The FCC endangers movie theatres
Zachary Shevich
Issue date: 5/14/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Will the phrase "Coming to a theater near you" soon be eliminated from our vernacular? In a controversial ruling by the Federal Communications Commission earlier this week, major movie studios have been granted a petition by the Motion Picture Association of America that allows the showing of first-run films - films just released - in the home. While this decision may seem like a long time coming, it carries a lot of meaning and will likely change the marketplace for films significantly. In fact, the FCC's recent ruling may even bring an end to movie theaters.
It has long been standard practice to wait several months before releasing a film on DVD or making it available for video-on-demand. More recently, the time between a film's theatrical release and its non-theatrical release averages at 3-4 months; during that time, a film is (hopefully) earning money while playing in theaters. However, the consumer who either doesn't want to go to the theater or wants to watch the film on his or her living room television will often choose to pirate the new release rather than wait those 3-4 months.
To keep up with the constantly changing habits of paying customers, Hollywood hopes to cash in on both those movie watchers who choose not to leave their homes as well as the theatergoers. With the help of the MPAA's appeal to the FCC, studios will now be permitted limited use of "selectable output control technology" which can disable the audio and visual outputs on a person's TV. This technology would be used to impede most pirates, or at the very least result in pirated copies of inferior quality. This capability would allow studios to release brand new films simultaneously in theaters and living rooms without losing business to pirating.
To be frank, how many people would go to the theater if they had that choice? There are plenty of instances in which the luxury of being in your own home would make watching a new movie much more enjoyable. Imagine a world in which you wouldn't have to leave the house sporting a bowler and sunglasses in order to watch movies such as Brendan Fraser's "Furry Vengeance!"
It has long been standard practice to wait several months before releasing a film on DVD or making it available for video-on-demand. More recently, the time between a film's theatrical release and its non-theatrical release averages at 3-4 months; during that time, a film is (hopefully) earning money while playing in theaters. However, the consumer who either doesn't want to go to the theater or wants to watch the film on his or her living room television will often choose to pirate the new release rather than wait those 3-4 months.
To keep up with the constantly changing habits of paying customers, Hollywood hopes to cash in on both those movie watchers who choose not to leave their homes as well as the theatergoers. With the help of the MPAA's appeal to the FCC, studios will now be permitted limited use of "selectable output control technology" which can disable the audio and visual outputs on a person's TV. This technology would be used to impede most pirates, or at the very least result in pirated copies of inferior quality. This capability would allow studios to release brand new films simultaneously in theaters and living rooms without losing business to pirating.
To be frank, how many people would go to the theater if they had that choice? There are plenty of instances in which the luxury of being in your own home would make watching a new movie much more enjoyable. Imagine a world in which you wouldn't have to leave the house sporting a bowler and sunglasses in order to watch movies such as Brendan Fraser's "Furry Vengeance!"
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