Watching this year's Academy Awards inspired me. Yes, they inspired me to write a full blown rant thanks to their propaganda. Every half hour or so, someone would make a presentation, whether it was the Academy president or actor Jake Gylenhaal (nothing personal, he's a great actor who was just reading the script) they would talk about how movies are only great in the theatre on the big screen, and they essentially suck on DVD at home. Interesting point. They're wrong.

Now, I realize everyone may not agree, everyone may not be into movies as much as I am, or might not have a home theatre like I do, or they want one but can't afford it. But from my perspective as a home theatre owner/enthusiast, DVD is simply a better format.

I'm not advocating giving up theatre going. I collect ticket stubs, and I can say I went to quite a few movies last year. Even in the Jan-Feb season when there aren't many good films coming out, I've seen two films in the theatre thus far. But my point is DVD is better. Why?

At the theatre:

People talk. Loudly.

Children talk. Louder.

Cell phones go off.

Incompetent projectionists screw up the print.

Incompetent theatres don't fully turn on the surround sound until 10 minutes into the film.

Chairs hurt my arse.

EXAMPLE:

When I went to see Underworld Evolution, the print was screwed up, and they had to fix it up, which took 20 minutes, during which the in-movie radio station came on playing Captain & Tennille. I paid 9 bucks to listen to Captain & Tennille? After they finally fixed it, by the time they got it into focus I missed the opening crawl and had no context for the opening flashback scene. But, even better, the film was compressed and distorted for the first ten minutes because (gasp!) the curtains were partially closed obscuring the edges of the screen, so you had 100 percent of the film compressed in 75 percent of the screen, which meant everything was stretched until they figured it out.

What a great experience! I paid 9 bucks to miss the very beginning, and then have the next few minutes screwed up!

At home on DVD:

Surround sound turned up to level I choose.

Home theatre optimized for sound & picture performance.

Comfortable chairs.

Film starts when I choose, and I see all of it.

No talking, no cell phones, no interruptions.

EXAMPLE: I watch the original Underworld on DVD.

I put it in, and I watch it with no interruptions, nothing screwed up about the print, no surround sound issues. No cell phones, no children, no talking.

Now, you might say "oh but the big screen is better!". That might be true, but think about the proportional math of it.

At home, I'm five feet away from a fifty-inch screen. At the theatre, I'm fifty feet from a fifty foot screen. The dimensions are similar and quite proportional. Being close up to a fifty-inch screen is big enough for me. I'm more of a sound junkie anyway, so better sounding films is more important than the size of the big screen. At home, I get a guarantee of quality sound at a level I choose, running for the entire film.

The theatre is great.....but DVD is the definitive viewing format.

Tell me where I'm wrong.