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Comment by jchampem | Hacker News Reader

As a Frenchman, it makes sense to me.

Imho, watching a movie at home or in a theater are totally different experiences.

At home you can get interrupted by anything (phone call, email, notification), whereas in a theater the risk of getting interrupted by something external are lower. (I agree though, that I could airplane-mode my devices at home.)

Also, the ambience in a theater is much more different than at home, especially for comedy and horror genre.

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Complete opposite for me. Theaters are full of people who react audibly at the wrong things, chatter, phones... I loathe all that and won't see movies on theaters on that principle.

I don't have any urges to check phone, imdb or anything like that during a movie. I usually have a break in the middle of a movie for more tea or bathroom.

Besides that, a mere $1500 audio setup is enough to beat theater in terms of sound. Screen is the only thing that the theaters have going on, but I've been satisfied with my 42".

I am not defending the position that banning netflix from Canne is right, because they have several high quality shows, so it's a pity, but note that in France the movie theaters audience is very respectful of the experience, and there is barely any inconvenience for the viewers (no chatters, no phones, no buzzing, it's pretty strict -- except in movies targeting children, because well, children are children and it's hard for them not to talk sometimes)

You are right. The culture matters a lot. Maybe I'd tolerate French theaters better than I tolerate American or Finnish theaters.

> . Screen is the only thing that the theaters have going on, but I've been satisfied with my 42"

I recently upgraded to a 65" 4k OLED and that looks a lot better than the theater. Especially with HDR content.

> Theaters are full of people who react audibly at the wrong things

How could a reaction be wrong?

For example, last time I was in the movies, it was a dark picture about incest. During the very scene that a daughter was revealed her father has been raping her, some girl in the audience bursted into muted laughter. Later I read from a paper or something that laughter might be a tool for some to cope with the grave feelings like that. But anyway, it ruined the experience for me, I didn't know if her laughter was a commentary at the movie's quality or what.

In general, I don't want to be told what to feel, when to laugh, when to aww. Hearing those audible reactions from fellow audience members kind of conveys the ques to do so to me anyway.

Even with Airplane mode (or aeroplane mode as I like to call it) you can't stop my cat wanting to be let out/let in/ out/in/fed/out/in. A cinema is like an oasis of calm.

> At home you can get interrupted by anything (phone call, email, notification)

well, in theater you are usually interrupted by _someone else’s_ phone call, email, notification

[edit] I still prefer going to theaters, but choose unpopular time, when it is nearly empty.

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