Simultaneous Movie Format Releases?

(Linked Title, click to go to the original article)

Mark Cuban wants simultaneous movie format releases (i.e. releasing a movie on DVD and in theaters on the same day), as noted here on Wooba. Here's what I had to say (comment left on Wooba):

What a dumb move on Cuban’s part. He should stick to what he does best, owning basketball teams (actually, I’ve been impressed with the way he’s handled the Mavericks and his relative celebrity status – he seems like a good guy).

I’m sure there’s lots of people like you, Dan, who aren’t hopelessly addicted movie-goers. I guess to take the addiction metaphor to its full extent, Netflix would be like the marijuana of movies, whereas the theater is crack cocaine. You pay more because you need it. Sure, you may have a pot thing on the side – who doesn’t – but that’s not what really gets you up. So yeah, there’s probably lots of your garden variety movie marijuana types, satisfied to sit at home and watch from the comfort of your couch.

But then there are also a lot of people like me. We can’t wait for that movie to come out on DVD. That would be months! There’s a lot of days in a month! There’s a lot of hours in a day! Do the math!

I hate the fact that I paid $20 bucks to take a gal to see The Incredibles last weekend, but I needed to go. I needed my fix. I’ve actually seen a lot more movies in the theater this past year than ever before, not sure why.

But the point here is that if I could pay roughly $2 bucks to Netflix National Treasure today, well, you’re never gonna see me in a theater again, ever. That’s at least $8 bucks a movie I’m saving. $18 if I take the gal. Average it at $13 per movie, and my DVD collection is gonna grow sizeably in a hurry.

Yeah, they may see a slight jump in DVD sales/rentals, but the $13 bucks I’m saving is $13 bucks they’re losing. I win. If the whole industry were to go this way, movie theaters would be kaput. I pay to see the basketball game because its a real experience with real people. Comparing that to movies is apples and oranges. Or I guess you could say marijuana and coke (I goofed and said "pot" here on wooba), not to mix metaphors to much…

I guess its ironic that I can so easily compare movies to drug use, yet somehow I can’t sufficiently assuage the guilt that would come along with Bit Torrenting a few movies. Or maybe its just that I can’t afford a $10,000 settlement with the MPAA.