Best Buy RewardZone

Theaterseatstore is proud to be part of the Best Buy RewardZone partner program in 2010.  Through this relationship our products are now available to loyal RewardZone members through their loyalty program website and in select Best Buy Magnolia stores. 

Best Buy is the largest electronics retailer in North America with close to 1200 stores throughout the continent and a powerful and loyal customer base.  In 2010, Best Buy RewardZone members can get 3 points for every dollar spent and an extra 3000 bonus points on purchases of 3 seats or more.  This represents an excellent opportunity to earn points fast that are redeemable for many other RewardZone products.

Two exclusive models are available in the Magnolia home theater rooms in select stores.  They are the Magnolia and the Headliner theater seats.  Each seat is unique in it's feature offering.  The Magnolia has in arm storage and a space saving foot print where the Headliner brings luxury and size to the home theater seating equation.

Should you be afraid of motorized recline

One of the major fears anyone experiences buying theater seating today is the fear that the power recline motor will fail and render the seat useless.  It is the question I get asked more than any other single question when selling theater seating.

The motors used in furniture today are of the same quality and often source as the motors used in the power portion of your motor vehicle seat.  They are simple in design and perfected from a reliability perspective to the point where the only time we really ever encounter issues with them is generally straight out of the factory.  In an analysis we did two years ago, less than 1% of these motors failed. 

Added to the fact that they are reliable, is a manufactures warranty that covers the motors for 1-2 years, depending on the brand.  After that, most motors cost $75 to replace and installation is as easy as turning the seat over and pulling out the existing motor from a track and sliding in the replacement.  In 95% of the seats sold today this is the case and the only complicated replacements tend to occur in the very top end of the market.

If one is still nervous then my suggestion is to spend the extra $150 to buy the extended warranty plan which will cover any motor failure to 5 years and also add accidental damage coverage to the seat.  The accidental coverage will protect you against everyday mishaps like red wine or coffee stains and rips and tears. 

Choosing Your Leather

When buying home theater seating, one if often faced with the decision of which material to select to best match the needs and style of the theater room.  In the custom home theater world, the selections are vast and this article hopes to provide a guide to navigate through this decision making process. 

90 % of all home theater seating sold in the market today is sold in black and dark brown leather.  Black leather (and it's synthetic look-a-likes) have dominated that category by 3:1.

Fabrics have become more popular as textiles have moved to imitating the look and feel of leather to the point where you cannot tell the difference.  These are called faux leathers and they hit a great price point with an even better durability than the real thing. 

This is not to be confused with bonded leather which is a synthetic - vinyl on the outside - and real leather on the inside.  The real leather is actually production off-cuts ground to pulp and then mixed with an adhesive and pasted to the back of the vinyl to give the hand touch of real leather.  Sounds off-putting?  Well it shouldn't - bonded leather has risen in popularity more than any other textile in the history of the business in a short period of time.

Most seating comes in one of two ways as it relates to leather.  Full leather or leather match.  Leather match is when the genuine leather exists on all the seating surfaces of the chair which includes the seat back, arm rests and foot rest - any portion of the seat that your body touches.  A perfect synthetic vinyl match exists on the exterior seat back and the lower exterior sides.   

The Palliser Blade - Another Theater Seat Exclusive

TheaterSeatStore is proud to announce the official release of the Palliser Blade, a space saving luxury theater recliner made exclusively by Palliser.  "Our years of experience in knowing what customers are looking for identified a gap in the Palliser line of home theater seating", said Peter Goldstein, VP of Sales.  "Customers were very loyal to the quality and luxury offered by Palliser, but did not have the options when it came to decorating a theater room with space constraints.  Through careful planning and collaboration, we developed a solution that would fill all those gaps and provide a truly superior space saving design".

The Palliser Blade is built on a slightly smaller foot print than most traditional theater recliners which tend to be very wide.  This leather theater seat also includes a higher than normal seat back which further enhances the experience.  Similar offerings from other brands always lack seat back height. At 44 inches that is no longer a problem. 

