Stephanie Ramirez
Ms. Topich
UNIV 111
3 December 2014
From old-fashioned movie theaters to instant online streaming, movie watching in
the U.S. has evolved significantly over the past centaury. My reason for why movie
watching in America has evolved is because of consumer demands for a more
personalized experience, made possible with advancements in technology.
Some would say the first successful movie theater in the U.S. was a theater named
The Nickelodeon that first started out as a small indoor movie theater in Pittsburg
Pennsylvania in 1905. This was significant change from movies being shown at
storefronts. Movies back then were only a nickel and Odeon is the ancient Greek word
for roof over theater (Nickelodeon movie Theater). The movie theater provided a more
comfortable environment to sit down, relax, and enjoy movies. The sizes of the theaters
varied, some were built to hold less than 200 people. The upholstery and furnishing were
not always the best. Some resembled an assortment of wooden chairs in room with a
projector, but many still gladly attended screenings. The types of movies first shown
were similar to those shown at storefronts; short and primitive. Some could be described
as quickly moving images rather than story with an actual plot, or slapstick comedy.
These films only lasted about 10 minutes so films were played one after another, unlike
today where films shown at movie theaters are at least an hour long. Nevertheless
directors back than noticed that people enjoyed longer and fictional films and tailored
their films to the consumers’ taste for the common good.
Nickelodeons caught on quickly. From just 1907 to 1908 the number of
Nickelodeons in the U.S. jumped to 8,000 (Nickelodeon movie Theater). By 1910 an
estimated 26 million Americans visited Nickelodeons on a weekly basis (Nickelodeon
movie Theater). It was a great way to provide cheap entertainment to the masses.
Although it is important to note that Nickelodeons had a very specific audience following
1910. Nickelodeons were most popular among the working middle class. Author and film
enthusiast Lewis Jacobs wrote in his book The Rise of the American Film "Concentrated
largely in poorer shopping districts and slum neighborhoods, nickelodeons were
disdained by the well-to-do. But, the workmen and their families who patronized the
movies did not mind the crowded, unsanitary, and hazardous accommodations most of
the nickelodeons offered." Perhaps why the upper class disdained Nickelodeons was
because they desired a more personal or relatable experience.
Although Nickelodeons eventually disappeared when the number of moviegoers
outgrew the relatively small theaters, movie theaters today are visited by millions every
year. It is still very common to go out to watch a movie. However we are slowly shifting
away from this, since the invention of the home theater continues to improve and alter
consumer demands.
Consumers are constantly looking for a more personal movie experience and what
better way to get this than in the comfort of your own home. With the help of consumer
demands and improvements in technology, the invention of the VCR or Videocassette
Recorder revolutionized home theaters and the movie industry. People now had the
option to purchase or record the movie of their choice and watch it anytime they wanted.
Before VCRs there was projectors and older models similar to VCRs, but they
were not as common because they were big, bulky, expensive, and could not record for
long periods of time. The first VCR was available on the consumer market in 1972,
although they did not become popular until the late 70’s (Videocassette Recorder). The
VCR went on to become a staple of the 80’s and 90’s, dramatically altering Americans’
viewing habits.
A VCR is a cassette player that records analog audio and video from broadcast
television and plays it back (Videocassette Recorder). There were two competing
formats; Betamax by Sony and VHS by Matsushita. Consumers indicated that they
preferred VHS to Betamax, causing Betamax to go away since it “lacked several
desirable features, such as recording times that could accommodate movies and longer
programs on a single tape,” another example of consumer demands and technology
shaping movie watching habits, as well as a common good approach (Videocassette
Recorder). VCRs dramatically transformed viewing habits because it allowed people
record movies and television programs to watch later. It was the “first technology that
enabled consumers to personalize their viewing experience” (Videocassette Recorder).
