Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: 3D Football!

Chances are, many people not reading this blog live somewhat near a movie theater belonging to the Carmike Cinemas chain. They aren't as widespread as the AMC movie theaters, but still cover quite a bit of the country. If you do, and if you want a really big, widescreen 3D view of the BCS National Title Championship Game between Oklahoma and Florida on Thursday evening, you're in luck!

People who follow the NFL probably took notice last month when the NFL demonstrated its 3D streaming of a live game between the miserable Oakland Raiders and the struggling San Diego Chargers in early December. At the time, the NFL was showing its proof-of-concept to only three movie theaters around the country to a very select few NFL high-up muckety muck types. The three theaters were in LA, Boston and NYC, and the invites were pretty exclusive. I know I didn't get one.

I do find it interesting that the NFL's proof-of-concept was clearly a trial version of the technology, with the associated burps and glitches expected of such not-yet-beta technology. And yet, Carmike is pressing forward with its live 3D broadcast of the BCS Championship Game to regular folks on over 1,300 screens across the country. It will be interesting to see if they have any of the same technical glitches that plagued the NFL broadcast at first, and if that sours people on the viewing experience.

Even more interesting will be whether enough regular people will shell out the Andrew Jacksons required to get in the door to make the event profitable for Carmike Cinemas. That price ($20 per ticket) is too rich for my blood, especially when I get the game for free over-the-air to my HDTV. It could be that Carmike is willing to take a loss on this early proof-of-concept nationwide to stoke the demand that would later prove much more profitable in the long run. Being first to market on a nationwide scale is nothing to sneeze at. Apparently, the NBA is also experimenting with 3D live broadcasts to movie theaters as a way of expanding its diminishing fan base.

All of which goes back to how movie theater chains are trying to reinvent themselves and deliver the types of content that will draw people back into their seats. People undoubtedly have seen the ads for live streamed performances from the (NY) Met(ropolitan Opera), which have been shown in movie theaters for the past year or so. Again, I'm not much of a fan of opera, but I find it fascinating that both movie theater chains and the Met think they could draw in more fans through the use of live streaming of previously very exclusive performances.

The main problem for movie theaters across the country, of course, is the rise of home theater and high definition TV setups in people's homes. The move from analog to digital high definition TV, while good for the TV manufacturers, has coincided with steep drop-offs in movie theater ticket sales by volume; rising movie ticket prices continue to mask the decline in tickets sold per showing. Ah, but who wants to really put up with people talking, texting, or otherwise being rude in the movie theater, with overpriced popcorn and other snack foods, in order to watch the latest mass-market tripe from Hollywood? It's far better, and more enjoyable, to stay at home and watch a slightly older movie on DVD in high definition with my own popcorn.

To completely bastardize the quote from Bull Durham (1988), if I've got a quadrophonic Blaupunkt, I don't need a curveball!