The Blade theater seat is available in stock for immediate delivery in black and brown leather.  Additional options include power or manual recliner mechanisms.  The power recline allows the user to recline the seat to any angle in the range of motion.  Black leather versions of the seat include stainless steel cup holders where brown leather versions include a brushed bronze cup holder.  The leather featured on the in stock models of this seat is a premium top grain leather on all seating surfaces and portions that one's body touches, with a complimentary perfect synthetic match on the back of the seat and lower exterior sides.

Unlike many of the other popular models in the market from other brands, this seat is not made in China.  The seat is manufactured here in North America at prices that match the foreign competitors.

Online Video with BrightCove

TheaterSeatStore is one of the few online furniture retailers that promotes best selling products through online video.  Product videos serve as a valuable tool to assist customers in the buying process, especially when one finds a product that is not available to physically see in a local store.

Through our partnership with the industry's leading vendor in the video platform space - BrightCove - TheaterSeatStore is able to deliver the best experience possible to the customer.  "The union of our access to famous brand name products and BrightCove's technology ensures the video experience to site visitors surpasses any expectations" said Bruce Tucker, Director of Marketing for InteriorMark, LLC, TheaterSeatStore's holding company.

The BrightCove platform continues to increase conversions as video is created for more and more products on the site.  The account management of video assets through their console and the speed with which that video is deployed on-demand is very impressive. 

Here is a case study on our relationship and integration with BrightCove that was recently posted to their community blog titled Achieving Real Results with Video Ecommerce that discusses the nature of the relationship in more depth.

Moroni Offers A Home Theater Seat

Moroni is a leading contemporary furniture manufacturer that produces a higher quality seat at an exceptional price point. Premium Italian leathers and beautiful designs define this line of sofas and sectional seating.

Now Moroni has a home theater seat that was shown at the summer Vegas Furniture Market and the seat is one of the best looking contemporary designs we have seen to-date. Very rich top grain full aniline Italian leather over an American hardwood frame, give the touch of pure elegance and comfort you would expect from this premium brand.

The other interesting feature with Moroni is the fact that the power button on the seat is located under the leather, hidden from plain site - an interesting method of doing this. Attention to detail is a trademark of Moroni and it is evident in this product from top to bottom. The head rest is adjustable and the recline mechanism is extremely smooth. At 6 ft tall, this seat was very supportive of my upper back and head...often a shortcoming in the more contemporary furniture designs. The stainless steel mounted cup holders were a nice touch to an almost perfect product.

Of course with leathers and a frame of this quality comes a price tag to match.....but nowhere near the levels of some of the equivalent domestic brands like Fortress. Although the final price has not been set in stone yet, all indications are a retail price in the region of $2,000 per seat.

Berkline Recliners for Your Home Theater

Who says you have to buy a seat with cup holders for your home theater?? Regular recliners work just as well and Berkline is a great choice for recliners too.

Berkline does it again with this gorgeous, comfortable WallAway Recliner. In two neutral fabric choices (Gunslinger light and dark browm) that highlight the plush styling, this is an easy choice. With generous padding in its chaise lounge design, a waterfall style seat back and pillow-style arms, you’ll feel at ease in this plush recliner, whether upright or reclined, with comfortable extra-cushiony support for your legs, arms and back.

Innovative features include Berkline’s patented WallAway design that allows fully reclining within just inches of a wall, and a handle-activated motion that allows easy rising of the footrest. Features also include a removable back for moving the unit from room to room or within your home. Along with the neutral tone, the many choices you have when interior designing are enhanced by the WallAway design. Put it in the center of the room, or against a wall, allowing for unobtrusive design and a stylish room.

Where Does Jaymar Home Theater Seating Fit Into the Equation?

Jaymar Furniture are a Canadian manufacturer based out of Terrebonne, Quebec. They are a premium custom furniture manufacturer that were recently acquired by Group Bermex.

Jaymar makes contemporary furniture and is known for its wide selection of seats in the home theater category. The one seat in this group that has gained notoriety is the Jaymar 262 model...or Bass Celebrity model as it was known in the US under the marketing of Bass Industries. This seat is a industry success for a few reasons:

• clean contemporary lines - not too modern
• availability of premium Italian leathers
• tilt-out cup holders that reveal a hidden place holder for your drink

Product ordered from Jaymar is custom made to order and takes 6-7 weeks to deliver. The quality is exceptionally good and leather source is of a very high standard. Other popular models from Jaymar home theater seating are the Panther, Model 57334 and Model 59121.

