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Decisions Decisions Decisions There's a rule of thumb when buying any home entertainment gear, buy it from a specialist dealer and avoid retail scenarios where your best interests are not served.

Some department store-style outlets are often not conducive to choosing the right gear. In these instances there's no guarantee the sales staff are experienced in audio and video equipment; in fact, it's possible they were selling washing machines the week before and it's unlikely you'll receive true sales satisfaction.

In a pinch, look for department store sales environs that have special areas for home theatre and sales people dedicated to those areas

Visit a few specialist dealers to find one which has the right attitude, one which is co-operative and has suitable demonstration facilities. It's unlikely these stores will feature row upon row of components winking and blinking at you. Rather, they'll stock a range of products which the staff has confidence in and which has been chosen for sound quality, operation and, of course, value for money.

In one way, by visiting a specialist retailer, a lot of the sorting process and comparison shopping has already been done for you because the staff have already sorted through the products available and presented them for your consideration.

In another way, you'll be assured of proper service and informed advice. When you're auditioning products in store, it should generally be done in a proper listening and/or viewing room which has as few products in it as possible and resembles a normal living room environment.

This will give you a 'feel' for the system, as it will be situated in your home. The listening and viewing conditions should be comfortable so you can relax and enjoy what you're considering buying. Specialist dealers will also give you as much time as you need to make a choice - you'll often have a continuous supply of coffee and complete freedom to audition the products yourself and in your own time.

After the initial discussions about your needs, budget, future requirements and general preferences, the salesperson in a specialist store is invariably there to offer guidance and answer questions.

The great thing about such retailers is that the staff mostly love what they do with a passion and want to ensure you are introduced to equipment which makes music and movies sound and look better and add enjoyment to your leisure time. In fact, most specialist salespeople are music and movie enthusiasts who also know and love hi-fi and home theatre equipment.

Don't expect massive discounting from these establishments (after all margins are what keep dealers in existence. You'll often pay close to recommended price for a product or system but will invariably end up with equipment which is better value for money. All this pre, during and after sales service is also an expense for the store and the money must be recouped, otherwise those people won't be here to service your needs in the future.

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