I guess I'm with Bren on this one. And Bren, thank you sincerely for lending your technical expertise to those of us who are, um, not rocket scientists. I learn from you, and I appreciate that.
This news represents another event in the demise of traditional cinema, not only from a technical standpoint, but from a marketing one as well.
If I understand Bren (dubious, but plausible), the technology is not there yet and may be some distance off to allow theatres to display a high-fidelity image digitally given the size of the screen. At the same time, Home Theatre is maturing rapidly, with many people using projection systems that allow them to see HD images in sizes that (seriously) approach those of your local multiplex.
So, the incremental quality difference in going to the theatre is being reduced to the point where the only advantage is being able to view something "sooner"; I have long been unwilling to give up my couch, my beer, and my schedule to see movies in theatres (with a very few exceptions).
And if digital distribution is a reality, why would movie distributors NOT want to go directly to capable, ready consumers?
In short, I think pay-per-view killed the multiplex star. The movie house is dead.
