Movie Theaters Looking to Block Cell Phones

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2006-03-15T022826Z_01_N14374910_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-FILMS-CELLPHONES.xml' target='_blank'>http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2006-03-15T022826Z_01_N14374910_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-FILMS-CELLPHONES.xml</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Movie theater owners faced with falling attendance are considering asking federal authorities for permission to jam cell phone reception in an attempt to stop annoying conversations during films, the head of the industry's trade group said on Tuesday. Industry leaders at the ShoWest conference for theater owners want to find ways to win back crowds. "I don't know what's going on with consumers that they have to talk on phones in the middle of theaters," John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, told the ShoWest conference in Las Vegas. Theaters are trying a number of ways to silence cell phones, from sweeps by ushers to funny fake movie trailers urging viewers to shut off phones."</i><br /><br />Ok, if this isn't the craziest thing I've read in a while, then I don't know what is. Do theater owners really think that the falling attendance is due to cell phone use? That's just silly. I mean, it can't have anything to do with the horrible selection of movies they have listed or the drastically overpriced popcorn and soda. :roll: Besides all that, some of us need to stay connected - even in a theater. That doesn't mean I'm going to sit there and talk on the phone, but in my line of work, I need to be reachable at various times. If I can't do that in the local theater, I'll have to find another place to kill sometime between client visits.

[Jerry Raia]

It will certainly keep me out of the theater. When I'm on call I can't be sitting in a movie unreachable.

[mbranscum]

Yet another reason NOT to go to a movie theater and wait for the DVD release!!! :)

[mikestew]

Do theater owners really think that the falling attendance is due to cell phone use?

Maybe not, but it's one of the many things that has me rarely going to the cinema and more frequently viewing movies home. Finding more ways to get people to shut their yappers would be a step in the right direction.

[clintonfitchdotcom]

Do theater owners really think that the falling attendance is due to cell phone use?

It has to be the phones Mike... I mean, clearly it couldn't have anything to do with the quality of the movies being made these days.... :2gunfire: :twak: :snipersmile: :ninja: 0X :robot: :drinking:

8)

[Jerry Raia]

Clever imagery with Emoticons. :)

[Rocco Augusto]

the last movie i saw in the theater was batman begins. why? because it was the last movie that came out that i felt was worth almost 10USD to actually go out and see.

sure people talking in the theater is annoying but there are other things that are annoying as well, like tom cruise and crappy remakes like war of the worlds or any of the other horrible movies they try and trick me into watching.

personally i think dvd's should be released when the movie comes out so i can buy it and go home and watch it and not worry about all the theater drama. i would rather waste 20USD on a dvd that i could watch whenever i wanted than 7.50USD on a ticket for a movie that i can only view once.

p.s. - ranting in t9 is hard :(

[Mark Kenepp]

What do you people who have to be reached all the time do when you are called to jury duty?

I need to be reachable as well but you know, sometimes I am unreachable whether it is a result of something out of my control or it is my decision.

I am not a big movie goer myself but I see nothing wrong with movie theaters trying to block cell phones.

I guess if I did, I wouldn't go to the movies... Since I don't go to the movies maybe I do have a problem with blocking cell phones. Maybe that is why reception in my apartment is so lousy, my neighbors are trying to watch DVDs :bad-words:

[ghostppc]

personally i think dvd's should be released when the movie comes out so i can buy it and go home and watch it and not worry about all the theater drama. i would rather waste 20USD on a dvd that i could watch whenever i wanted than 7.50USD on a ticket for a movie that i can only view once.

I agree!!


What do you people who have to be reached all the time do when you are called to jury duty? True. Considering the absolutely crappy reception of my phone, it shouldn't matter much. But it's nice to be reachable no matter what. You should be reachable in a theater even(with your phone/pager on silent), it just doesn't mean you're supposed to hold a conversation during a movie. You get a call, you let it go, or you leave.

[Mike Temporale]

What do you people who have to be reached all the time do when you are called to jury duty?

