| I hear commercials all the time trying to tout the advantages of dvd rental vs movie theater. But, to me, there really is no comparison.
As far as I'm concerned there are pros and cons to each form of entertainment, but it is important to take into consideration just what you are trying to accomplish.
I mean when it comes to dvd rental vs movie theater we know it isn't just about seeing a movie. It's about an evenings worth of entertainment.
Renting a movie gives you so many more options in the movie(s) you can see. And, you can pick and choose when you watch it and aren't tied into only watching it when it comes on (though with features like OnDemand and a DVR where you can record a movie and watch it later, this isn't as big of an issue anymore)
Another great advantage of renting some DVD's whether you do it online, through the mail or at your local video store, is that you don't have to leave your home. Some times when it is cold and rainy or you are just tired and want to "veg out" this is the perfect option.
It is also much less expensive to go the rental route for your entertainment. You can reasonably expect to spend only a few dollars to rent a video to watch at home whereas a movie theater will cost $14 at the minimum depending on what part of the country you live in and how much you get from the snack bar.
But, that is only part of the picture. There are some very strong advantages to going out to a theater for your entertainment too. For one thing... you are going out.
It feels more like entertainment and a night out than it would just watching videos at home. Sometimes it is nice to get out of the house and spend time with friends and family in a different environment than just staying home all the time.
It's much more of a social event that is often combined with other activities like eating out.
Another pro for going to the movie theater is that the theater will almost always have better seating and better sound (unless, of course, you have your own home theater).
Some types of movies just lose something in the translation and aren't as impressive if they aren't seen on the big screen with state of the art sound.
Also, in the "pro" column for going to the theater is the fact that if there is that huge summer or holiday movie coming out, who wants to wait 2 or 3 months for it to be released on DVD? Many times you want to see it as close to the day it is released as possible.
Personally, I think that the debate between dvd rental vs movie theater comes down to one main thing: the movie you want to see. If it is a movie that you just can't wait to see or it would just not be as spectacular on a small screen, head to the theaters. But if it's a movie you're not even that sure you want to see, wait for it to come out on DVD. |