Studios Shrink Window Between Theater And Video Release

For those of you who, like me, are convinced that the future of the cinema is located at home, then you’ll be especially pleased by this bit of news.

Most of us probably remember the state of the cinema ten years ago, where buying a ticket for, say, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo on its last day meant you wouldn’t see it again until sometime in May, assuming you wanted to watch that warmed-over crap again.  But now, buying a ticket on the last day of a movie isn’t good bye for five months, it’s now so long for four, and in some cases, even three months.

The studios are shrinking the window between the theatrical release of a movie and its release to one of the many home video options–streaming, on-demand, cable, and of course, good old DVD.  Some movies, in fact, get simultaneous releases in the theater and at home.

Pretty soon, it may be possible to get, on-demand, the very newest releases at home instead of having to drive to the theater.  So stock up on popcorn, folks, because your home theater’s about to get a serious workout.