What do you think about the Screening Room?

zeeshan2 · Mar 18, 2016

Made by Napster co-creator, Sean Parker

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/screening-room/39353/screening-room-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-cinema

You may have already noticed that the common story in two of this year’s biggest films is of heroes who become sworn enemies. In one corner we have Batman V Superman, with the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel locked in a furious battle seemingly orchestrated by Lex Luthor. In the other there’s Captain America: Civil War, which sees the Avengers split into two opposing factions - one supporting a government register for those with super powers, the other against it.

A similar rift appears to be opening up in the film industry - this time over a new streaming service called Screening Room. Proposed by Napster co-creator Sean Parker, Screening Room will, if it goes ahead, allow its subscribers to watch brand new films in their living rooms on the same day they come out in cinemas. Already, the idea has received both strong backing and vehement rejection from some of Hollywood’s biggest names. So how does Screening Room work, how much does it cost, and could it be the future of cinema, at least for some of us?

First, using Screening Room won’t be as simple as downloading an app. Prospective customers will first have to purchase a set-top box - a piece of hardware designed to prevent films being pirated as well as stream the movies to televisions - at a cost of around $150, or £103 in old money.

That box will then provide access to day-and-date access to new movies, with the 48-hour rental of each movie costing $50 each, or a little over £35. Of course, £35 sounds quite steep when you could simply head to the cinema and watch a movie for the fraction of the cost, yet there are always other costs to factor in when heading to the cinema - especially if you have kids. By the time you’ve accounted for petrol, snacks, a babysitter (or your kids’ tickets if you’ve dragged them along too), then maybe £35 won’t sound like such a bad deal.

Sean Parker, who’s hatched Screening room with music industry exec Prem Akkaraju, has said himself that Screening Room is aimed at those who don’t go to the cinema rather than avid movie-goers. At the same time, the service will attempt to offer an olive branch to cinema chains, first by cutting them in on a percentage of the profits from each Screening Room transaction - which could amount to as much as $20 for every $50 users spend. Screening Room customers will also get two free cinema tickets - presumably to coax them into experiencing their favourite films again on a larger screen.
Click to expand...

Those in support:
JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, etc.

Those against:
James Cameron, Jon Landau, Christopher Nolan, Cinemark and Regal Entertainment, etc.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">10 Hollywood Heavyweights for and Against Sean Parker's Screening Room Proposal <a href="https://t.co/tW4Ral5A1E">https://t.co/tW4Ral5A1E</a> <a href="https://t.co/9nPYnbsuOg">pic.twitter.com/9nPYnbsuOg</a></p>— TheWrap (@TheWrap) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWrap/status/710304113565769728">March 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Haymitch · Mar 18, 2016

$50???

I suppose I would use it, but very rarely.

LonghornFan · Mar 18, 2016

No thanks. I'll wait two weeks and then download it for free, but thanks!

cwebbster · Mar 18, 2016

This is awesome and I hope it goes through

FishBulb913 · Mar 18, 2016

If I had a bunch of annoying kids that I didn't like to take in public I would be all over this.

sealclubber1016 · Mar 18, 2016

I'll just pony up the 5 dollars and go to Tinseltown.

J Sizzle · Mar 18, 2016

Don't think it's a bad idea, but I think movies are better when viewed on the big screen. Unless you have a home theater, you're getting a lesser experience at a greater cost.

Rocket River · Mar 18, 2016

LonghornFan said: ↑

No thanks. I'll wait two weeks and then download it for free, but thanks!
Click to expand...

Two Weeks?
The Second someone can watch it . . . 30 minutes later it will probably be uploaded.

Rocket River

LonghornFan · Mar 18, 2016

Yeah, but I need the HD and no subtitles.

Duncan McDonuts · Mar 18, 2016

1. Host viewing party
2. Charge $5 entry
3. BYOB/snacks
4. Video record with camera
5. Profit

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