Reading Widescreen Review
Dear Gary:
I’d just like to tell my story about how reading your magazine has affected me. When my dad died of cancer in a matter of a few months, it made me take stock of my life. I realized that if there was anything I really
wanted to do, I’d better start now because you just never know. Because I love music, my heart’s desire was to have a high-quality stereo system. I’d always just had basic components purchased from the local electronics store, so I started reading some of the audio magazines to learn about the latest audio technology. I began to see articles on surround sound, which aroused my interest and led me to video magazines and Widescreen Review in particular. After reading your magazine, my desire for a stereo system evolved into a yearning for a full-on home theatre. Your magazine presented a wealth of information, both technical and subjective. On the technical side, your articles made me realize that there was a lot more to this subject of home theatre than I thought, and that it would be wise for a novice like me to hire some professional help. On the subjective side, I remember reading about a guy who went down and spent $10,000 on home theatre gear, came home and hooked everything up, and the very first thing he heard when the subwoofer kicked in was his wife yelling to him, “Turn it down!” So I determined that job number one, was to get some soundproofing, so that I could enjoy my bliss without disturbing others. Try and find a local contractor who does soundproofing. Good luck. I found out that contractors like to do work they know, because it’s quicker and more predictable. After weeks of calling, I finally found one who had some vision, and took up the soundproofing challenge. Because I’m just a regular guy with a modest income, I did the soundproofing first, two years ahead of the home theatre. This contractor recently stopped by my house and thanked me for the opportunity my job provided, and said that soundproofing is now his specialty, and he has more work than he can handle. If you can print his Web address as a service to your readers in Southern California, it is:
granahanconstruction.com.
Now to the home theatre part; you have a column in your magazine called “One Installers Opinion,” written by Terry Paullin. He lives about 400 miles from me, but I contacted him anyway, and the rest, as they say, is home theatre history. He found out my particular needs, did the research, gave me several equipment options, ordered the equipment and brought it down, and installed and calibrated my theatre over the course of several days. I have a huge screen, the picture is stunning, the surround sound is amazing, and it all works, including both hi-definition players, using one remote. But the best part is not the equipment; it’s the fact that I believe Terry really cares, on a personal level, about customer satisfaction. I felt like he was on my side and wouldn’t try and sell me something more expensive than I needed. His customer service—let me just say that he drove back down about a month later for a follow-up call to tweak the system and answer some questions I had—at no extra charge. Enough said! This was all done for what I feel was a very fair price. I’m now in audio/video heaven, and thanks to the soundproofing, can play movies and music any time of the day or night––all thanks to reading your great magazine.
Sincerely,
Eric Johnson
Editor-In-Chief and Publisher Gary Reber Comments:
Eric, it is wonderful to hear from readers such as yourself who have found an appreciation for performance home theatre from reading Widescreen Review. I know that Terry will appreciate the kind words you have for his professionalism. Enjoy your home theatre experience.
You can E-mail Widescreen Review @ editorgary@widescreenreview.com