I'm a consultant. I need to be reachable by my clients when they are having problems. If they can't reach me, they'll phone someone else, and I won't be able to put food on the table for my family. It's one thing to call my clients and tell them that I will be unreachable for the next week or 10 days because of A) Jury Duty, B) Vacation, or whatever. I can arrange a backup contact and they can plan those events. I'm not about to send out a notice saying I'll be unreachable for the next 3 hours because I'm going to see Titanic or what-have-you.

As an example, the client I was talking with today has to respond to an incoming data request in 50 seconds or else they loose the business. Teh 5 hour outage they had on Monday cost them an estimated $500,000.

Anyway, all this will end up doing is driving the pirate movie business into full gear. I've seen new theatrical releases for just $5 on the black market. I expect they'll be selling a lot more movies if people are unreachable in the theaters.

[Jerry Raia]

I'm going to see Titanic or what-have-you.

Please, not Titanic! :lol:

[tsaylor]

Ah, but what about all those parents who get a babysitter so they can go enjoy a movie, but give the sitter their cell phone number in case of emergency? They won't be too happy if their emergency line gets "cut".

[clintonfitchdotcom]

Clever imagery with Emoticons. :)

I try.... 8O

[Jerry Raia]

Ah, but what about all those parents who get a babysitter so they can go enjoy a movie, but give the sitter their cell phone number in case of emergency? They won't be too happy if their emergency line gets "cut".

Good point. I don't want this blocking to start anywhere. Once the Camels' head is in the tent etc.

[juni]

You mean you never noticed how the reception goes to almost nothing when you are in a movie theater? They are already blocking them here.

[xerxes]

What do you people who have to be reached all the time do when you are called to jury duty?

I'm a consultant. I need to be reachable by my clients when they are having problems. If they can't reach me, they'll phone someone else, and I won't be able to put food on the table for my family. It's one thing to call my clients and tell them that I will be unreachable for the next week or 10 days because of A) Jury Duty, B) Vacation, or whatever. I can arrange a backup contact and they can plan those events. I'm not about to send out a notice saying I'll be unreachable for the next 3 hours because I'm going to see Titanic or what-have-you.

As an example, the client I was talking with today has to respond to an incoming data request in 50 seconds or else they loose the business. Teh 5 hour outage they had on Monday cost them an estimated $500,000.

Anyway, all this will end up doing is driving the pirate movie business into full gear. I've seen new theatrical releases for just $5 on the black market. I expect they'll be selling a lot more movies if people are unreachable in the theaters.

Mike,

The proportion of people in the world who really have to be connected 24x7 is tiny. If all those people stopped going to the movies I doubt anyone would even notice.

On the other hand there are plenty of people like me who love going to the movies but get utterly pissed off with idiots who chatter during the film, either on their mobile or to the equally brainless idiot next to them.

Tell me, do you ever go on a commercial aircraft? Or visit anyone in hospital? Or travel on the subway? You cannot use a cellphone in any of those locations (at least you can't in the UK).

How do you use your phone when you are in a quiet public place? Do you leave the building and then call back? Or do you answer immediately and then walk out after disturbing everyone around you? What if the caller ID does not show - do you assume it's somebody you don't need to answer or do you take the call?

[randalllewis]

I leave my phone in the car when I go to a movie but I can understand Mike and others need to be connected more than many of us.

People have complained about the quality of movies for as long as there have been movies. And quality is in the eye of the beholder. For example, from the box office totals, lots of people thought Spiderman was worth their time and money. I didn't. It is not the quality of movies that effects the box office as much as competition and the theater experience. And the experience has gotton worse in recent years with commercials, dirty theaters, and rude customers- including those with cell phones that ring during the show and those who actually answer the call while seated in the auditorium.

All that said, jamming all cell phones makes no sense. I read an idea on another website I thought had some merit. Is there technology that would cause a phone to shift to vibrate mode automatically? This shouldn't be a burden on anyone needing to stay connected anymore than the growing requirements to use handsfree sets while driving.

