Physical & Digital EST: The Future of Home Video Discussion Thread

[veritas]

so does amazon have actual people for customer service still? I had an item arrive with an open envelope they never bothered to seal. and the closest thing i found was a chat ai to get my refund. It kind of sucks I get a strike on my record because of incompetence or theft on amazons part lol which i could show pretty easily wasn't my fault if I could talk and send a picture to an actual person.

[t-mel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

What is ridiculous is your refusal to see the facts presented right before your eyes.

The stagnant growth of NA Cinema attendance has absolutely nothing to do with streaming. Not from 2008 to 2019.

Today it's different. And you are not accounting for inflation and high interest rates which have robbed most people of extra spending money.

You mix facts with your opinion. The fact is that theatre attendance has stagnated then gone done. The idea streaming is irrelevant is your opinion only. You haven't demonstrated that at all. That it stagnated before streaming doesn't prove that streaming had no impact after it appeared.

Btw, adjusted for inflation, cinema tickets aren't that much more expensive.

Originally Posted by Anthony P

but before that it was "wait for blockbusters"



streaming could have had a negative effect, but there was cheaper alternatives from the onset of home media and even when TV came out.

I do think TV and discs have had an impact on theatre attendance. At least with the latter though the studios were able to make decent amounts on disc rentals and sales. Streaming, not so much. And they were still sensible enough not to release the disc 2 weeks after it came out in the cinema, or putting it on TV 2 weeks after. With streaming and digital they don't do that, but they also make less from that than they did from discs. It's a dumb approach.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by t-mel

You mix facts with your opinion. The fact is that theatre attendance has stagnated then gone done. The idea streaming is irrelevant is your opinion only. You haven't demonstrated that at all. That it stagnated before streaming doesn't prove that streaming had no impact after it appeared.

Wow! The pot calling the kettle black! You haven't proved that streaming caused a decline in ticket sales. That is nothing more than your jaded opinion.

[russweiss1]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Wow! The pot calling the kettle black! You haven't proved that streaming caused a decline in ticket sales. That is nothing more than your jaded opinion.

It's my jaded opinion as well.

[t-mel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Wow! The pot calling the kettle black! You haven't proved that streaming caused a decline in ticket sales. That is nothing more than your jaded opinion.

If I framed my opinion as fact, I take it back. It is my opinion. But I still think it is ridiculous to think that streaming has had NO impact. I agree it's not going to be the sole reason.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by t-mel

Btw, adjusted for inflation, cinema tickets aren't that much more expensive.

Than what? 2 adult people to go to the movies is almost $25 TODAY. NATO shows higher average ticket prices than a government entity and who should know better?

https://www.natoonline.org/data/ticket-price/

Add popcorn and drinks and you're close to $50!!

For a single movie!

[Steedeel]

Certainly not the case here, we have cinemas where you can get in for £5 on certain days. Vue for example run these schemes. That’s around £10-£12 per person IF you want popcorn and drinks.

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Than what? 2 adult people to go to the movies is almost $25 TODAY. NATO shows higher average ticket prices than a government entity and who should know better?

https://www.natoonline.org/data/ticket-price/

Add popcorn and drinks and you're close to $50!!

For a single movie!

And for some of us it's worth every penny. But my monthly subscription seriously undercuts those costs.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Ender14

And for some of us it's worth every penny. But my monthly subscription seriously undercuts those costs.

And for some of us it's a waste of money. It's a subjective action. Some like it - some don't. It's a personal choice.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Certainly not the case here, we have cinemas where you can get in for £5 on certain days. Vue for example run these schemes. That’s around £10-£12 per person IF you want popcorn and drinks.

How about Friday or Saturday night - date nights.

What does a babysitter charge per hour?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

How about Friday or Saturday night - date nights.

What does a babysitter charge per hour?

Same price, just requires online membership. No minimum requirements. Babysitter? Date nights? If people have kids, surely they are past the stage of date nights, and if they aren’t, they should be.

The point is, from Monday to Sunday, it’s possible to see a film for £5 (or £6 if paying at the door), that’s a cheap night in my book.

People have always had young children, not sure why you are introducing a problem that has always existed.

[t-mel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Than what? 2 adult people to go to the movies is almost $25 TODAY. NATO shows higher average ticket prices than a government entity and who should know better?

https://www.natoonline.org/data/ticket-price/

Add popcorn and drinks and you're close to $50!!

For a single movie!

The average ticket price in 1969 was $1.42. Adjusted for inflation, that ticket would cost $10.14 in 2019 dollars.

And the 2019 price was $9.16 from what you sent...

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

And for some of us it's a waste of money. It's a subjective action. Some like it - some don't. It's a personal choice.

So you, a person that uses streaming to watch films, is arguing streaming has had no impact on cinema attendance. It's a personal choice, but one choice is damaging the film industry and the other isn't...

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by t-mel

And the 2019 price was $9.16 from what you sent...

What is your point? BTW - it's 2023 not 2019.

So you, a person that uses streaming to watch films, is arguing streaming has had no impact on cinema attendance. It's a personal choice, but one choice is damaging the film industry and the other isn't...

You are assuming all streamers never attend movie theaters and those that do have no SVOD/AVOD accounts. That's ridiculous thinking.

