Talks to make first-run movies available for home rental stall

[Shawn Knight]

Sweeping changes to the movie theater industry aren’t likely to happen anytime soon according to AMC Entertainment CFO Craig Ramsey.

During a recent speaking engagement at the Citi Global TMT West Conference in Las Vegas, Ramsey said talks regarding a premium video on demand window have lost steam. It’s not the topic that it was earlier, Ramsey said, adding that the whole concept is a “very complicated” matter with “no consensus.”

For those who don’t know, Ramsey is referring to the possibility of making theatrical releases available to rent in the home as early as three weeks after launch. Renting a premium movie wouldn’t be cheap – around $30 to $40 per – but for those that despise watching flicks in theaters or those with large families, it makes a lot of sense.

Giving consumers options and letting them decide how they want to consume media sounds like a great idea to me.

The problem is that, if you limit new movies to a run of just three weeks in theaters, people will stop going to theaters and simply wait a few weeks to see the movie they want in the comfort of their own homes. It would more or less destroy the traditional theater industry and well, theaters don’t want that.

If there are to be changes, theater owners want a cut of the money. Deciding on how much they should get from movie studios is what’s holding up the overall deal and if Ramsey is correct, the matter won't be settled anytime soon.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/72710-talks-make-first-run-movies-available-home-rental.html

 

[Burty117]

Cinema's can get lost as far as I'm concerned. Here in the UK, the average price to go to the Cinema and get a ticket to one movie is over £10. You can buy the Blu-ray for less off Amazon usually.

Not to mention once you're at the Cinema, They charge horrendous amounts for beverages and snacks, then they cram you into a room full of people on sticky seats and then the sound is either too loud or too quiet, the air-con is broken and either freezing you to death or cooking you and I've even once had it where the projector didn't focus properly and the first few minutes of the movie was blurry until someone complained.

Cinema sucks. Unless I could get a ticket for £2.50, then it'd be worth going to see the latest movie...

 

[Misagt]

The movies I went to see in theater in the last few years
2014, Eight (at least this is how many I can remember)
2015, about four
2016, Rogue one
2017, Zero

If the entertainment industry thinks they can keep giving crap movies full of plot holes. Costing way too much money. Think again people are walking away.

 

[fps4ever]

Technology has changed. They have a point but there is no going back. Concession prices are out of control and rude customers with smart phones have ruined the experience. The way we want to watch content is evolving and they know it so theaters might as well hang on as long as they can. Either down size and become a boutique theater with supper/movie or actual recliners and a better experience. Give those theaters' 30 days to make money then to streaming movies should go!

 

[TomSEA]

I have zero problem waiting 6 months so I can rent a blu-ray for two dollars from RedBox to watch on my 65" HDTV with full-blown sound system.

As others have posted, going to a theater is expensive and a pain in the rear dealing with other rude attendees who either talk like they're in their own living room or can't put their cellphone down.

And wouldn't be too pleased to pay 40 dollars for a new release movie only to find out it was crap. That would only need to happen once.

 

[Teko03]

If the entertainment industry thinks they can keep giving crap movies full of plot holes. Costing way too much money. Think again people are walking away.

You mean to tell me there was a time when plot holes didn't exist in a film that last just a couple of hours at the most?

 

[EClyde]

They would make more money if everything was direct to home.

 

[EClyde]

If the entertainment industry thinks they can keep giving crap movies full of plot holes. Costing way too much money. Think again people are walking away.

You mean to tell me there was a time when plot holes didn't exist in a film that last just a couple of hours at the most?

Plot holes were different when all movies weren't about killing aliens. You can go to IMDB and many movies have gaffes. Most movies today are very bad. If you watch something like TCM you might think old movies were better but remember the crap old movies don't get shown.

 

[Reehahs]

Cinema's can get lost as far as I'm concerned. Here in the UK, the average price to go to the Cinema and get a ticket to one movie is over £10. You can buy the Blu-ray for less off Amazon usually.

Not to mention once you're at the Cinema, They charge horrendous amounts for beverages and snacks, then they cram you into a room full of people on sticky seats and then the sound is either too loud or two quiet, the air-con is broken and either freezing you to death or cooking you and I've even once had it where the projector didn't focus properly and the first few minutes of the movie was blurry until someone complained.

Cinema sucks. Unless I could get a ticket for £2.50, then it'd be worth going to see the latest movie...

Couldn't agree more. They have the audacity to charge £5 for a tiny portion of pop corn.

Having said that, online pricing for movies especially digital ones is still pretty crap. It is really annoying when older movies are still £10 to buy or £5 to rent (more for HD than SD, again) despite coming out pre-2000.

There really needs to be a Steam/Humble Bundle like store where you can rent any movie for £1.

 

[Burty117]

Couldn't agree more. They have the audacity to charge £5 for a tiny portion of pop corn.

Having said that, online pricing for movies especially digital ones is still pretty crap. It is really annoying when older movies are still £10 to buy or £5 to rent (more for HD than SD, again) despite coming out pre-2000.

There really needs to be a Steam/Humble Bundle like store where you can rent any movie for £1.

Yeah agreed, the digital prices suck, I also really hate that I can't get DRM free downloads anywhere other than torrents. I've been ripping my Blu-rays and DVD's to my Plex server and watching my movies. I wish they offered movies like they do music, DRM free, then I would happily pay the high price for them. Would make adding them to my Plex Library just that little bit easier as well!

I just thought of something else that puts me off the Cinema as well, Not only do they charge you a fortune for a ticket and the food, the first 30 minutes of a movie is pure adverts!

 

[Misagt]

You mean to tell me there was a time when plot holes didn't exist in a film that last just a couple of hours at the most?

No I understand that there will be plot holes from time to time and it's unavoidable, I accept a couple it comes with watching movies. What I am saying is there are way to many now. When writers get huge sums of money to write a story and don't even try it makes me walk away. I want to go to a theater and go "wow that was a cleaver way to write that" I want to be impressed and drawn in. Not see lazy writing, where they simply go screw it good enough, most people will buy it. If you are impressed by today's movies all the power to you, but I have no interest.

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....There really needs to be a Steam/Humble Bundle like store where you can rent any movie for £1.

Dude, there already is, "Redbox". But you guys just don't have it on your side on the pond.

But the way British courts have been pandering to copyright holders recently, sort of stifles the chance of getting a service such as that.

I mean after all, making a "mix tape" from songs you paid good money for at iTunes, is now illegal... I mean like WTF?

Then too, years ago the UK courts made "LightningUK", an "offer he couldn't refuse", and he was forced to cease development on his "DVDdecrypter", or go to jail. (IIRC).

Of course in that regard, it's just as bad, if not worse, here in the colonies. You want ripping software, it's off to China on a VPN.