ears hurt from listening to music too loud.

As Samsang (and others) have said: "view your home theater however is most comfortable for you, and don't apologise for it."

To weigh in on this topic myself... I have better than 20/20 vision and am 30 years old. I've always watched movies in the dark growing up and still do; occasionally watching television shows in the dark as well. Video games are less often played in the dark, although I will say that I do play them in darkness at times. I've heard the adage "don't sit too close to the TV or your eyes will go bad" and all that and have always tried to follow it -- and I tell my kids the same thing -- but I don't trip on them (or anyone) watching in darkness. I think if you feel fine after watching TV in the dark, then you are not as susceptible to this whole eye strain effect and therefore probably not as likely to have any permanent damage to your eyes. Pretty basic, really. I mean, if your eyes hurt or you get a headache after watching TV in the dark, you probably shouldn't do it.

There's something to be said about how your eyes are like muscles, but I don't mess with my eyes. Anything that irritates your eyes should be stopped immediately, in my opinion. Same with the headache thing: if what you're doing causes you headaches, I would advise against continuing to do that. Brains are pretty important, last I checked anyway.

Originally Posted by btf1980

Automission sounds like an LCD owner. "What's all this hoopla about the dark? I love watching movies with ambient light all around me. I also make sure all my windows are open so I can get some sunshine on the screen. A movie just isn't a movie without tons of light around me."

This was a clever response from btf1980.

This might be the funniest thread I've ever read; at the very least, it's the funniest I've read while a member of this forum.

[gandytime]

Originally Posted by Automission

It seems people don't take this seriously. This post is 100% serious.

I never really got this. Sure it's like a cinema, but surely watching your TV in the dark will only cause you eye strain. In the long term, this will no doubt make your eye sight worse, meaning the expensive HDTV you bought won't have as good a picture, due to your dodgy eyes!
Just like having your speakers way too loud, your hearing will be damaged to much to hear it properly!

So if someone can clear up the attraction to this, it'd be great. A discussion on the dark experience of home theatres!

I was at the optometrist just last month and asked does watching tv in the dark put a strain on the eyes he said that is a falsehood,enjoy yourself in your dark theater room!

[tilapiah6]

Originally Posted by gandytime

I was at the optometrist just last month and asked does watching tv in the dark put a strain on the eyes he said that is a falsehood,enjoy yourself in your dark theater room!

Yay!

[mnfish]

I think what you gain by not having any light is that you are totally focused on watching the movie and not having peripheral distractions. Makes you "get lost" in the movie. Unless it's boring...but that's another thread!

[jsteinhauer]

What do you mean by dark? Completely dark? I backlight my wall, but it is still to dark to read, pour a drink or use non lit remotes, so I voted dark.

[hardcorefrokid]

I have to watch my HT in the dark. I have a 133" projector, so to insure the greatest quality I watch it in the dark.

[mr.hidef]

WOW... i am now stupider for having read this thread.... Automission... do you not drive at night either??

I just watched The Dark Knight with the lights off...."I think I have brain disease now"......I am willing to bet this guy is an optometrist.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by mr.hidef

WOW... i am now stupider for having read this thread.... Automission... do you not drive at night either??

I just watched The Dark Knight with the lights off...."I think I have brain disease now"......I am willing to bet this guy is an optometrist.

LMAOROFL



Nicely done.

[Midnightsailor]

I've always watched mine in the dark...

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by Automission

I also assumed it was a given that sitting four inches from a 50" HDTV will do your eyes more damage than sitting from a safe distance. I was taught that at age six.

Wow they had 50" TV's, nevermind HD ones, when you were six?
How old are you? I feel old.
When I was six nobody had a TV that was bigger than around 25".

[bhampton]

Quote "...watching your TV ..."

No TV here... My projector doesn't have a television tuner and I don't want one anyway.

My home theater resembles a theater. With a big enough screen you don't get eye strain from the image in the dark. (That's why theaters don't give you eye strain.)

-Brian

[naturephoto1]

I almost always watch movies in the dark with my Blu-ray player. When watching HD and even frequently even standard definition TV I watch in the dark if I take the time to start the Pre/Pro and the Power Amps.

Rich

[JamesKurtovich]

I watch everything in the dark... anything else is just a distraction.

[kingofgrills]

Originally Posted by Automission

. You made your point, can some moderator lock this thread, or preferably delete it? I've never felt the ambience from dark. More so if it's a blooming sunny happy film.

Fine. You made your point, and now if you look at the thread results, you'll clearly see where the majority stand on this issue.

Move on.

[tilapiah6]

David Lynch recommends only watching his movies in a darkened room, so I don't have a choice either way.

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by Automission

It seems people don't take this seriously. This post is 100% serious.

I never really got this. Sure it's like a cinema, but surely watching your TV in the dark will only cause you eye strain. In the long term, this will no doubt make your eye sight worse, meaning the expensive HDTV you bought won't have as good a picture, due to your dodgy eyes!

I'm an eye doctor - watching TV in the dark does nothing - and I want to be VERY clear about this - NOTHING negative to your eyes.

BUT - here are two things that are affected by watching things in the dark.

1) Pupil size. The hole in the middle of your eyes open bigger in the dark to let in more light. Why does this matter? Directors will often juxtapose the lighting from one scene to another to INTENTIONALLY cause you to feel uncomfortable with the change of shot. Like waking up the next morning with a hangover. It's on purpose, so watching this in the dark causes the visceral reaction the director was going for. This does not cause eye 'strain' or damage.

2) One unfortunate side effect is called Night Myopia. This is when M. Night can no longer see how bad his movies have become... just kidding... in the dark, with the pupil bigger, the image you are getting is blurrier than with a small pupil. It has to do with an optical physics lesson that I'm not willing to get into now. The only reaction your brain has to a blurry image is to focus, defocus, focus, defocus. After a while your brain gives up and allows the lens to completely relax, leaving the image a little blurry. This is also why your night driving vision is usually worse.

Added to this - if your prescription s a little off, the blurry image is worse.

However, nothing about what I've explained above has anything to do with making your vision worse.

PERIOD.

Doc