3 Questions You Won't Ask When Buying Home Theater Seating Furniture

Navigating through the minefield of websites and furniture providers when looking for theater seating furniture can be a daunting task. Here are some tips to consider when looking at different seating options that are often overlooked:

• Who will be using the furniture? This is important because the material covering this furniture can be sensitive. If you will have pets or small children on your furniture then go for microfiber. The microfibers are the most durable and easy to clean. Leather is nice to the touch but needs to be maintained and cared for. It scuffs easily and is very porous and susceptible to liquids. Water can even stain a natural leather.
• How tall is the tallest person who will be using the seating? If you have someone that is over 6 foot tall you will need to be accommodating in the seat selection. Not all seats have a tall seat back. Some are too short period! Make sure that your seat back is at least 40 inches and preferably between 40-43 inches.
• How comprehensive is the seat warranty? The warranty is a testament to the quality of the seats. Manufacturers who believe in their products will put a comprehensive warranty behind them. That should include at least 5 years on the frame and reclining mechanism. Those are the two most important parts of the chair equation.

These questions should be asked to every retailer and buyer to make the most out of your next theater room furniture purchase.

Bring the Box Office Home

The Berkline 45032 Academy home theater seating was designed with your comfort in mind every step of the way. This small scale theater seating is meant to give the user a true cinematic experience. All you need is the movie and popcorn and you are all set.

The seat is designed on a smaller scale like the Berkline Tangiers and works where space is at a premium. The major difference to the Tangiers being the fact that one can custom order the seats in many materials and colors and, the inclusion of ambient base lighting and lighted cup holders. The lighting gives the home theater room a true theater appearance and on this model the lights are controlled from the inside arm. Lighted cup holders can only be included on the power version of the seat.

A major styling difference is the chaise style foot rest - the most popular type for theater seating. Chaise style is when there is no gap between the seat and the foot rest. This provides continuous leg support. Another styling difference is the lower seat back panel, which is solid in the Academy and split into two panels in the Tangiers.

The Biggest Selling Theater Seat in 2010

In the home theater furniture world, there have been a number of new introductions in 2010. One of the blockbuster arrivals to theater seating this year is the Magnolia home theater seat. It incorporates some of the best features from other top sellers and includes them all in one great design.

The primary feature additions to this seat are the higher seat back and the hidden storage in the arm rests. The storage compartments exist in all arms and provide the perfect location for one's remote controls and tv guides. The design of these storage compartments addresses serious flaws in other models designs like the lack of sufficient support on the hinge that opens holds the storage lid. In the Magnolia this is double-hinged and provides years of safe use without any warping or movement to the hinge mechanism that might not result in the lid closing properly.

Another important features that was addressed is the higher seat back to 44 inches that seems to have always been a missing ingredient to some predecessors. This gives the right amount of upper back and neck support to anyone who needs it.

The seat is available in black and brown on quick ship and in hundreds of different colors through custom order in either leather, leather match, bonded leather or fabrics.

Prices for black and brown are $649 in manual and $749 in power recline.

Headliner Takes the Show

In the realm of home theater seating, there are some great icons. Some have ruled for many years without challenge, others have climbed the ladder and represent great contenders for the crown. There are only a few...........and here is one of the contenders: Headliner Theater Seat

This giant home theater seat is relatively new to the home theater world but has made a big splash. Released in March 2010, this seat is available exclusively at Best Buy stores in their Magnolia home theater rooms and at Theater Seat Store.

Here are some of the characteristics that give this seat royal blood:

- Made in the USA
- Made by Berkline using their best of breed practices
- Made with proprietary Berkline mechanism which is superior to any other in design and mechanics in the home theater arena.
- Available in premium black or brown leather on quick ship.
- Offered with Berkline's top warranty - lifetime of frame, mechanism
- High seat back height so it fits all sizes

These pictures should say the rest......there's also a video on the product page for this seat on the site that covers some additional benefits to this model worth noting.

