PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

On Sunday, the filmmaker Sean Baker tied a record, collecting as many Oscars in one night as anyone ever has. Awarded as the director, writer and editor of the excellent comedy-turned-tragedy “Anora,” Baker also picked up a Best Picture statue as the film’s producer. That’s four trips to the podium in the space of one show.

The only other person who ever climbed the stairs four times in one night? Walt Disney.

The standout among Baker’s several speeches came during his Best Director win, when he talked about the necessity and magic of movie theaters. “We’re all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater.

“Watching a film in the theater, with an audience, is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream and fight together — perhaps sit in devastated silence together. In a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever. It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.”

Baker called for more support for movie theaters, citing the need for studios and distributors to do more for cinemas (independent theaters in particular). He also urged movie fans to return to the theater.

It reminded me of a trip to the Harris Theater on Valentine’s Day. The Downtown cinema was showing “Beauty and the Beast” — not the Disney version, but the 1946 film by Jean Cocteau. While retro showings do pretty well in Pittsburgh, this is not exactly a film that’s in the current zeitgeist; it’s also more than a bit removed from current sensibilities, a slow and imaginative take on the legend.

And yet: More than 100 people packed the Harris for it. They laughed when it was funny, awed at once-groundbreaking effects and collectively braced for the tragic ending.

“Beauty and the Beast” is not a difficult movie to watch at home. It’s on Max right now, as well as the cineaste streaming service from Criterion; it’s even on Kanopy, the streaming service free to anyone with a library card.

Here’s the thing, though: Watching a movie at home, especially on streaming, isn’t a great experience.

Everything about the art form of the cinema, from the way the images are shot and composed to the way dialogue and music are recorded, is made for a giant screen in a big, dark room full of people. In this relatively young artform, the methods and mechanics of filmmaking are still new — and they’re all customized for the movie-theater experience.

I don’t mind watching movies at home. But every movie, from the most visually dense blockbuster to a subtle indie flick, is better on the big screen. Place and setting matter to every experience, but particularly in the case of the movies; the ritual of going to a dedicated space that’s designed for this format elevates the quality of the film.

This is especially true in the case of streaming, the medium of a brief and waning gold rush. While streaming services are going to continue serving as the common delivery device of most small-screen entertainment, viewers are beginning to notice that the product itself is … well, kind of bad. Picture quality on streaming services is mediocre and variable. Sound is often downright bad. (That’s why you’re constantly putting the captions on; movies especially aren’t mixed with subpar home speakers in mind.) The ability and frequent imperative to pause a movie for interruptions and bathroom trips breaks a movie’s spell.

And, unless you’re a dedicated tech nerd, you probably have your video settings set up incorrectly.

There are drawbacks to the current theatrical experience, particularly the egregious price gouging at the concession stand, and surfeit of ads and trailers before a feature. Even those problems, however, are usually corrected at independent theaters — and the Pittsburgh region has some good ones, including Squirrel Hill’s stalwart Manor Theatre, Sewickley’s beautiful Lindsay Theater, Lawrenceville’s Row House Cinema (soon to be joined by another location in Dormont) and the aforementioned Harris.

I’m biased, of course; I host movies in person frequently, including at the Harris. (I also got married there, so clearly, I have a rooting interest.) But Baker was right; even if you correct for every sound and image flaw, even if you turn down the lights and never press pause, your living room isn’t a communal place. This is a medium that is meant to be experienced together — and one that improves by being part of an audience. Streaming can do a lot of things, but it can’t bring a crowd into your home.

Actually, streaming doesn’t always get much right. For example, not long after that speech from Baker, the service Hulu — which was carrying the Academy Awards — got confused and ended the livestream of the show with several awards to go. I was watching the show at a friend’s house, and they didn’t have a cable subscription; a general panic ensued as we tried to figure out how to put the show back on.

That’s generally not something that happens at a movie theater.