If streaming hurts the film industry why in the world are the leading SVOD/AVOD providers movie creators?

Disney = Disney+
Paramount = Paramount+
Comcast Universal = Peacock
Warner Brothers Discovery = MAX

[t-mel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

What is your point? BTW - it's 2023 not 2019.

I said that adjusted for inflation cinema tickets aren't more expensive than the were in the past.

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

You are assuming all streamers never attend movie theaters and those that do have no SVOD/AVOD accounts. That's ridiculous thinking.

If streaming hurts the film industry why in the world are the leading SVOD/AVOD providers movie creators?

Disney = Disney+
Paramount = Paramount+
Comcast Universal = Peacock
Warner Brothers Discovery = MAX

No, I'm not assuming that. I am saying streaming probably affected some people's cinema attendance. It's affected yours, and I doubt you're the only one.

As for the second question, because they are run by wall street who pushed them into streaming. Doesn't mean it was a good idea. Mostly they are losing hundreds of millions.

[stonesfan129]

Originally Posted by t-mel

I am saying streaming probably affected some people's cinema attendance. It's affected yours, and I doubt you're the only one.

It has affected mine. Just easier to stay home and rent a movie for $5.99 on Vudu/AppleTV apps on my Firestick and not have to deal with noisy patrons who don't turn their phones off. If I have to get up and go to the bathroom I can pause it. The real advantage for me is seeing big action movies in the theater is a better experience I think, and I like the food my local AMC has. I really enjoy their burgers and fish fry.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by t-mel

I said that adjusted for inflation cinema tickets aren't more expensive than the were in the past.

How about the popcorn, drinks and candy. If you never buy them, the theaters can't survive and will go out of business.

No, I'm not assuming that. I am saying streaming probably affected some people's cinema attendance. It's affected yours, and I doubt you're the only one.

Some? Sure. We know audiences will show up for event movies like Barbie or Oppenheimer. But they are far and few between.

I stopped going to the movies long before I had streaming. I no longer enjoyed it as my local theater complex is crap. Stained screens, speakers that buzz and unruly audiences.

As for the second question, because they are run by wall street who pushed them into streaming. Doesn't mean it was a good idea. Mostly they are losing hundreds of millions.

Wall Street pushed Disney to setup Disney+? Are you kidding? Wall Street had nothing to do with that decision. It's what happened after the birth of Disney+ where Wall Street influenced Disney's stock.

The losses will end soon - within 13 months - bet on it.

[t-mel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

How about the popcorn, drinks and candy. If you never buy them, the theaters can't survive and will go out of business.

.

I only buy popcorn sometimes. Like to avoid junk food in general, and it's a distraction for me. Plus I don't want the risk of needing to go to the toilet. Instead, I just go often without a subscription. In the end I'm probably paying the same amount.

If you look at AMC financials, although the food and beverage income is substantial, they still get some from ticket sales. It's just they don't get enough to cover their costs without selling snacks. If way more people attended the theatre, even without buying food, that would be better for them than people not attending.
https://investor.amctheatres.com/fin...s/default.aspx

[Ender14]

Originally Posted by t-mel

I only buy popcorn sometimes. Like to avoid junk food in general, and it's a distraction for me. Plus I don't want the risk of needing to go to the toilet. Instead, I just go often without a subscription. In the end I'm probably paying the same amount.

If you look at AMC financials, although the food and beverage income is substantial, they still get some from ticket sales. It's just they don't get enough to cover their costs without selling snacks. If way more people attended the theatre, even without buying food, that would be better for them than people not attending.
https://investor.amctheatres.com/fin...s/default.aspx

It has been 20 years since I was a manager at AMC but our biggest driving metric at that time was Per Head, which meant concession dollars spent per ticket sold. I would be surprised if that wasn't still one of their main focuses.

As I said, I do what I can to support theatres within my budget. I know not everyone loves the movie theater experience, but for me it is worth the cost to be able to see movies on the big screen. Many of my fondest memories revolve around the theatrical experience. I'm just glad there are still directors like Nolan that highlight the importance of preserving that experience for a new generation of film lovers. Reducing movies to "content" shows the importance of preserving art in the face of corporate BS.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by t-mel

And the 2019 price was $9.16 from what you sent...



So you, a person that uses streaming to watch films, is arguing streaming has had no impact on cinema attendance. It's a personal choice, but one choice is damaging the film industry and the other isn't...

Lee doesn’t care about the film industry, he prefers tv shows. (It takes all kinds I suppose)

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

How about the popcorn, drinks and candy. If you never buy them, the theaters can't survive and will go out of business.



Some? Sure. We know audiences will show up for event movies like Barbie or Oppenheimer. But they are far and few between.

I stopped going to the movies long before I had streaming. I no longer enjoyed it as my local theater complex is crap. Stained screens, speakers that buzz and unruly audiences.



Wall Street pushed Disney to setup Disney+? Are you kidding? Wall Street had nothing to do with that decision. It's what happened after the birth of Disney+ where Wall Street influenced Disney's stock.

The losses will end soon - within 13 months - bet on it.

No doubt with a huge stack of reality tv, made on the cheap!