The Industry Change
The Audio/Video, Stereo business, has certainly voyaged a long way from two-channel stereo, vinyl records, tube amplifiers and 12-inch twelve-way jumbo speakers from the 70’s and 80’s. It isn’t just the electronics industry anymore.
Installation professionals, integrators and retailers have had to sharpen their skill sets to offer everything from lighting control, security, whole-home systems and, yes, even furniture.
When we read luxury lifestyle magazines about the range of theater rooms, it’s clear that the core attractions (beyond the winky-blinky marquees, faux ticket booths, velvet ropes and motorized curtains) are those rows of stunning designer recliners.
Indeed, entertainment furniture is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Most custom theater dealers, however, allow Their customer’s furniture budget to be spent at the local furniture store or some cheap imported chairs on web sites and/or ignores the category altogether!
So here we are, 50 years after our launch in 1973, in 2023 and the industry has taken a flying leap into the future. Television will soon evaporate and or take a second fiddle position to “streamed entertainment.” With the advancement of 5G communications, huge flatscreen monitors and affordable sound systems, mark my words, the public movie theater industries may follow right behind TV. Keep you eye on “AI” which is already taking center stage.
A new generation of viewers with portable devises can now take their entertainment anywhere. Even the term “cell phone” will soon disappear. The only way the public theaters that will survive are becoming more of an event center, broadcasting live events, or spectacular special effect premieres. Motion seating, 3D presentations, and interactive performances may keep them around a little longer. Even TV networks have already invested heavily into streaming channels. Sporting events will play a large part in ending television as we knew it. Advertisers are really the impotence of this move. A recent launch of al all-inclusive streaming channel will attempt to do what a few music streaming companies have accomplished. All movies, games, events, literally all on one channel at one price. Here comes “MyStream,” the next big move in streamed content!
The future is now and there is no looking back…
Michael Laurino | President of PremiereHTS
