Six Home Theatre Seating Tips

If you want to improve your movie and television viewing experience, then buying theatre seats for your living room or media room is the way to go. Having a comfortable place to sit for the latest blockbuster, big game, or most recent episode of American Idol can make all the difference between enjoying a couple hours of fun entertainment and spending the whole time with an aching back thanks to subpar furniture that lacks proper support.

As you shop for affordable home theatre seating, you might be overwhelmed by the number of choices out there. Should you go with a recliner or a chaise lounge? Do you have enough space for an entire sectional or should you just stick to a couple of matching theatre seats? Before getting out your credit card, take a moment to review the following six home theatre seating tips.

1. Make enough space. In general, the more space you have in your living room or media room, the better. Theatre seats are fairly large, so try to use the biggest room at your disposal. You might even want to shift other furniture around to reclaim more space in the main viewing area.
2. Consider the number of viewers. Do you like to watch movies and sporting events with a group of friends or do you prefer to go the solo route? The answer to this question will determine how much home theatre seating you need to buy.
3. Shop with your existing décor in mind. Ideally, your new furniture should nicely complement your existing décor. The last thing you want to do is buy theatre seats that clash with your carpeting or wall art.
4. Look for a balance of comfort and support. Having the right balance of comfort and support in your chair, sectional, or love seat is crucial to the long-term enjoyment of your furniture. Sometimes a "comfortable" chair fails to provide enough support, and vice versa. Reading user reviews can help you find products that offer the perfect balance.
5. Purchase the best quality you can afford. Home theatre seating will be subjected to a lot of wear and tear, so it would be a good idea to buy furniture that is made of durable, stain-resistant materials for lasting performance.
6. Create a budget and stick to it. Prices for theatre seats vary greatly. They can start at a few hundred dollars for basic models and go all the way up to several thousand dollars for top-of-the-line units. To help ensure that you spend only what you can afford, create a budget and stick to it.

Buying home theatre seating is a terrific way to make watching movies at home a lot more fun and exciting. By following the six tips listed above, you'll have a smooth shopping experience and can begin enjoying your new furniture soon.

Holiday Home Theater Design Options

Does your family love watching TV shows, movies, and sporting events at home? Do your kids often bring their friends over to play PS3, Xbox, or Wii video games for hours on end? Do you wish you had a dedicated media room for these activities? If you've answered yes to these questions, then maybe it's time to start designing your very own home theater.

This does not have to be an overly complicated or expensive endeavor, especially if you take the time to plan every move beforehand. In fact, assuming you already have a suitable television, all you really need to add are some speakers, a few pieces of home theater furniture, and some accessories to finish the job.

The holidays are actually a terrific time to get this project underway because a lot of the required electronic components and home theater seating will be on sale. This means you can end up saving a lot of money by getting started now.

Before you begin shopping for home theater furniture and equipment, however, keep the following points in mind:

Room size

The size of the room will obviously determine how much home theater seating you can install. Smaller rooms might only be able to accommodate one or two Palliser Bullet power recliners, while larger rooms would be able to handle full-sized Lane Advantage or Lane Colston sectionals. Taking accurate measurements and checking product sizes and specifications before you buy are critical to getting your media room properly furnished.

General layout

The television will be the focal point, of course, but from there you have to decide how you want to set up your speakers, components, and home theater furniture. Some options to consider include a straight line of VIP Cinema Clayton recliners; a curved Palliser Benson sectional; or side-by-side Bass Penthouse chairs. For larger rooms, you can even have a double row of home theater seating for the look and feel of a real cinema.

Electronic equipment can be contained on wall-mounted shelving, staged on the floor, or stored in an entertainment center cabinet. This will depend on space constraints as well as the type of mounting system you have for your television.

Budget

For most people, budget plays a key role in what they can do with their media room. If you don't have a lot of extra cash to work with, then entry level units such as the Klaussner Twilight or Berkline Tangiers recliner should be at the top of your shopping list. If money is no object, then you can look at high-end home theater furniture like the Fortress Matinee or the Fortress Hudson.

The same principle applies to the speakers and other electronic components you purchase. With a smaller budget, you'll have to settle for value-priced equipment, while a larger budget will allow you to buy the best products available.

Setting up a dedicated media room with extra speakers and home theater seating is a project that will benefit the entire family. Take advantage of current holiday sales to get the electronic equipment and home theater furniture you need at the lowest prices of the season!

Home Theater Seating With Power Recliners

After a long, tough day on the job, nothing beats relaxing in front of your huge flat-screen television to watch the newest releases from Netflix. And when you toss in your favorite beverage and a bowl of buttered popcorn, work problems magically disappear for the remainder of the evening. The only thing that could possibly improve this scenario would be the addition of home theater seating to your living room.

