Many years ago, when cinema was first invented, it was the only way for many people to see films, as most people didn't have TVs in their own homes. The thing is though, cinema has always had a much better quality viewing experience than home televisions, so it has remained the ultimate way to experience a movie.

The Invention of Video Tapes

For both TV and cinema, the problem for a long time was that you needed to watch a film at a certain time. With the invention of home video systems such as VHS and Betamax, movie fans were able to either record films from the TV or rent films from a video library. The only problem was, the video quality of these cassettes was still far inferior to that offered by the cinema screen.

The Emergence of DVDs

Once the DVD was invented, home video quality took a giant leap forward. DVD meant that anyone could watch very high quality digital video at home. As long as you didn't scratch the discs, DVDs remained at the same quality, as opposed to gradually wearing out like VHS cassettes would. From the 1990's onwards, DVDs became extremely popular amongst movie fans. The only problem was, unless you had an extremely large TV screen and a very expensive sound system, you still wouldn't get the same experience as the cinema.

The Joy of Home Cinema

Nowadays, the true home cinema experience is becoming much more of a reality for many people, as they buy large widescreen TVs and high quality speakers. For instance, if you're sat watching a plasma screen that's 50 inches or bigger, you're probably sat a lot closer than you would be in the cinema, so it really will look big in front of your eyes. And you'll be glad not to have other people around you making noises and distracting you from enjoying the movie.

Reasons to Visit the Cinema

However, even with home cinema quality jumping forwards in leaps and bounds, don't you think there's still something missing? Going out of the cinema is just something special. It's an excuse to go out and meet your friends, rather than staying in by yourself. And let's face it: in all honesty, the experience at home really isn't quite as good as the full blown cinema experience, is it?

Reasons to Stay Home Instead

The problem with going out to the cinema is that it does cost more each time than just renting a DVD or watching a film on a TV channel. Also, at home, you can watch movies whenever you feel like it; you don't have to stick to strict times. You can also eat and drink whatever you want. Just relax and watch your favourite movie while eating your dinner.