Let’s talk about moving pictures. No, not hallucinations - movies. The type of entertainment and art introduced by the Lumiere brothers in the late 19th century… On second thought, let’s not talk about movies. Let’s talk about the media in which they are presented. We are currently observing a shift in offers: the original medium of cinema has had competition in form of television for quite a long time, but watching movies on a computer or a home theater is a new phenomenon. Each has its own pros and cons, but personal preferences tend to differ. The objective is quite simple - compare and decide which, if any, choice is the best.

Let’s talk about moving pictures. No, not hallucinations - movies. The type of entertainment and art introduced by the Lumiere brothers in the late 19th century… On second thought, let’s not talk about movies. Let’s talk about the media in which they are presented. We are currently observing a shift in offers: the original medium of cinema has had competition in form of television for quite a long time, but watching movies on a computer or a home theater is a new phenomenon. Each has its own pros and cons, but personal preferences tend to differ. The objective is quite simple - compare and decide which, if any, choice is the best.

The contestants are: traditional cinema; not-as-traditional-but-close TV; the constantly changing private systems, including VHS, DVD players and home theaters; and the new kid PC.

Commence.

Well, I personally have not been watching TV for at least a couple of years now. While I occasionally do catch a glimpse of the news when I am in that area of the house, TV has hardly any favorable traits. For one, I hate dubbed movies (and/or any other dubbed program). Now, one must of course consider that popular channels broadcast for the masses, which includes kids and elderly people, both of whom have possibly no desire to further strain their vision by reading subtitles. I, on other hand, feel that I can’t properly enjoy the movie when half of it’s charm is consumed by dubbing. Voice actors may be incredibly talented and enthusiastic, but they will never manage to replicate the original cast, the specific people that were chosen for the roles. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. But more later, I guess?

There is not much I can say about VHS, DVD players and home theaters for I possess none of them (I am probably the only one in the area that doesn’t, too). Excluding my rant about future plans of having an ultimate home theater, I am pleased to say that I find going to the cinema highly satisfying. While it certainly has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, I rarely miss a chance to see new movies in the theaters (and then purchase or download them for repeated viewing, of course).

As for the dearly beloved PC, my survival depends on it. Sure, there are certain limits of what you can accomplish with it, but for me, it is possibly the best solution.

I agree, dubbing in TV broadcasts is an annoyance. However, when watching a dubbed movie, I prefer those that are dubbed by a single or a pair of voice actors, not the ones with complete dubbing - maybe it’s just a habit, but the ability to hear the original voices and to ignore everything about the dubbing except for the translation is far better than depending only on dubbing. Indeed, I think dubbing a movie completely is waste of time (and resources too) - its negative effects outweigh the positive ones. Then again, the preference only applies when choosing between different types of dubbing - otherwise subtitles is the way to go.

A plus of TV is that it allows people to watch movies without any prior trouble, you just have to tune in at a given time. Because of that, TV is a good device to discover new movies or simply watch movies which you aren’t sure you’ll like and so don’t want to bother searching or paying to see it. Of course, the same property can be viewed as a downside in different conditions: the schedule cannot be personalized, so it rarely is a good way to watch your favorite movies as you have to adapt to a channel’s authorities’ opinion.

(I’ll take the liberty of ignoring the rest - not in the mood of multitasking yet.)

Dubbing indeed has many downsides. For one, as I have mentioned before, it takes away the charm that the original cast gives the movie. Also, I find that subtitles are a good way to further your knowledge of a different language. I believe that a few of the most important criteria for learning a foreign language is reading, writing and also hearing people speak. Dubbing takes away the opportunity to enjoy yourself and do something educational at the same time. Not to mention that it is more expensive and complicated than subbing.

While watching TV really does not require a lot of effort, somehow, I am just unable to find time when the supposedly good stuff is on. Besides, the commercials that I usually have to encounter while viewing a late night movie or show are downright annoying. This is based on my opinion solely, but I hate the alcohol advertisements folks here in Lithuania have managed to put together. Fact is, there is a whole bunch of them and either they were created by agencies with no talent, or I possess no sense of humor. Finally, TV most commonly features none of the shows or movies that I wish to see, so I simply choose some other form of media.

think we’re done with TV. Let’s move on, then.

