Popcorn, politics and profits

Intriguing article in the Globe and Mail about a Human Rights Commision complaint that's been lodged in Ontario to have all theatres equipped with closed-captioning capacity. If successful, it would only apply to Ontario, though.

Interesting - they describe the cost of equipping the theatre with "rear-view captioning" as being $20,000 per theatre. Now, I know how these things work - captions flash on a sort of LED board at the back of the theatre (reversed right-to-left) and patrons look at them in a mirror mounted on their cupholder (so that they appear correctly).

You're telling me an LED screen that can read captions (an existing technology) and a bunch of mirrors on sticks cost $20,000 per theatre?

It's surely another example of technological price-bloat, an area where it seems to me that the deaf and hard of hearing segment of society seem particularly preyed-upon. (You can't tell me that it costs $360 to make a dirt-basic TTY phone. My niece has technology more complex than that in toys costing $24.99.)

Or maybe I'm just paranoid :)

Well, anyway, more power to 'em with their complaint; but two days does seem a bit of a drive just to see the new Peter Jackson flick.

ronnie