Comcast Mulls Streaming New Movies for $50

Had it with trekking to the movies for the latest Spider-Man flick, only to share your movie with obnoxious patrons, ringing cell phones and overpriced hot dogs? Cable provider Comcast is floating the idea of streaming new releases right to your home on opening day—for anywhere between $30 and $50. Sound like a rip-off? Then let's do the math.

First, a quick reality check. Comcast's proposal sounds like it's still in the "idea" phase, so don't warm up your HDTV just yet. Also, two of the biggest movie theater chains are, quite naturally, howling in protest over the mere thought of at-home streaming of new movies, and theater owners carry significant weight with the big movie studios. Interestingly, though, Comcast claims that at least a few of the studios are "very interested" in the proposal—surprising, given that movie execs are so utterly paranoid about piracy.

Anyway, let's just say Comcast went ahead and began offering on-demand first-run movies via cable—so now, you're just hitting your remote on the opening day of "Spider-Man 3" rather than heading out to the multiplex. Forking over $50 (or even $30) for an on-demand movie sounds like way too much cash...unless you're bringing the whole gang to the theater. Here in New York City, movie tickets run $12 to $13, and say you're going with three friends, or bringing your significant other with a pair of tykes in tow. Twelve bucks times four...hmmm, that's $48 right there. And say you're not exactly going to a massive movie theater like the Ziegfeld in midtown Manhattan—maybe it's just one of those mid-sized theaters, with sticky seats and a projectionist who's lost interest in the "focus" knob. Oh, and even after the movie starts, you've got bored teens stomping up and down the aisles, phone addicts who have to check their voice mail every five minutes, and a guy next to you who's doing his own running commentary.

OK, so it sounds like someone just had a bad experience at the movies, but you get my drift. Basically, if I'm going to shell out $50 for a first-run movie—and it's not "Star Wars" in a gigantic movie palace—I'd rather just gather my friends in the den, fire up my HDTV and 5.1 surround system, and watch at home. Of course, I'm assuming that cable companies would be streaming new movies in HD—if not, deal's off.

Am I nuts? Still sound like a raw deal? Let me know what you think.

Related:
Comcast Wants To Charge Up To $49.95 To Stream Movies To Your Home [Consumerist, via Gizmodo]