When I was in the ninth grade, I sat in the stands watching my junior high school football team. I loved the game from a very early age. I did not play organized ball then, though I could be found at every neighborhood game, right in the middle of the action. I always thought to myself, "I’ll play next year. That way, I’ll have another year under my belt and be that much better." When I decided to go out for the team the following season, which was my first year of high school, I realized how foolish I had been. I had a great time, though I did have a lot to learn that many of the kids that had started years before already knew. It was OK, though, because I caught on soon enough. The point is that I wasn’t any better off because I waited; in fact I was behind to an extent. And there were certainly some memories lost because I didn’t start sooner. After all, there were cheerleaders in junior high too, and we all know the athletes get the best dates.

What does this have to do with home theater? Plenty! I get letters each month and see threads on the message boards from folks that say, "I have been researching this speaker purchase for a year and a half" or "I thought I had decided on a new processor, but I heard that so and so manufacturer is releasing a new model in six months. So I think I will wait to see what it has to offer." I can understand the dilemma. Home-theater equipment is relatively expensive, regardless of the price point you can afford. It often represents a fairly major investment, lying somewhere between a computer system and an automobile. The purchase will likely be something you will hang on to for some time too, so you want to be sure that you get what you want. I can’t argue with this thought process because it has effected my buying decisions too. There is, however, another side to this scenario.

First, manufacturers will often leak information, either intentionally or not, about new models to be introduced at next year’s CES or this fall’s CEDIA show. This new model is, by all accounts, head and shoulders above the previous one. This news is just enough to stigmatize the consumer and stifle their decision-making process. Now maybe the new model is better or maybe it isn’t. And just maybe the new model won’t even show up until the following year! The point is that you really don’t know, and that is probably not enough reason to sit out another six months to a year waiting on something that may never materialize. I actually know someone that is insisting on waiting for a product just because it has a new feature that he admittedly won’t use, but he wants to wait because the new feature will "help the resale value" should he choose to sell it. The problem is that by that time, there will be another new feature announced and another new model coming just around the corner. And what will he be doing in the meantime? Sitting on the sidelines while a lot of movies are just waiting to be seen and good times are waiting to be had!

New processing modes, new formats, higher resolution, more channels, increased power, better components -- these are just a few of the reasons folks sit on the sidelines, missing out on great home theater. And you know what? These same issues will be present next year and the year after. At some point, a consumer must make a decision and get in the game. The issues that consumers use to wait will not be resolved once and for all, and some facts will always be true. So lets put them on the table and get them out of the way:

• There will always be a new model under development. That is how manufacturers stay in business.
• New formats, processing modes, and features will also be under development. No manufacturer can possibly include all of them in their product.
• You will lose money if you choose to sell or trade your gear.
• The new model will have something yours doesn’t.
• You’re missing a lot by letting the above paralyze you.