Watching a movie from typical couches or armchairs just doesn't compare to the experience you get with home theater chairs. That's because today's home theater chairs are comfortable, stylish, and equipped with amenities not found in standard furniture. This is particularly true with regards to power recliners, which are quickly becoming the most sought-after home theater seating product on the market.

Power recliners are superior to manual recliners and other furniture options because of the following features:

• Push-button recline. The reclining mechanism on automatic home theater chairs operates with the touch of a single button located conveniently on the armrest. This means you don't have to struggle with a lever or change your physical position in order to get the chair to move.

• Recline in any position. Unlike manual recliners that give you only two or three positions to choose from, power recliners allow you to recline at any angle. Simply push the button to begin reclining, and then release the button when you reach your desired position.

• Fast and smooth operation. These home theater chairs are made with the latest technology to ensure fast and smooth operation. You can go from the upright position to fully reclined in a matter of seconds without spilling any food or drinks you might have on the trays or in the cupholders.

• Handy accessories. As with most of the other home theater seating products we carry, our power recliners are available with a variety of standard and optional accessories, including LED cupholders, removable food trays, armrest storage compartments, and LED ground lighting.

Being able to unwind at home while leaving the cares of your job behind is an essential part of maintaining your sanity. Make sure you're able to do this in unparalleled comfort and style by purchasing a power recliner from the home theater seating experts at TheaterSeatStore.com.

Top Palliser Theater Seating Options for Your Home

Theater seating is becoming a common fixture in residences all across the country as people strive to create the best at-home movie and television viewing experience possible. The spaciousness and amenities of theater-style chairs and couches appeal to consumers' ideals of comfort and convenience, making these products a consistent top seller in the furniture industry.

When it comes to buying theater seating for your home, Palliser is the only name you need to know. Over the years, this manufacturer has forged a well-earned reputation for quality craftsmanship, durable construction, and superior styling, which is why they are the number one choice among TheaterSeatStore.com's customers.
If you're thinking about upgrading your furniture, take a look at the following Palliser theater seating options:

• Bullet Power Recline. Available in black or brown leather, this chair automatically reclines with the push of a button. It also comes with built-in cupholders, ambient base lighting, and a removable swivel tray that is perfect for popcorn, snacks, or your iPad or laptop.

• Blade Power Recline. This is the best-selling Palliser product we carry. The Blade model features a generous 44" back height to ensure comfort for our taller customers, and offers superior support in the head, neck, lumbar, and leg areas. It comes with a deeply padded seat back and seat cushion, an automatic recline button, and has a space saving design.

• Sequelle. For those with truly discriminating tastes, we recommend the Palliser Sequelle. This is a wall-hugging unit that allows you to fully recline even when the seat back is just a few inches away from the wall. The Sequelle can be purchased in a variety of different colors, patterns, and materials to suit your tastes, and can be further customized with Power Recline or Bass Shakers.

• Circuit. This brand-new model represents the ultimate in home theater seating comfort, thanks to the ergonomic design and pillow top seat cushion. LED cupholders, LED base lighting, and armrest storage are all standard. Moreover, you can choose from straight or curved configurations, as well as loveseat or sofa-style designs to get the look you want for your home.

Any of the above Palliser products can help transform your dull living room into an entertainment enthusiast's dream. Be sure to visit TheaterSeatStore.com today to view our entire collection of theater seating options and choose the recliner, chair, couch, or loveseat that best fits your décor.

Home Theater Seating Ideas Just In Time For Football Season

As a football fan, you most likely have a game day ritual that you go through as you prepare to watch your favorite team destroy the competition. This might include eating a certain meal, wearing a particular jersey, or catching the action with the same group of friends every weekend. All of these things help make you feel more connected to your team and make being a spectator a lot more fun.

To further enhance your viewing experience, you should consider adding home theater seating to your man cave, basement, or living room. Home theater chairs are often more comfortable than standard recliners or sofas, and are available in your favorite pro or collegiate team's colors so there will never be any doubt about where your loyalties lie.