The movie industry feared it would be the end of cinemas, but they actually provided a
significant portion of profit for Hollywood films (Videocassette Recorder). The invention
of the VCR also led to the invention of camcorders and home movies. Masses of people
purchased camcorders, which use videotape recording to record their families and their
lives to play and share with others on their TV.
However people lost interest in the VCR by the 2000’s with the invention of the,
much lighter, DVD. With the ability to share, take on the go, and record longer videos,
the DVD, or Digital Versatile Disc, quickly replaced the VCR. Advancements in
technology had once again created an even more personalized movie watching
experience.
Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic, first developed the DVD in Japan, in the
year 1995 (DVD). The DVD came to the U.S. in 1997, but did not become the most
common home theater system until about 2003 (DVD). It replaced the VCR because it
was cheap, light, easy to use, and provided better quality images. This also made it easier
for to people to share, since they were light enough to mail. Computers were then built
with DVD drives, replacing floppy discs and later became portable with the invention of
the laptop, meaning you could watch movies wherever you wanted. HD, or High
Definition, DVDs soon came out with even better quality images.
In 2008 production of DVDs stopped, because retailers pushed the sale of BluRay Discs, enough though consumers were slow to adapt, yet another example of change
for the common good of everyone. There is not a huge difference between Blu-Ray Discs
and DVD, they are similar in appearance, but the biggest difference is that Blu-Ray Discs
have a larger at 50GB compared to the DVD at 30GB (DVD). Some DVDs are sold in
combo packs with Blu-Ray Discs, but they too must compete with video on demand
services such as from online streamers such as Netflix. With the technology available
today we are shifting more towards video on demand services because people prefer a
more personalized experience.
The Company Netflix started out in 1997 in California with just 30 employees
and 925 movies and TV shows available for rental (Netflix). They began as a rental
service that mailed DVDs to your home and they were able to compete with other
retailers and movie rental services such as Blockbuster. Netflix grew and developed with
technology and consumer demands, which has made it a top competitor over the past
decade. VCRs made the home theater possible for the masses; Netflix has made a more
personal and portable than ever home theater possible for the masses. In February of
2007 Netflix introduced their video on demand service (Netflix). Now it is one of the
most popular websites. In 2009 they had over 100,000 titles and over 10 million
subscribers (Netflix). In 2014 they have over 50 million subscribers globally (Netflix).
One of the things consumers love about Netflix is that they can watch movies and
TV shows any time they want and anywhere they want. There are many different
platforms to watch such as iPhones, tablets, Laptops, TVs. Netflix also provides
suggestions of movies and programs based on what you have previously watched. You
can also create a profile that suggests movies specifically tailored to what you have
previously watched. This a great tool for families that can watch different programs at the
same time as long as they have different profiles. Their prices are competitive, starting at
just eight dollars a month you can watch as much as you want of what’s available on
demand. Netflix also has a collection of their own original movies and series, many of
which are critically acclaimed. It also makes marathon watching easy since they have
many different complete series that play one episode after another. Today Netflix
continues to expand, adding more titles, and attracting more people around the globe.
Some would argue that Netflix is the future of movie watching, making your experience
more personal than ever. They are changing consumer demands, allowing people to ask
for more and raising expectations.
Movie watching has evolved because of significant advances in technology that
meet and exceed consumer demands for a more personalized experience. It is clear that
Netflix is beloved by many, although it does have it’s limitations as a great majority of
new movies and TV shows can only be seen on cable television or in movie theaters. I
predict that home theater will continue to improve, whether it is Netflix or another
competitor, they will provide consumers with more of what they want, as it is for the
common good. This could mean more movies, series, and originals than ever airing
instantly online, whereas the future of personalized movie watching lies within the
Internet.
Works Cited
"DVD." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
"Netflix." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
"Nickelodeon (movie Theater)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2014. Web.
12 Nov. 2014.
"VHS." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 June 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
"Videocassette Recorder." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 15
Nov. 2014
"Videocassette Recorder." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Oct. 2014. Web. 12
Nov. 2014.