Next on the list is cinema. Being the original medium, it is still the most popular way to introduce new movies to the public. (Not that it says anything about it’s comparative quality, just a point worth mentioning.) It differs from the other types as it is the only ‘public event’ of sorts. Cinema offers a way to spend time away and this, combined with superior video and audio quality is an advantage. Of course it can be a downside too - it requires the viewers to part with the comforts of home and, once again, adjust to schedules. Another point to consider is the price - in many cases it is too expensive if your only goal is to simply watch the movie. Then again, that’s in no way universal - for some people it might not be worth the price, while others may happily pay more for the exclusive bonuses.

For me, going to the cinema is a great way to spend time. Watching a premiere might not be a correct choice if your objective is lots of personal space, yet the excited chatter of fans is certainly enjoyable. While going to the cinema does require some planning and has additional expenses, neither TV nor PC can offer the same atmosphere the cinema has. Sure, staying at home and being able to press pause when you need to is convenient, but the theaters have a whole set of smartly-placed equipment that enables you to experience both visual and sound effects to their maximum capacity. Possibly, the most troubling aspect of going to the cinema is the crowd. As long as I manage to successfully avoid the Spoilers, the Brats and the Folks-that-can’t-turn-of-their-damn-cellphones, I leave satisfied. Thankfully, the best key to picking the right crowd is usually picking the right movie, so it’s a win-win, so to speak.

On the personal level, I rarely go to the cinema. I certainly don’t dislike it*, it just doesn’t seem an optimal choice - the supposed advantages don’t fully appeal to me: I can live without the big screen, the countless speakers and the comfy chairs** and the social element applies only when there are friends or people I know around (in all fairness, not a statistically significant figure). Oh, and the extra efforts. Because of all this, my visits to the cinema can be counted yearly and still stay well inside the single digit space.

(off-discussion?)

* we don’t need no double negatives, we don’t want our thoughts confused…

** I usually don’t survive the soft cushions anyway.

So then the perfect solution for you would be a home theater, perhaps? Since it not only has the same features as, say, a PC, but can also offer the aforementioned big screen and other cinema-related equipment, all of your own choice. As for me, I still find going to the cinema entertaining. Sure, were I to possess a home theater, my currently frequent number of trips would definitely decline, yet would not disappear altogether. Watching a movie in the theaters is a somewhat of an event. It is certainly more satisfying than watching television and since new movies appear in the cinema the earliest, I do not really mind leaving my everyday surroundings for a couple of hours.

Might be so. Many properties of home theater indeed look attractive - audio-visual quality second only to cinema (in most cases, that is), watching movies when you want, general effortlessness of usage, etc. The major drawback here is the price, which limits it’s market to the most avid movie watchers. A cheaper approach - a DVD player with a regular TV - is naturally less attractive as the quality advantage is lost, but, in my opinion, it’s sufficient in many cases. As for me, a home theater, while a nice thing to have, would be somewhat of an overkill and as such isn’t a wish of primary importance.

Well, we have finally approached our conclusion then, haven’t we? Or rather, discovered our own preferences, to be a little more exact. As it goes, I would place cinema and the PC at the top of my list, the cinema winning a solid first place, with the PC following closely behind, of course. Someday, a home theater might certainly prove to be a dream-come-true for me, however at the moment I choose to favor the cinema. Also, both VHS and DVD players might be a smart choice (even if they do not really offer what I seek), seeing as how watching TV nowadays brings hardly any satisfaction at all.

In my case, it’s PC taking the gold, followed by the home theatre/DVD player/VHS trinity (in that order), and TV in the last position, suitable for a situation in the likes of an apocalypse (subtlety in its finest, you see). For listing purposes, cinema gets a parallel category of its own, since it’s difficult for me to compare cinema against the other media: depending on outside variables, it might as easily be a waste of time or the only sensible choice. That’s pretty much the only thing we disagree about - I just can’t see cinema as the universally acceptable way to watch movies.

Comments and afterthoughts: Does the fable about the tortoise and the hare work as well when the tortoise decides to go on a hibernation too?