Berkline 45002 Apollo Large Home Theater Seat

This is my favorite Berkline home theater seat! I have widely been proclaiming its excellence now for about a year and the genesis of that opinion comes from the video that is attached here. Let me explain. This video is the Berkline 45002 taken at the International Furniture Market in North Carolina and this was the first time I got to see this seat in black leather.

The stock photos of this seat supplied by Berkline are in a blue leather and a brown 'leather looking' microfiber. Neither of these colors do this seat any justice and sitting in the seat is what really makes all the difference.

The seat uses a bucket-style seating concept found in sports cars where the center portion of the seat and seat back are recessed within a memory foam padded outer rim. On this model you can see that the memory foam rim is thick and this is what makes it so comfortable. The other factor with the 45002 is that it is a very large seat, in fact, I believe the largest dimensionally that Berkline make, or very close to it. For tall people this is the seat you want to own. It is so comfortable and supportive that you would buy it if you had a chance to sit in it when compared to some of the other major models in the Berkline line.

It compares best to the Berkline 45099 if you are looking for something of similar size and comfort. I will post a short video review of that model in my next post.

Hopefully this video paints the picture......

Another New Introduction from Palliser Furniture

Palliser's design team seem very busy working on new models. We highlighted the Slade that will be released any day now and there's another new design, with a purpose, on the horizon.

This seat does not have a name yet - to my knowledge - but does include a huge missing feature that has long been requested from the Palliser home theater group. The hidden storage compartment is finally here. It has deep storage in a seat that includes a tufted seat back that is generous in height, around 43' to 44' inches would be my guess.
Enjoy a few sneak previews of this seat taken at the Spring Market.

Palliser Introduces the Slade

Palliser has introduced a new model aimed at capitalizing on the success of the Berkline Tangiers theater seat. The Tangiers or Berkline 13175, as it is better known, is a space saver which is made by Berkline in their offshore factory. The excellent lower lumbar support and economical design catapulted this seat into home theater stardom.

The Slade follows the same concept in that the sacrifice to size comes not in the interior seat width, but in the size of the arm rests which are reduced by a few inches from the norm. When you add this up over 3 or 4 arm rests making up a seating row, it has an impact.

The Slade includes an option with contrast stitching and comes fully customizable in many different material types. Select power or manual recline options and enjoy stainless steel cup holders to match darker colors like black and gray, or antique bronze for some of the lighter options. These pictures tell the story pretty well and the pricing is expected to be similar to the Palliser Pacifico.

The Palliser Rhumba - Ultimate Comfort

The Palliser Rhumba is one of the most comfortable theater seats on the market at the moment. There are few chairs that make the grade like this one with soft memory foam padding along the outer rims of the seat creating a bucket style seating arrangement.

The seat is made in Canada by Palliser Furniture and comes with an industry leading warranty - lifetime on the frame and reclining mechanism and 5 years on the leather. With this kind of warranty - which is industry leading across all brands including the big ones like Lane and Ashley Furniture - you cannot go wrong. Let these pictures do the talking.....

Why Choose a 45012 box office Recliner Home Theater Seat

If you have been saving for a while to build out the perfect home theater room, one of the essential ingredients will be the home theater seating. With so many choices, how do you make the right decision on the perfect chair? Look no further than a Berkline 45012 box office theater seat.

The Box Office Berkline 45012 is one of the newer and larger models now available from the most famous name in home theater furniture. Seats can be fully customized in straight or curved rows, as well as loveseats. There are a multitude of colors and materials to choose from. There are six different, luxurious upholstery fabrics. There are also a number of leather grades and types, including faux (manufactured) leather, bonded leather as well as soft microfibers and fabrics.

These theater seats offer an extremely wide interior seat width. The extensive padding throughout the seats, armrests and headrests are designed to ensure maximum comfort. These recliners are completely custom built to you get exactly what you are looking for.

Why Leather should not be the only option in Home Theater Seating

Most people looking for home theater seating are surprised to hear that there are options available in fabric or synthetic leather. The dominance of black leather in home theater has obviously had its impact. There are other options!! Many of them look even better than leather - and I have been in this business for 4 years now so I have seen a lot of leather. Every once and I while I get to see a seat that proves my case and point. So enough said. Here it is. The Berkline 45035 Embassy. This is a brown leather looking microfiber that took my breath away.

