When the first crop of John's beloved hillside vineyard ripened in 1978, they couldn't find a picking crew and the grapes hung for three or four days beyond what they judged to be optimal ripeness a delay that would eventually prove to be a blessing, though they didn't know it at the time.

WSJ: The Near-Accidental Brilliance of Shafer Vineyards

If you are in a dedicated home theater this can be less important, but since many living rooms prevent optimal speaker placement, having the ability to adjust the level of a speaker or add a delay to simulate distance can be critical.

ENGADGET: How to actually use Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD HD