Cinemas Will Survive, BUT

There are large drawbacks to on-line, first-run films and to virtual reality content; however, movie exhibitors need to protect the cinema experience they have in place and improve upon it.

High frame rates, and screen brightness levels are critical, and sound improvements are necessary at all cinemas.  Even the smallest local movie theaters need to provide the absolute best possible experience - and they are not there yet!

Cinemas need to protect what they have and better it. Digital projection was a great leap forward in movie presentation and as far as value- based entertainment a trip to the cinema is worth the cost - there is no alternative to a superior cinema presentation, now or in the future.

Movies need to be brighter.  Too many cinemas under-lamp there presentations, when the reverse should be the norm.  All cinemas should be projecting with the highest wattage, brightest lamps and replace them at (or before) warranty limits.  The old, and now defunct 35mm LucasFilm THX cinema calibration and alignment program has been replaced by the use of a reliable and competent cinema dealer/tech company - which are getting harder and harder to find given the complexities of the digital projection and sound systems.

Piracy is another issue that continues to impact the whole cinema industry in a very negative way. A lot of movie content is pirated almost immediately upon release.  File sharing is file stealing and nothing more.  Pirates are making millions of dollars from people going to torrent sites and down-loading movie files. The notion of, "I'll just wait and stream it and I don't have to pay for it" really hurts both movie distributors, but particularly the independent exhibitor.

It is also true that many of these same, let's call them mini-pirates, don't understand or refuse to that watching a movie on a small platform isn't watching the movie as it doesn't have the intended visual or audio experience.

Cinemas, will survive, but both the studios and exhibitors need to understand that the old ways will not be tolerated by consumers, who demand an experience that exceeds what they can watch (in many cases for free) on a smaller (be it inferior) platforms.