Are movie theaters becoming obsolete?

I see your point. I do believe there are some movies that you have to see on the big screen. The Star Wars movies are a must see on a the big screen, even though I do enjoy the DVD. The small screen just doesn't do it justice. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a totally different movie on the small screen compared to viewing midnight showing of the cult classic with a whacked out crowd in costume. But the majority of the movies do well in the home format. You don't have to listen to someone else's crying babies or rude behavior, plus you can stop the movie and go to the bathroom when the urge hits you.

Movies are a good social activity. It gets you out of the house and it isn't bad for a first date activity. There can always be moments of awkward silence on a date and when you see the movie, you don't talk in the movie and afterward you can always talk about the movie if you are having problems with conversation topics. A dinner and a movie can be refreshing break from staying home.

Life does suck for shift workers and daytime TV is an intellectual wasteland. It is nice to have a collection of good movies to view and with the special features on DVD the experience can be better than the theater.

They're running themselves out of business IMO. The ticket price keeps going up and I'm not willing to pay it more than 4-5 times a year it seems. I do Netflix and pay $20/month and get to see about 15 movies.

I do enjoy the big screen experience and I don't think home theatre is ever going to get that big. $6 for a matinee ticket and another $5 for popcorn is a splurge. I just can't justify that too often. When I lived in Seattle I found a $3 theatre and I went at least once a month. They showed movies that had just left the main theatres.

I love going to the theater! No matter how fancy a home theater is, it can't compare- there's just an atmosphere at the movies that nothing else can match. It comes from a bunch of strangers coming together to enjoy a movie, and a lot of times its the reactions from the entire audience (laughing, gasping in fear, etc.) that makes it so much fun!

Besides, the picture is bigger, the sound is better and its more exciting. I totally wish I could see all three LOTR movies in the theater again....

I've thought this before, but it seems as if people are still going to the movies in droves, despite the expensiveness of it all. However, movie rental places seem to be becoming more obsolete.

Never. The only way to see a movie is IN a theatre and not on a TV screen. You need the large screen to really see a movie. And if you go to the movies on Tuesdays, you pay $4.24 for an adult ticket not $10.00. Yup in Toronto you do....

When television was invented, people predicted the end of movie theaters.

When cable was invented, people predicted the end of movie theaters.

When VHS and later DVD were invented, people predicted the end of movie theaters.

When Blockbuster Video and video rental services debuted, people predicted the end of movie theaters.

When pay-per-view and video-on-demand made their debut, people predicted the end of movie theaters.

When downloadable movies came over the internet, people predicted the end of movie theaters.

Movie theaters continue to exist, and ticket sales are turning in record profits in the past five years.

Theaters aren't going anywhere. They are here to stay.

Bud - No, in the scope of cost it is not. Occassionally there is a movie that just needs to be seen on the big screen and its still a fun night out...but more and more I find myself and my companion buying a movie, bringing in some food and enjoying our film at home. BGU

I have not been to the movies in a long time... and if I do I just go to the dollar movies they are alot better deal.. I really think that Hollywood does not need anymore of my money!

Nope.