Young and old, moms and dads, we all love movies. So when you want to spend some quality family time together, which is the best option, the local cinema or the family home theater?
First, let’s analyze the advantages of local cinema. Unless you have a really big house, the theater will have a bigger screen. Ok, that does it for the perks of the local theater. Now for the 8 reasons home theater is better.
Ticket cost – Let’s start from the moment you walk in the door and take out your wallet. A family of five will have to shell out at least $ 40 in most cases just for tickets. For that money, you could have nearly three months of unlimited movie rental with NetFlix or buy multiple new movies at your local Wal-mart that could be watched over and over again.
Food cost – The cost of the ticket is just the beginning. What about the cost of the food? What’s a movie without a bucket of popcorn, candy, and a large soda for each family member? Add at least another $ 20 or so to cost (not to mention several pounds to waste). In your home theater system, you can pop your own popcorn, grab the snacks and beverages of your choice without the surcharges for inflated food and beverages.
Cleaning – The movie theater floor is often littered with popcorn kernels and sticky soda residue, while the chairs are covered in a plethora of chewed gum flavors. On the other hand, your home theater system can be as clean and well cared for as you like. (Of course, in my house I must admit that there are times when we rival the level of cleanliness of local cinemas.)
Comfortable seats – Local cinema seats are moderately comfortable at best. Seats are spaced for attendance, not comfort. For the typical family home theater, comfort is key with the overstuffed leather recliners, spaced apart to give you plenty of room to kick back and relax.
No cellphones allowed – What movie experience would be complete without the group of loud and obnoxious teenagers most determined to chat on the phone with their friends who couldn’t make it instead of quietly enjoying the movie with their friends who did? Don’t get me wrong, a family home theater shouldn’t be a quiet, stuffy place where you can’t laugh with your friends; however, a little respect for those around you can be a great way to enjoy a movie.
Bathroom breaks – Remember when we talked about big sodas for everyone? Well, that soda eventually has to come out. Believe me, I’ve missed too many exciting scenes in the movies due to the screams of “Dad, I really, really can’t wait any longer.” In the home theater, you can pause the movie so that you and your guests can take a break without having to strain to watch the movie in discomfort.
Visual quality – – It is difficult to compete with the screen size in local cinema, although the visual quality of many cinema screens may be lacking, especially when the image of the film begins to degrade after being shown for many weeks. With the advent of high definition televisions and projectors along with HD-DVD and Blu-ray players, you can enjoy crystal clear movie images in your home.
Sound quality – The local cinema is no longer the only one with surround sound. A moderately priced home theater surround sound system with a subwoofer can outperform many theater sound systems. Your family’s home theater system can mesmerize family and guests with crystal clear voices, immersive surround effects, and powerful, chilling explosions.
It’s no wonder that the popularity of family home theater systems has exploded over the last decade. If you don’t have a room dedicated to home theater enjoyment, what are you waiting for? A family home theater can be achieved in rooms of all sizes, with budgets large and small, so learn more about how you can achieve movie magic in the comfort of your own home.