| Editorial January 2004
The Outlook is Bright
There’s a bright outlook on the horizon for the
home-theater industry. By all accounts, the economy is gaining positive momentum: consumer
confidence and spending, productivity and manufacturing, the stock market -- all are on
the upswing. This means buyers in the stores or, in growing numbers, at their computer
keyboards. A host of new consumer-electronics technologies are tempting home-theater
enthusiasts, who are bristling with anticipation; digital television, for example, is
plowing ahead and flying off the shelves.
The movie industry itself is packing DVDs with enough
quality to satisfy even the most diehard movie buff. There’s plenty of cinema to
watch on that new home-theater rig. And by the time you read this, the third installment
of the landmark The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be showing at theaters.
Peter Jackson’s crew of special-effects artisans is boldly surpassing what George
Lucas has been able to produce in the latter two Star Wars movies. Cool effects,
not to mention an incredibly well-made film, make for great home theater.
Label me an optimist, but I think we’re entering a
prosperous, exciting time. That couldn’t be better for the SoundStage! Network.
We’ve expanded greatly over the past several years with new sites and resources for
you, and 2004 will likely bring even more comprehensive coverage of the industry by our
ever-growing team of talented writers. Expansion isn’t easy, because it means time
invested via long hours in front of the computer. However, we’ve never rested on our
laurels; when we see a better way to provide our readership with the information they
need, we find interesting and creative ways to produce it. It’s what keeps us going,
month after month.
The letters we receive each day reinforce to us that our
efforts are appreciated. I personally receive numerous letters a day from readers looking
for solid home-theater advice. I also hear from people thanking me for my efforts -- or,
conversely, letting me know I don’t have enough bandwidth upstairs. Sometimes readers
just flat disagree with me, and many times they let me know about it in no uncertain
terms. The constant communication lets me know that our publications are not just a casual
read, but a real resource. Your feedback, more than any other single tracking source, is
the true measure of our worth as a publication.
I like to think of the whole publishing process as part of
a greater "circle of life" within the consumer-electronics and film industries.
We have a home-theater industry that is innovating, consumers who are demanding better
gear, and writers who are informing everyone involved. As we enter 2004, it all seems to
be working pretty well. Perhaps that’s why, to me, it’s clear: the outlook is
bright.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
