From today's mailbag:
David, in your first impressions of the iPhone 5, you mention that the screen is 16:9, perfect for watching movies.
Just think how much you might offend the creators of movies when you speak of watching their creations on a four-inch screen. Movies are works of art (I hope) and they are created to be seen on a large screen, in a darkened hall, with suitable sound in many cases.
Just imagine the Louvre replacing Jacques-Louis David's “Coronation of Napoleon†with a four-inch copy on the wall. A line would form, and each visitor could approach the four-inch copy and view it from close up. Or imagine seeing “Aida†or “Nabucco†on a four-inch screen and hearing it on ear pods. You may have watched it and listened to it, but you did not see it or hear it.
iPhones are phones, and watching movies on them does not make us better people.
And my reply:
We'd all love to watch all movies in the cinemaplex. No question - that's the best setup for watching a movie.
But we'd also all love to eat every meal in a high-end restaurant. And we'd love to sleep every night in a five-star hotel with a view.
Unfortunately, for time and money reasons, that doesn't happen.
The truth is, millions of people watch videos on phones and tablets today. Because they can watch in places, and at times, when going to the cinema is not practical (on a plane, for example). Because it costs much less. Because they can pause, rewind, and fast-forward.
Also, the screen-size issue isn't as clear-cut as you suggest. A four-inch screen, 15 inches from your face, is effectively as large as a cinema screen if you're sitting in the back row. Close, anyway. It fills the same amount of your vision. And earbuds or headphones do a great job with the sound.
Finally, your analogy about removing a painting from the art museum isn't quite on target. Watching a movie on a phone does not replace the original experience; it remains available.
The correct analogy: How great it is to visit the Louvre to see the original painting! But how great that, for people who can't go to France routinely, they also have a chance to study those paintings online, in a book or even on a phone.
