Look anywhere online, and you’ll see discussions about how streaming services are ruining the cinema experience and negatively impacting movie theaters. And while I agree with many of those points, there’s more to it than that. This new generation of endless content available to stream at a moment’s notice ruined movies and TV in more ways than you realize.
Going to the cinema used to feel like a special occasion. There was something unique about standing in line to see The Matrix, Interstellar, or a show on IMAX—overpriced popcorn and $7.50 sodas in hand—excited about what you were about to witness on the big screen. Sure, COVID and other factors are to blame, but I’m also referring to compression and video quality, creative output, and the overall effort (or lack thereof) from film studios.
Streaming quality, compression, and buffering
It’s no secret that people everywhere prefer to watch content at home, where dozens of streaming services can deliver an endless array of content. However, one of its biggest flaws is still the image quality. Fast scenes are blurry, dark scenes are pixelated or so dark that you can barely see anything, the audio quality is subpar, and we can’t forget the dreadful buffering icon.
Let me know if this sounds familiar. You absolutely loved a movie you saw in theaters countless years ago and want to rewatch it. So, you fire up the TV, wander through multiple apps and streaming services until you find it, then hit play. Unfortunately, something feels off. The scenes aren’t the same, the audio sounds flat, and any dynamic range is completely lost. Even worse, if you don’t pay enough each month, you’ll be subjected to commercials, and those are plenty bright and loud. Ew!
Streaming compresses everything, from image and video quality to sound, and sometimes more. Low bitrates hurt quality, too. And, sure, most services use the H.264 codec or similar to improve quality while compressing it enough to be delivered over the internet, but it’s just not the same.
Compression enables faster streaming that’s smooth and buffer-free, offering a vast library of content, and requires less bandwidth. All that compression makes these services usable with various devices regardless of internet speed.
It’s a tradeoff, that’s for sure. Even 4K streaming has its limits, which is why I’d rather watch a Blu-ray. And don’t get me started on incorrect subtitles, poor upscaling, or quality fluctuations during a film.
It’s all about quantity over quality
While I’m not a fan of the image and audio compression used by services like Netflix, YouTube TV, Disney+, Prime Video, and others, most older content remains highly enjoyable. However, the same can’t be said for modern content. These days, it’s all about quantity over quality. Studios of all sizes pump out content as fast as humanly possible, and most streaming services offer “original programming” of their own. Sure, there are some truly excellent TV series, but movies, not so much.
In an effort to meet the demand of binge-watching, keeping customers scrolling and engaged, or more importantly, subscribed, means we’re fed new movies by the week. All streamers are guilty. Netflix, for example, has a seemingly never-ending supply of subpar films I’d give a solid C or C- rating. These mid-budget originals hit all the right notes, checking all the boxes with romance, action, adventure, and perhaps a touch of heartbreak. However, I don’t remember the last original movie from a streaming service that I truly loved.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve received some pretty great original content movies from Hulu and Netflix, like Prey or The Irishman, but they’re the exception, not the norm. You can’t tell me 6 Underground, The Electric State, or any of those Rebel Moon films are actually good. Entertaining, sure, I guess.
Creative output or taking risks
Do you ever feel like new movie releases are either a super-safe, huge blockbuster, like all the endless Marvel or Transformers films, with the same concept and nothing new and unique, or just another subpar film? If so, you’re not alone. They’re unoriginal and uninspiring. Film studios no longer take risks for several reasons. A significant part of that is streaming, especially same-day streaming releases, which severely cut into revenue. However, no one buys DVDs anymore either, which was another revenue source that contributed to a film’s success, at least monetarily.
When a studio can’t bank on (or at least plan for) revenue from theatrical releases, rentals, and eventually DVD sales, it must be more selective about which movies get the green light for production. As a result, we have a slew of small-budget subpar films and blockbusters, with nothing in the middle.
A few years ago, I heard actor Matt Damon explain the situation in an episode of Hot Ones by First We Feast on YouTube. I’ve added it above for your viewing pleasure. The discussion on movies and budgets begins at the 14:04 mark. Here’s some of what he had to say:
“What happened was that the DVD was a huge part of our business and revenue stream, and technology has just made that obsolete. The movies that we used to make, you could afford not to make all your money when it played in the theater because you knew you had the DVD coming behind the release. Six months later, you’d get another chunk, almost like re-opening the movie. And when that went away—that changed the type of movies we could make.”
He goes on to explain that the gamble on whether a movie will be a financial success is significantly higher now than it was in the 1990s.
These days, movie studios rely on proven formulas, brand recognition, or even actor name recognition, which is why we now get a plethora of sequels, reboots, and other intellectual property films instead of original stories.
Again, I’m not saying there’s nothing good to watch on any of the various streaming platforms, as they’ve created all sorts of new content, new opportunities, and are starting to double down on original series to help earn your subscription. We still have plenty of great content to watch, especially big-budget TV series like Severance, Paradise, Peaky Blinders, and Pluribus, which looks promising.
However, the days of top-quality entertainment at the cinema or at home are fading away.
