• by Wayne Friedman , January 10, 2014

Good news for in-home entertainment platforms like TV: 66% of U.S. adults say they are going to the movies less often than a few years ago. At the same time, about the same percentage --roughly two-thirds of adults -- went to the movies at least once in 2013.

The Harris Poll research shows the likelihood of going to at least one movie in a year goes down as age goes up:  83% “echo boomers,” 73% Gen-xers, 59% Baby Boomers and 44% matures.

Still, other data shows that 54% of adults prefer watching movies in theaters. Two of the best reasons: quality and “escape.” Nearly six in 10 Americans -- or 58% -- point to better sound and picture quality of a movie on the big screen; 45% say that going to movies is a brief escape from everyday life.

Increasingly, cost is having a strong effect on the moviegoing experience: 69% believe 3D movies are “just an excuse to charge more for tickets” and nearly six in 10 (58%) say they have furtively brought food into the movies because of high food costs at theaters.

At home, U.S. TV viewers watch movies live -- not on a time-shifted basis -- 60% of the time. This is followed by 47% who watch movies that they “own”; 37% who rent; 32% of movies coming from cable or satellite on-demand services; 31% from a subscription streaming service; and 28% from time-shifting.

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States Dec. 11 and 17, 2013 among 2,311 adults 18+ .