DisplayLA—Feedback From An Attendee
Dear Gary: I thought I’d give you some feedback about DisplayLA. I know some information about you and your past, and I believe my background is such that you can relate to it. First, I am a Widescreen Review subscriber and I think your magazine is far and above the best amongst the A/V publications. Second, for over 23 years I have worked in the Hollywood TV and film production community, primarily as a technician and the A/V Supervisor & Theater Supervisor for Walt Disney Feature Animation, and I also create some “white paper” writings, work as production staff for TV productions, and venture out in entrepreneurial efforts (including those relating to A/V). I greatly appreciate your efforts to inform and educate the masses in regards to advanced display technologies by sponsoring DisplayLA, but I worry that you are seeking the wrong audience. To me, Hollywood takes care of its own needs and quickly adapts to new technologies. Where I see a tremendous lack of knowledge is in the consumer and those selling advanced display technologies to them. Other than knowing a few buzz words the consumer is in a complete daze regarding their purchases, which cost many thousands of dollars. The average A/V salesman is clueless in regards to the details of the different technologies he is selling, and in most instances he is incapable of matching the proper technology to the customers’ needs. In essence, the customer is sold and buys the product(s) that most closely meets the upper end of their budget. I estimate that over 50 percent of consumers who have made an advanced display technology purchase are dissatisfied with what they bought. In essence, my suggestion to you is to develop educational “primers” for both the consumer and the A/V salesman. First, start with WSR and in each issue have an easily understandable article that lists from A to Z the steps necessary for one particular topic relating to home theatre (e.g. AC power and conditioning, room acoustics, etc.). It is my belief that WSR as a whole is too technical and you lose many potential readers (subscribers) before they even have a chance to get to know the publication. Second, develop an easy-to-understand primer for the consumer contemplating a home theatre purchase and get it in front of as many eyeballs as you can (Internet sites are the best way to do this). Third, partner yourself with existing trade organizations and their conventions (CES, ShowBiz Expo, CEDIA, Electronic House Expo) to present conferences/lectures/workshops that explain home theatre in easily understood language. Forth, develop primers for selling home theatre technologies. In conclusion, I greatly respect what you are trying to accomplish in the emerging marketplace of advanced display technologies. But, your focus is too narrow and selective and you need to reach the general consumer and those who are selling product to them. I am afraid that unless DisplayLA changes its focus and broadens its approach to a mass audience, it will fade out like PostLA did a couple of years ago.
Dale Menagh
Editor-In-Chief Gary Reber Comments:
I agree with you that there is “a tremendous lack of knowledge” among consumers and those selling advanced display technologies to them. Our primary mission at Widescreen Review has been to educate. This has been no easy task as the technologies, which comprise delivering “the best that it can be” home theatre experience, are somewhat complicated and in a constant evolutionary state. We have conducted various “educational” technology seminars at our facility in Southern California over the years and plan to launch, in the future, the WSR University, a boot camp seminar program at our facility for serious enthusiasts and industry practitioners, including salespeople. As part of our educational bent, I created a conference program for the upcoming 2003 Home Theater Cruise (www.hometheatercruise.com), a separate corporation formed by David Bott, Alan Gouger (both founders of the AVS Forum), and myself. I plan to publish special editions of Widescreen Review based on the content generated during the cutting-edge presentations and panel discussions from each annual industry-themed cruise. We pride ourselves on being recognized as the #1 ranked home theatre publication providing the most in-depth coverage. We will continue that mission and do our best to present the knowledge in a form that is comprehensible to understand by interested readers. In the 12 years that I have been publishing WSR, I have found, though, that the level of “in-depthness” that we specialize in is most appreciated by what I refer to as “serious home theatre enthusiasts.
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