It has nothing to do with Video players or more channels, movie theater attendance is up year after year. It has a lot more to do with profits, novelty, new theatre technology, real estate values, and social changes. The 50's was the first era where almost every family had one car and families were looking for something to do together. Families do way less together these days. Remember when stadium seating killed flat seating theatres, same deal, inovation, we want the latest and greatest. In the same space theatres can get 5 showings a day against one, economics 101.