An article in today’s Wall Street Journal caught my interest. Headlined, “Hollywood Studios Seek Control Over Delivering Movies to Homes.” The gist is this: studios will allow consumers to watch newly released films in their own homes (in HD).
On the surface this is really interesting, and for a moment I was even excited about the prospect. But then I began thinking, don’t we already watch films in our own homes and we call it television? Or Netflix or something.
As I thought more about it, I began to see it as yet another way Hollywood is trying to prop up its sagging industry. They sugar coat it with nice packaging- but you know it’s just another way for them to gouge us for more money.
How would they price it? If it’s $10 to go to the movies per person- then a living room full of people watching on your monster TV is worth what?
The other thing it got me thinking was what would it do to the theater business (as if big business really cares what happens to the little guy)? I could see a lot of jobs disappearing. Already the independent theater owner is a thing of the past. Now what the ticket taker kid making $7 an hour?
How would they prevent bootlegs?
I don’t have a definitive thought on it, but while it seems like a good idea, I can imagine more harm than good coming from it. There will be even a bigger divide between the haves and have nots.
Your thoughts?
Read the WSJ article here.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121323446764566713.html?mod=2_1567_leftbox
PeterH
