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One thing we know for certain is that more and more people are not going to the movies, preferring instead to watch films in the comfort of their living rooms. But living-room viewing generally means Netflix or iTunes, which usually means movies that have been around for a few months or more. So how much would those folks pay to see a first-run film—a big blockbuster, say, or a prestigious indie with Oscar buzz—while it was still in theaters? Sean Parker, the Napster founder and early Facebook impresario, has an educated guess: $50. That's the proposition that he and his business parter Prem Akkaraju are making with a new start-up called Screening Room that the entrepreneurs are pitching around Hollywood. The reactions are nothing if not vehement both for and against the company, with A-list filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Avatar director James Cameron facing off over Screening Room and its implications.

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So why all the controversy? Naturally, there's been a swift back-lash from exhibitors, who see this kind of disruption as yet another wrecking ball to their already ailing, brick-and-mortar industry. Although AMC, the Chinese-owned theater chain, is said to be close to endorsing the deal, the National Association of Theater Owners has dismissed the strategy this week, saying it kills the "event" nature of opening weekend, which is what drives downstream revenue streams. The lobby group also made a not-so-subtle jab at Parker, saying that while new distribution models are perhaps needed in the industry, they should be figured out by studios and exhibitors, not "third parties."

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The filmmakers backing the project—Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Peter Jackson—make the point that too many movies are dead on arrival simply because the people who would most enjoy them are staying home. And Jackson has argued that something like Screening Room won't cannibalize a movie's theater audience, it will simply expand the audience overall. His point being that the people buying a film via Screening Room weren't ever going to go see the movie in the cineplex in the first place.

I'm ok with most of it, except this:

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After paying $150 for the special set-top box, which is said to be anti-piracy, plus $50 for the movie, you get to simply sit back and hit play. You have 48 hours to see the movie, and an extra two tickets are thrown in to see it in theaters later.

That's a bit much for yet another TV plug in, it better do something else.

Interesting concept though. $50 for 48 hours of at home viewing and 2 tickets? That's tough to beat. The big benefit here is possibly independent films. The amount of those movies that I don't get to see because of their timeline and/or release is staggering. If I could catch those movies in the comfort of my own home at any time? I would have already watched Midnight Special.

I'm ultimately behind more ways to watch movies, so this is a good thing to me. Although I do find it funny that the list of director's backing it is like Spielberg, Jackson and Abrams...and then against it....