EARLY ADOPTERS TO TECHNOLOGY LOSING OUT?

With HDMI 1.3 equipped HDTV's due to come out in the next quarter, we have to ask ourselves, are we losing out by buying early? I remember I bought the 3rd generation ipod for $399. No more than a few weeks later, the iPod color came out, then the iPod video, Nano, Mini, U2 special edition, Nano v2.0. I was a little irate at this. I understand that technology is changing but surely manufacturers should have some regard for their current consumers?

This pattern is repeating itself allover the tech world. More specifically to us, will the new generation of HDTV's render the past 3 years offerings obselete? The answer is; it depends. It depends on how picky your are. If you're like me, always wanting the latest and greatest; expect to pay a premium. But if you're one of the masses who just wants a big screen with a good picture, then you'll be fine. The chances are, that most people won't even notice the difference between current displays and the new specification displays on the horizon.

The nature of this business is that it's always changing, getting better, and usually getting cheaper. LCD's for example have dropped significantly in price. As a result, they toppled Plasma sales for 2006 and Plasmas now have a bit of work to do to catch up.

I think the best way to look at it is this. If you bought an HDTV 3 years ago and are troubled by all the changes, you can pride yourself having enjoyed HD technology 3 years before everyone else. Most of the older sets still hold up today in picture quality. 720p sets give 1080p sets a run for their money as long as you have a long enough viewing distance. So with HDMI 1.3 coming our way, yes it will outperform what we have now, and the HDMI group probably should have made 1.3 the standard from the beginning. But it's been a great ride while waiting for HD to further define itself.

If you're happy with what you have, then hold onto it, and wait for HD to make a significant leap before upgrading. If you're an enthusiast for the ultimate in picture quality like me, I've already sold my 720p Sony LCD and am waiting for the next generation displays to arrive. If you have yet to buy an HDTV you have two choices: 1) Wait for a great bargain on a current generation HDTV as the new ones begin arriving, or 2) Wait a little longer for the new ones to first arrive, then experience their first price drop so you avoid paying any premiums.

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