U.S. consumers experience the magic of the silver screen mostly in their homes, not in movie theaters. In 2005, movie lovers spent $8.8 billion on movie-theater tickets, according to Nielsen EDI, which tracks movie-theater box-office results. Consumer spending to buy and rent DVDs and VHS videotapes, on the other hand, exceeded $24.3 billion in 2005, according to the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), a coalition of video hardware and software suppliers.
Not only did ticket sales decline in dollars, Nielsen said, but the number of people going to movies fell for the third consecutive year in 2005. That year, the number of admissions fell six percent to 1.39 billion, following declines of two percent and five percent in the previous two years, respectively.
It’s no mystery why consumers want to stay home for their nights out. Because of increased lifestyle pressures, consumers want to spend more quality time with friends and family in a comfortable environment They’re upset with rising ticket prices, exorbitant popcorn prices, traffic jams on the highway to the multiplex, the shrinking size of movie-theater screens and cellular phone conversations that punctuate the on-screen dialog.
Whatever the reason, people have voted to bring the movie theater to their living rooms but not just to enjoy the visual impact of the silver screen. American consumers are building home theater systems to re-create the sonic drama of movie soundtracks. Home theater systems plunge you into the middle of the action. Jets scream overhead as if you were under attack. The cacophony of a boisterous crowd surrounds you as if you’re caught in the middle.
Home theater is a big picture with big sound. It’s virtual reality on a grand scale, and you don't have to make a hundred grand to enjoy it.
