Will Cinema Always Survive Technological Change, or is the Latest Technology a bigger threat because it is at the Exhibition End of the Chain?

Although the latest technology has recently had a large impact on film revenue, especially cinema revenue, cinema continues to survive. The latest technology has targeted the exhibition end of the film chain by distributing large blockbuster films over the internet, allowing the audience to view films at their own leisure, with no cinema showing time restrictions, cinema distrations, advertising or lack of seating in the auditorium. For cinemas, as well as decreasing revenue from tickets, it has also decreased revenue from complimentary products available at the cinema that generate revenue-like food and drinks, which are available from the fridge at home, at a cheaper price from the supermarket. Also, younger audiences, resticted from viewing films that they are eager to view due to age certificates and the law, or those that reside in countries where the film is not currently available often turn to illegal viewing of films over the internet, putting up with decreased quality simply to see films, decreasing revenue further for cinemas. Repeated viewings of film reels also decreases the quality of cinema viewing, which may discourage many people from seeing popular films at the cinema, who may rather wait to view it at home digitally, at a higher quality. The release of technologies such as blu-ray discs, HD televisions and instant viewing of high definition movies on xBox (with no waiting time for the download) have also allowed home viewing to be more entertaining, with much higher digital quality.

It is evident that film distribution over the internet has made film viewing very easy and cheaper for audiences at home, however many advantages remain in going to the cinema. Firstly, the excitement of having a 'night out' with friends is often regarded as more entertaining in going to the cinema than going to a friend's house. Also, the hardware technology at the cinema is far more advanced than at home, usually consisting of state of the art surround sound, as well as much larger screens and higher quality pictures, that are not available at home. Furthermore, the rights remain for cinemas to show films before they are released on DVD or blu-ray discs, so fans of films will always want to see it as soon as possible-enticing them to view it at a cinema.

The use of technology may also increase revenue at cinemas, as the adoption of digital screenings and films will increase film quality, and make films readily available world wide at the same time. Furthermore, technology has also assisted in the restriction of illegal distribution over the internet, allowing authorities to stop and sentence those infringing copyright laws. In addition, the use of advertising through new technology has allowed illegal film distribution to be marked as morally wrong, influencing most audiences to be against it, supporting cinemas against new technology.

Although modern technology may appear to have decreased cinema revenues, technology has also supported cinemas. The use of laws has also supported cinemas, restricting people from distributing films illegally. As well as technology, many other elements also remain that make cinema viewings a more enjoyable experience, and therefore, I believe that cinema will survive the increase in technological discoveries, and audiences will continue to see films at the cinema, generating revenue for the industry and allowing it to use technology to its advantage in future, developing to suit its audience.

It is evident that cinema earnings in the US continue to increase, despite the introduction of new technology that works against cinemas.