One of the few truly enduring content-distribution models of the modern age is the movie theater. Despite the widespread availability of DVDs for cheap — as little as a buck for a one-night rental at a Redbox kiosk — and their posher brethren, Blu-rays, for a little more, audiences still turn out in large numbers to see movies at the multiplex. In so doing, they generate a not-inconsiderable sum of money for the studios that make and distribute them.

But the studios are threatening to upset that particular apple cart. Reuters reported today that a controversial deal to premiere new movies on cable and satellite TV within 30 to 60 days of their theatrical release was close to becoming a reality. One studio is said to be considering a trial run this fall.

Maybe they’re trying to act quickly to avoid the mistakes that turned the recording industry into a shell of its former self — as iPod-toting music-lovers turned their backs on the CD, the record industry doubled-down on more expensive formats like DVD Audio and Super Audio CD, realizing too late that convenience and portability were the main selling points for young consumers. From that vantage point, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to make home viewing an option for consumers willing to pay the price — perhaps $25 to $50, depending on how long the movie’s been out.

Well, theater owners think it’s a bad idea. In a statement issued in June, the National Association of Theatre Owners called the move “irresponsible.” [PDF] But some exhibitors screamed bloody murder when Disney announced plans to release Alice in Wonderland on DVD a bare three months after its theatrical bow, predicting audiences would stay away in droves, and that movie did extremely well in theaters. (Then again, 3D was at least part of the draw in that case.) It’s also hard to argue that many people like things about the theatrical experience that they can’t get at home — a bigger screen, a more booming sound system, and perhaps a respite from family members or a relief from stress. You could argue that those folks will keep going to the theater, no matter when a film might be available to them at home.

Also, this isn’t the first time a studio has floated this particular trial balloon. Way back in 1983, Universal tried the same day-and-date trick with a $10 pay-per-view screening of the Linda Ronstadt musical vehicle Pirates of Penzance. It didn’t work so well.

Of course, moviegoing habits have changed a lot in the last 25 years, and nobody had a home theater system in 1983. I have to wonder what happens to the theatrical market if the studios start sending the clearest message yet that that the multiplex is no longer where the action is. With the well-known 3D price premium pushing ticket prices to unheard-of heights, it’s curious that the industry chose this moment in its history to start aggressively devaluing movie tickets by compromising the theatrical window. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out over the next year or two.