Blockbuster Says Choice Would Eliminate Counterfeit Movies
from the still-won't-happen... dept
The head of Blockbuster Video in the UK believe he has an easy way for the movie industry to wipe out a large percentage of the unauthorized copying of movies: release all movies in all formats in all locations at the same time. That is, put it out in the theaters, on DVD/VHS and on the internet all around the world at the same time. Obviously, this would benefit Blockbuster, giving them access to movies when they get the most publicity, but the idea really does make some sense. While some people want the counterfeit or downloaded movies because of the lower price, there is also a large component of it being people who just want to watch the movie in the easiest way possible. If the industry provided that at a reasonable price, plenty of people would pay. The folks who are only looking for free aren't likely to bother anyway, but if people can be convinced to have a regular Netflix-style subscription plan, and the movies are available immediately, then there isn't much of a reason to go after the unauthorized versions. The industry, of course, recoils in horror at the thought, believing that if DVDs/internet versions of movies come out at the same time as in the theater, no one will ever go to the theater. This is, of course, wrong. Certainly, some people will prefer to watch at home -- and that's their choice. Giving them what they want means it's more likely that they'll actually spend something on the movie instead of just letting it go away. However, for many people, going to the movies is a social experience. You get a group of people together and go out to the movies and enjoy it on a bigger screen with a better sound system than you have at home. If the industry worked on making the theater-going experience more enjoyable then more people would go to the movies. It's not just about the content, but the overall experience. The fact that the industry still doesn't realize this is somewhat surprising.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
One man's opinion
Although I think that the number of people whose home theaters serve as an adequate substitute for a public theater is still quite small, I'm not the only one I know who does this. And as home theater equipment gets cheaper and cheaper--as it appears to be doing--more people will do this.
I'm so happy with my home theater and opposed to going to a public theater that I'm happy to wait six months for new releases to come out on DVD. If the studios decided to release on DVD the same time as in theaters, it would affect my movie-going habits, though. The only time I go to theaters is if it's with a group of friends--as a social outing. If new release movies were out on DVD, I guarantee that we would chose to watch them at my house instead of in the theater.
But I wonder: what do the studios care? How much are they making from theater revenues versus DVD purchases or rentals? If every theater ticket purchase instead bought a DVD, would they make more or less?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
simultaneous release
It also could solve another problem that Hollywood has made for itself: namely, the increasing tendency to force every movie, no matter the plot, into a PG-13 frame since those films attract family audiences and make more money. So you have obviously mature themes that are stripped down, destroying the quality of the narrative, to get it past the ratings board. Then, months later, the director's cut comes out, but by then the buzz for the movie is long gone. Simultaneous multi-format release would also allow the studios to release different versions of the movie simultaneously, and those who prefer that their R-rated plots be within R-rated movies could have the choice of seeing them that way.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Restaurants Worldwide Panic
Restaurants hearing this new and exciting theory panic worldwide since it's well known that people can actually cook/eat food at home. Surely this means that NO ONE will go out to eat. The record/movie industry is full of morons.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Give Mark Cuban credit
[ link to this | view in thread ]
asking a lot
It ain't gonna happen.
Imagin, a world where you can actually see a first run movie for less then 4 bucks (depending if you have netflix) and it being legal.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Not a likely solution
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Costs of releasing in cinema worldwide
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Simultaneous release of movies in theaters and on
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Movies On VHS or Dvd
What concerns me are old movies, mostly from the 30s & 40s
Which I collect.
There are a number that I would like to see.
They are not on TV or for sale on the internet.
I think if they would license individuals to record these movies and pay a fee That I could get some I want.
[ link to this | view in thread ]