Is streaming killing the art of cinema?

DivX movies don't destroy cinema as an art form, though whether they ruin the atmosphere or the
overall experience of watching a movie is probably up for debate.

1. I suppose watching DivX (Xvid) movies on a computer is a bit like listening to
Mozart operas through a cell phone.😱
2. The technical quality of DivX varies wildly—from heavily compressed files with terrible
visuals (stuttering, artifacts)👎 and weak audio, to those with decent picture
quality nearing DVD standards and full DD 5.1 sound.🙏

I have a home theater setup with a DivX player hooked up to it. When the movie Ray
came out, I grabbed it on DivX before it even hit theaters.
It was actually well "made," and I really enjoyed 👋 watching it,
especially listening to the soundtrack in full-range DD 5.1.

A few months later, once the film was released on DVD, I
borrowed a copy from a friend and invited him over to test my system.
I played the DivX version for him and started some talk about quality.
My friend thought he was watching a DVD and just remarked:
DVD is king.😁

Nicholas Sullivan49 said:Look, this has turned into a total insult fest!! I’ve got a full home theater setup at my place—we're talking surround sound, receiver, DVD player, the whole nine yards—so why would I even bother? Like, should I trek down to Blockbuster or grab a disc, or go down to some shady corner of a flea market just to spend $3.25 on some bootleg trash? Or maybe just download stuff and watch it on a crappy laptop where the audio and video both suck... why would I waste my time hunting for subtitles or upgrading gear just to watch some low-quality file that ruins the actual art of cinema? If you don't get where I'm coming from, honestly, who cares...👋

Nah, it's not an insult—it's just that based on everything you've said, it's pretty obvious you don't have a clue what we're talking about, and that last post of yours basically confirmed I was right all along.

I don't care what you think; write whatever you want, watch whatever you want... we all just fight for the sake of fighting. Honestly, I have no idea how you claim to judge someone's expertise based on a few sentences, but fine. I have no intention of arguing back since I'm certainly no expert in this field, but saying I know nothing is quite an insult...
It is simply further proof that we are primitive, pathetic creatures who constantly crave pointless conflict and mindless bickering...

If I’m reading you correctly: you have your opinion, you couldn't care less what anyone else thinks, and if someone disagrees, they’re simply an idiot who doesn't know a thing. That pretty much disqualifies you from having a real conversation, so I have to wonder why you even started this thread in the first place? In my view, since this discussion isn't going to be productive on any level, it’ll be enough if you just realize how narrow-minded, exclusionary, and biased you're being. 🙂

Jeremy Flores4 said:Does piracy ruin literature? I don't think so.
The same goes for digital downloads.

The question is just framed wrong: obviously, downloading movies doesn't destroy cinema. Whether you watch Citizen Kane in a theater, on an original Blu-ray, or via a digital rip, it remains a masterpiece...

Our discussion actually shifted toward the issue of video quality—essentially, whether people are watching low-quality rips or choosing to bypass legal copies entirely. It turns out most people here are basically backing organized crime. Well, damn...

Everything is fine, no offense taken 👋

I just wish they’d actually take the time to read my entire previous post. I felt like I laid out a pretty solid defense for the accused there 😬

Douglas Phillips4 said:If I’m reading you right: you have your opinion, you don't give a damn what anyone else thinks, and if someone disagrees, they're just an idiot who knows nothing. That completely disqualifies you from having a discussion, so why even start this thread? In my view, since this topic isn't going to be productive anyway, it'll be enough if you just realize how stubborn, exclusionary, and biased you are. 🙂

Look, I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't told ANYONE, and I mean NOBODY, that they are stupid or clueless. Honestly, there are plenty of brilliant people here, so maybe try paying closer attention to what I actually write. I pointed out FIVE TIMES that we are all just fighting for no reason, yet the very next post is everyone insulting each other again. I started this thread simply to see what people thought about dividends, and I don't see the issue—I have my opinion and you have yours, just like everyone else! BUT NO, you just had to include that last sentence calling me stubborn, exclusionary, and biased. Fine, I have nothing left to say to you!!!! Look, I don't want to fight with anyone because this forum isn't the place for it. I don't see any reason for you to insult me, but I know I won't be doing the same to you...

Piracy isn't what's killing cinema.
What’s actually murdering movie art is directors who care way more about their bottom line than a solid script. Most of the stuff hitting theaters lately isn't even worth the bandwidth to stream.