This seat has the beautiful tufted seat back and sides and also lighted baserails and cup holders. The other valuable feature here is the arm rests that slide back and forth to hide the cup holder.

This combination was a real winner and a must for anyone considering not going with leather.

Furniture Market 2010 - New Berkline Theater Seating

Twice a year the furniture world convenes in High Point NC for the largest furniture market in the western hemisphere. Here all the top brands display latest additions to their lines and showcase many new and existing models. This year Berkline introduced some exciting new home theater models, as well as some transitional home theater features in existing models....if that sounds confusing, I will get into detail a little further down.

Anyway, on the new options, there are two other models with a tray table and storage - the Berkline 12011 and the Berkline 45038. The 12011 is similar to the Reno but has a triple split seat back with a more contemporary look. For instance, the arm rests are more rounded where the Reno is straight. I will attach a short video.

On the sofa side, the success of the tray table and storage on home theater has made its way over to sofas. I saw at least 3 models that have both these features - maybe more. Another popular introduction is the flip-down center seat back on a sofa that now includes cup holders on the back of the seat back.

Palliser Leather Promo Chat

Bruce: Welcome to the TheaterSeatStore.com. How may I help you?
Max: hi - i am interested in the special you are having:http://www.theaterseatstore.com/palliser-power-special_2?sc=9&category=149
Max: i am interested in the pallisar flashback series
Max: set of 4 - curved configuration
Bruce: Ok...which model do you like from Palliser?
Max: can i get a price and estimated lead time from you?
Bruce: Ok. Do you know the material that you want on that?
Max: yes -according to your special
Max: is it the 5000 series for the 1000 series upgrade?
Max: i would be interested in the bronco sunset
Bruce: Do you want the power special or the leather special...they cannot be combined
Max: i would like the manual
Max: and take the leather upgrade
Bruce: Please let me look into that for you. It should only take a moment.
Max: thanks
Bruce: that is the most beautiful leather I have seen in a long time - good choice!
Bruce: The promotional price with free shipping is $3465
Bruce: The regular price is $4590 so that is an $1125 savings
Max: can u tell me how that breaks down with what options?
Max: also - what is lead time?
Bruce: It is the price for a row of 4 seats in a curved configuration and the lead time is 6 weeks from order date to delivery.
Max: do u offer any white glove delivery service?
Bruce: Yes. It is an additional $150 on the total order and our service is a premium white glove service where our shippers will bring it to the room of choice, set it up, remove packaging and take that with them.
Max: gotcha - thank you bruce - you have been very helpful
Max: i am getting ready to purchase in the next couple of days
Bruce: Ok. Please call me directly if you have any questions at 888-602-7328 ext 711
Max: last question - i have been shopping and have seen the pallisar flashback with grade 1 leather (obviously -not as nice as what you are offering) - for as low as $2600 - is that the best price you can offer?
Max: absolutely - i am notating it down now
Bruce: There is a very large difference between a grade 1000 and grade 5000 leather - the 5000 is a premium top grain natural leather - but let me check on that price for the grade 1000....
Max: thanks
Bruce: We normally sell the grade 1000 at $2880.
Max: so question for u: according to your ad - you say:
Max: We are able to offer Leather Level 1000 Pricing on two of Palliser's premium Grade 5000 hides, the BRONCO and CAYMAN series. Both are buttery soft semi-aniline leathers. This is a FREE 4 Grade Upgrade and is only valid while stocks last. This is a once a year event so don't miss out on this GREAT DEAL!!
Max: why is the price $3495 and not the $2880?
Bruce: because the Cayman and Bronco leathers are only available in a full leather seat whereas the grade 1000 price i quoted was for a leather match seat - where there is leather on all the seating surfaces and a perfect synthetic match on the back and lower exterior sides
Max: i appreciate all of your info and time bruce
Max: i will call you in the next couple of days and see what we can work out
Bruce: Thanks Max...please call me if you have any further questions
Bruce: Thank you for visiting Theaterseatstore.com. Please do not hesitate to contact us again through the online chat feature or by phone at (888) 602-SEAT if you have any further questions or comments. Have a great day.