Lesson 5 home movie
Task 1. Answer the following questions.
Do you like to watch movies at home or you prefer to go to the cinema? Why?
What can make people stay at home to watch a movie instead of going to the movie theatre?
What home movie viewing technologies make this process really entertaining?
Task 2. Read the title of the article. What is the issue of the article? Discuss your ideas with a partner.
Task 3. Read the article.
Home movie viewing gets jumstart with new technologies
Movies have always been a popular genre to watch at home. They provide a couple of hours of great entertainment, can normally be watched without commercials, and are a great way to unwind and relax. Though movies are really popular to watch at home, they have never been quite as exciting as going to a movie theater. That is until now. New technologies are changing the way people watch movies at home and making them better than ever before. High definition television is the technology that is most responsible for breathing new life into home movie entertainment. This technology takes all the great features of a movie theater and puts them into your living room. From the large, wide screen to the really good sound system, it is possible to get a similar level of quality at home with high definition television. One of the best features about high definition television is that it gives a really high quality of resolution. In fact, the resolution is almost ten times as good as standard definition television. When watching movies, this extra resolution really makes the difference between an okay experience and a really good experience. You can imagine how much scarier a horror movie can be when you can really see the bad guys sneaking up on the heroes or all the stitches on Frankenstein's head.
Another technology that is changing home movie viewing is on demand Pay Per View. Dish Network Dish on Demand is an example of this new technology. While Pay Per View has always been a popular choice for people wanting a convenient way to get new movies, a lot of people have been turned off by not being able to control breaks, starting times, and other aspects of the movie watching. Dish on Demand is able to give people as much control over watching movies as if they were watching a rental flick because, once someone selects a Dish on Demand movie, they have complete control over it for 24 hours. This includes being able to rewind, pause, and replay the movie as well as begin it whenever it is most convenient.
Dish on Demand makes it easier to get access to movies without having to leave home. Some of the Dish on Demand selection is even offered in high definition format. This makes for a very technologically enhanced viewing experience that is both high quality and convenient. With each Dish on Demand movie costing less than five dollars, the price is also comparable to a regular video rental. Even renting videos off the Internet costs at least this much and has a lot more inconveniences to deal with. Overall, Dish TV is proving to be a very convenient way to get the newest movies at home.
Though movie theaters will probably always be popular for the social outings they provide and other benefits related to the really big screen, movies at home are catching up in quality and potential viewing experience. Newer technologies are really making the home viewing market much better and promise even better returns in the future.
Task 4. Answer the following questions in pairs.
What home movie viewing technologies according to the author of the article can change home movie entertainment?
Is it expensive to have modern home movie viewing technologies?
Will modern home movie viewing technologies prevent people from visiting cinema houses?
Is your house equipped with any home movie viewing technologies?
What technology described in the article would you like to have installed in your house?
Task 5. Work in groups.
Group A.Write a list of advantages of high definition television technology and Dish on Demand technology.
Group B.Write a list of disadvantages of high definition television technology and Dish on Demand technology.
Task 6. Join Student A and Student B. Discuss all the pros and cons of having one of the modern home movie viewing technologies.
Task 7. Summarize the article.
Task 8. Prepare a presentation on any modern home movie viewing technology.
ADDITIONAL TASK.
Task 1a.Discuss.
Television was first invented in 1886 by a German student, Paul Nipcow. How much television do you watch in one week? How would you spend your time if television had never been invented?
RCA's David Sarnoff was credited for bringing television to the masses at the 1939 World's Fair with President Roosevelt speaking. If television were invented today, with what programming would you choose to debut the new invention and why?
The first color television camera was the TK 41. Describe how would black and white television change the programs you watch?
The most recent invention in television is digital technology. Explain what could you invent to improve television programming and viewership?
Video recording has revolutionized the television industry and brought about channels like CNN, ESPN, and MTV. What would television be like for you without these channels? Describe the target audiences for these channels.
UNIT 4