The internet basically gives us a free trial, whether it's movies or music, so we can see if something is actually good before dropping a ton of cash on it. It lets us figure out if we're paying big bucks for actual quality or just total garbage. And honestly, if you know it's trash, why would you waste your money?

And all this talk about downloading being the reason the film industry is collapsing, or how greedy execs are ruining everything... man, some people are just collectors of random junk.

Take me, for example. I've got unlimited high-speed internet. Everything I've ever downloaded is just a few niche anime series that are impossible to find here in the States. I still hit up the theater, I buy DVDs of the stuff I actually love, and piracy is just my go-to for things I literally can't get any other way besides downloading them.

Then there's this buddy of mine with unlimited cable. He's got an adult collection at home so massive you'd need two lifetimes just to get through it. And don't even get me started on his movies and TV shows. You name it, he's got it.
Does he actually *need* it? Nah. He just likes having it, even if he never watches it. If you took away his ability to download, he'd just find some other hobby. His downloading habit isn't hurting anyone's wallet or creativity, because if he couldn't download it, he wouldn't bother buying it anyway.
And you know what? He's still going to the movies! Because no matter how good a pirated copy might be, nothing beats the big screen experience.

Cinema isn't being killed by anything except its own lack of imagination.

Jose Miller17 said:Look, redowl90, this is your final warning... send Douglas Phillips4 a private message to apologize...

Are we really at the point where we have to apologize to people backing organized crime? Give me a break...

For the record, I mentioned earlier this morning that I don't have an issue with him, but it looks like some users were deleted—likely him along with them...
Besides, he didn't even act offended, despite what's being said...

So, I figure everything's fine! 😉

Twice 👍 👍 for organized crime!

The question itself is just framed wrong. Of course low-res rips aren't "destroying" cinema. I mean, take a masterpiece like Citizen Kane—whether you see it in a theater, on a high-end Blu-ray, or some grainy compressed file, the art itself stays a damn masterpiece...

Right, because apparently digital files aren't just limited to superhero sequels and pirates sailing the Caribbean.

Our little debate basically boiled down to the actual quality of these rips—essentially asking if people actually enjoy watching illegal crap... And turns out, most folks in this thread are basically cheering on organized crime. Unbelievable...

It’s hard to draw a line when you download something like Kagemusha from a torrent site. Yeah, technically it's criminal, but sometimes it's literally the only way to get it. Even buying a Region 1 DVD feels shady if you own a region-free player, since the whole system isn't designed for me to watch those discs here in the US.

Look, I'm all for digitizing the classics and the stuff that's impossible to find in America, and honestly, I don't lose any sleep over the morality of it.

Jeremy Flores4 said:It’s hard to say if it’s actually criminal when I download something like Kagemusha from the web. I know it technically is, but there’s just no other way to get it.

The movie Kagemusha is set to be released in the US this October or November as a nice double-disc DVD set.
But you aren't going to buy it—and honestly, you wouldn't even if you could—simply because you've already found it online for basically nothing. Why pay full price at a place like $40 when you can grab it digitally for free?

I’m not trying to lecture anyone here; I actually get where you're coming from. I certainly can't afford to own every single original film I want... partly because availability in the States can be hit or miss (though things should improve significantly over the next year), but mostly because the prices are just ridiculous. In my opinion, distributors make a huge mistake by hiking up these costs. Especially for movies like Constantine or Batman Returns, which are solid films, but when they release special editions priced at $57, nobody is buying them. People simply can't justify the expense.

That said, if we’re debating whether to catch new releases in a theater or stay home in a comfy chair with a beer in hand—I'm definitely team cinema.

Look, I’m gonna pull the trigger on this one. 300% guarantee, just watch me.

Just tell me who's actually going to kick him out

It looks like redowl90 has his fingers in the pie when it comes to DVD releases (he's surprisingly well-informed, I guess), so he’s kind of salty that everyone isn't dropping enough cash on physical media. You're barking up the wrong tree if you're looking for sympathy there. :-)

clone said:It seems like redowl90 has his hands in the DVD release business given how well-informed he is, so he's probably annoyed that everyone isn't spending enough money on physical media. You're barking up the wrong tree there. :-)

Being well-informed isn't an issue; you just have to put in the work. Most people just don't feel like doing that...