Why go out???


Just returned from watching Knives Out at one of these supposedly premium theaters. Well the seats at least are premium. Big, reclining, and comfortable enough. None of the usual crammed in like cattle feel. That's it for the good news. For some unfathomable reason the theaters are numbered but without movie names. We walk down the hall, not one name or even a poster. We weren't the only ones, another couple was roaming around wondering where to go. 

The screen was (Guessing) not even 16:9 and with awful grainy coarse quality which you think well it'll be better for the feature but no, its not! Who in this millennium shows movies in pan and scan? Woodinville! Hard to believe this is the only one- let me know! 

In case you're wondering no, this isn't me being audio/videophile finicky, my wife was complaining all the way home! My projector is Sony, not even the latest, not even 4K, and no Blu-Ray I'm a Pirate Bay/RARBG scofflaw kinda guy, all movies watched off the MacBook Pro (with ECT, and the system is to die for but still....) MY WIFE was complaining! She actually thought it was worse than me! (Well I make allowances, but still...)

What gets me is, I've seen and know how good movies can be. Seen Lawrence, Hamlet, My Fair Lady etc in 70mm. Hateful Eight in 70mm too but that one the projectionist clearly didn't know what he was doing. Beside the point. Cinema should be an experience. A memorable experience. Hamlet was. My Fair Lady was. This one was memorable only in the sense that we will remember not to come back.

Time was not all that long ago no amount of money would get you to cinema quality. But now? Cinema has descended, home theater (IF you do it right!) is actually better. Not a little either. WAY better!

Is it me?Or are they killing the motion picture industry?

Why go out? 
128x128millercarbon
Home theater!
2-channel!
SubS PLURAL!!

Sorry. You got too many things right. Rendered speechless.

Yeah, I was really on a roll there, wasn't I? ... Have always found a capable 2-channel set-up, one we'd normally regard a music-only ditto, to be quite excellent for Home Theater duties. That is, fortunately a "capable" system in my view is one that has the qualities mentioned in my earlier post, because the rationale has always been to counter a potential investment in surround channels - with all that entails in regards to processor and extra amps and speakers - against the scenario of upgrading the existing basic 2-channel gear towards the unified quality of "grunt and refinement." There's usually a lot of effort made in "audiophilia" into achieving refinement, but for the most part it equates into fuzzing over minute details of that lower left corner on the canvas instead of pulling back and seeing it in its entirety. That entirety is including aspects that falls under the category of "grunt" - such as approaching sufficient headroom, dynamic capabilities, sheer radiation area, etc. - and yet it links intrinsically to refinement as well.  

Contrary to how some may view this, that a music and a Home Theater set-up are two separat entities perhaps with different goals, I feel that when meeting or approaching the needs of physics in sound reproduction, and this applies especially to speakers/subs/acoustics, it's really not about one or the other here, but rather what serves both of these "realms." Getting the meat and potatoes right, my dear Miller lad - that's what it boils down to. Plural subs and all, and those missing surround and center channels be damned. 
Well said. Have you seen my Home Theater Done Right thread? You could just cut and paste your second paragraph above, it would be perfect.
Sorry for the late reply, @millercarbon. Actually I wasn't aware of that thread, but I went over it quickly and I'm impressed to see your findings. That's a great looking setup, and those main speakers I've never heard of/seen before. Well done! 
Thanks. The video is pretty good too. Similar to the audio, the video benefits from power and other tweaks that raise performance quite a bit from what you would expect from what is really just a 1080i projector. Really wanted to get a few pictures to post. But don't want to do a shot of just the picture, and can't figure out how to get the room in there without washing out the video. Its either video looks great but the room is black, or room is there but the video is all but gone. Arrgh!
Have you seen a picture at a Dolby theater?
Amazing experience!!
I’m very happy with the quality of movies at Loews movie theaters as well.