[ricksfiona]

What do you people who have to be reached all the time do when you are called to jury duty?

I'm a consultant. I need to be reachable by my clients when they are having problems. If they can't reach me, they'll phone someone else, and I won't be able to put food on the table for my family. It's one thing to call my clients and tell them that I will be unreachable for the next week or 10 days because of A) Jury Duty, B) Vacation, or whatever. I can arrange a backup contact and they can plan those events. I'm not about to send out a notice saying I'll be unreachable for the next 3 hours because I'm going to see Titanic or what-have-you.

As an example, the client I was talking with today has to respond to an incoming data request in 50 seconds or else they loose the business. Teh 5 hour outage they had on Monday cost them an estimated $500,000.

Anyway, all this will end up doing is driving the pirate movie business into full gear. I've seen new theatrical releases for just $5 on the black market. I expect they'll be selling a lot more movies if people are unreachable in the theaters.

Mike,

The proportion of people in the world who really have to be connected 24x7 is tiny. If all those people stopped going to the movies I doubt anyone would even notice.

On the other hand there are plenty of people like me who love going to the movies but get utterly pissed off with idiots who chatter during the film, either on their mobile or to the equally brainless idiot next to them.

Tell me, do you ever go on a commercial aircraft? Or visit anyone in hospital? Or travel on the subway? You cannot use a cellphone in any of those locations (at least you can't in the UK).

How do you use your phone when you are in a quiet public place? Do you leave the building and then call back? Or do you answer immediately and then walk out after disturbing everyone around you? What if the caller ID does not show - do you assume it's somebody you don't need to answer or do you take the call?

I agree with all of this...

You know, I am a Consultant too and I get utterly pissed off when someone starts a conversation, phone or not, during a movie I paid $10 - $15 to watch.

I don't think it's the movies being shown is cause for lower attendance... But people's self-absortion and lack of respect for others who paid money for a service/experience. What happened with manners?

You can't confront the person really, cause you end up making the situation even worse. I will tell a person to shut-up and one time, I was almost close enough to take his phone away. Yeah, I was that angry that this guy spoke on his phone about a 1/3 of the way through the movie. I would have made a scene and others would have gotten angry at me. So this isn't really an option.

You chose to be a Consultant. With any profession, there are pros and cons. When you go to a movie, a symphony or reading, you are expected to remain quiet during the presentation. If you cannot abide to this, then you shouldn't be there. Cons: Can't go to movie theater. Pros: As a Consultant, you should be able to buy a darn nice home theater and watch a DVD in pure luxury.

Expensive food? Nah, I usually eat before going into the theater. It's also easy enough to smuggle food in there anyway. No, food pricing is not an issue.

Yes, I rarely go to theaters not just cause of cellphone usage, but cause of the jerks in general that sometimes show up. I only go to big movies where they usually play on IMAX theaters, pay the extra $5 dollars and watch the movie in peace. Jerks usually don't go to $15 dollar screenings. Then I'll buy the movie if I really like it. I will rent movies that aren't a big screen necessity or potential junk.

In the end: yes theaters, please jam cellphones cause of inconsiderate people. I'm more upset about having to implement this technology rather than people using their common sense or not having any to begin with.

[The PocketTV Team]

In the end: yes theaters, please jam cellphones cause of inconsiderate people. I'm more upset about having to implement this technology rather than people using their common sense or not having any to begin with.

yes, it would definitely be a good thing to shield movie theathers from cell-phone signal.

i personally always turn my cellphone to OFF or silent when i get in a movie theater, but like everyone else, sometimes i forget, and that's definitely ennoying to bother 300 people when this happens.

in fact i heard they are working on a new metal-based paint for movie theaters that, one applied to the walls, will prevent radio signals from penetrating the room. that's probably better than active jamming, which could interfer with signal outside the theater.

i don't think anyone needs to call 911 from inside a theater room. they can just get out and call for help if someone has a heart attack while watching batman.