At TheaterSeatStore.com, we carry several styles of home theater seating for football fans, including the following officially licensed products:

• NFL Pub Sofa. This stain resistant sofa features superior lumbar support, extra plush padding, and pillow top seat cushions to ensure you'll be comfy even if the game goes to overtime. The sofa comes in your favorite NFL or NCAA team's primary colors and has a logo on the middle headrest.
• NFL Classic Sofa. For a home theater seating option with a traditional look, check out our NFL classic sofa. This product is made from premium density foam and Teflon treated microfiber for complete stain resistance and durability. It is then finished off in your team's colors and logos so you can show your support all year round.
• NFL Home Team Recliners. Nothing beats kicking back in a recliner to watch your QB light up the other team's secondary all game long, and these home theater chairs allow you to do it in true NFL style. We're sure you'll appreciate the effortless reclining mechanism, chaise footrest, and generous amount of plush padding this product offers, as well as the fact that it comes with official team colors and logos.
• NFL Big Daddy Recliner. Home theater chairs don't get any bigger than this! The NFL Big Daddy Recliner boasts a 46" back height to accommodate even the tallest fans easily, while the sturdy lumbar support and footrest combine to provide excellent comfort in the reclining position.

If you're ready to take your football game day viewing experience to the next level, check out the home theater seating options we have at TheaterSeatStore.com. Our NFL and NCAA home theater chairs and sofas are a terrific way to show off your loyalty and are a must for every true fan!

Theater Seat Store Leads the Way to Black Friday

For the first time in company history, TheaterSeatStore.com is opening up Black Friday discounts to consumers everywhere beginning the week before Thanksgiving. The sale will run through Cyber Monday, November 28, 2011. In its largest sales event ever, TheaterSeatStore.com is offering customers 7% off any purchase over $1000. (Sale excludes only Palliser brand models)

This 7% off creates huge savings for those shopping through the Shopping Cart and entering coupon code TSS7BLACK or by calling one of the company’s helpful Comfort Specialists at (888) 602-7328.

TheaterSeatStore.com already features some of the lowest prices in the industry, and customers will still be eligible to receive free shipping on their orders and no taxes in 48 states.

By offering this unprecedented Black Friday Sale online, TheaterSeatStore.com is providing a way for its fans and new customers alike to outfit their home entertainment spaces with the highest quality home theater furniture available at incredibly discounted prices, from the comfort of their own homes. Secure shopping online is fastest, most convenient and cost effective way to shop for top-brands of furniture today, including Lane, Jaymar, and BarcaLounger, among others.

Albany Industries Furniture Now Available Online at TheaterSeatStore.com

For discriminating consumers looking for home theater seating with exclusive channeled comfort, high seat backs, and custom configuration, Theater Seat Store is pleased to announce that they are now offering Albany brand products in its extensive inventory of high-quality home theater furniture.

Albany is an industry leading brand manufactured in the United States with an emphasis on value, quality, and comfort. Theater Seat Store is the top-selling online retailer of home theater seating, and prides itself on carrying high-quality, high-value brands such as Albany. They have added several best-selling home theater seat models to their catalog just in time for incredible Black Friday savings. And as always at TheaterSeatStore.com, shipping is free to customer’s doorstep.

Albany theater seats such as the Albany 8630 feature fully padded head support, channeled seat backs, and padded chaise style ottomans in either manual or power recline.

Ordering is simple and convenient either through the TheaterSeatStore.com shopping cart or by calling one of the helpful Comfort Specialists at (888) 602-7328.

Theater Seat Store Adds Top-Selling Manufacturer Barcalounger to its Inventory

One of the leading names in reclining furniture is now available direct to you on TheaterSeatStore.com. The industry’s best-known online retailer continues to add top brands to its catalog, with Barcalounger available now just in time for Black Friday savings.

“We worked really hard to get this prestigious and high-quality manufacturer online for our customers in time for the holidays,” said the Theater Seat Store’s Peter Goldstein from the company’s Golden, Colorado, office. “We believe their exclusive home theater seating models such as the Cameo, with its tray tables and lighted rails, and the Matinee, with its handy cup holders, will provide our customers the kind of comfort and convenience they deserve.”

Barcalounger has been a household name in reclining furniture since the 1940’s. The company is renowned for its American-made quality and innovation. Being able to shop for this exclusive brand on TheaterSeatStore.com from the convenience of your own home with free shipping makes the shopping experience easier, more pleasant, and more cost-effective. One of TheaterSeatStore.com’s Comfort Specialists is available to assist you throughout the ordering process.

The Atomic - Another Hot New Theater Seat Exclusive

Palliser Atomic Theater Seat

TheaterSeatStore is proud to announce it's latest new exclusive introduction from Palliser -  the Atomic theater seat with a tray table.

The Atomic offers similar styling to one of the industry best sellers - the Pacifico - but adds one more exciting feature - the tray table.  The table fits securely into a brushed steel grommet on the front left arm rest of each recliner, just before the cup holder.  The demand for features in home theater is growing and storage and tray tables are highly sought after - along with power recline and lighted cup holders.

As with all Palliser models, this seat is available in black and brown premium top grain leather with perfect lower exterior matches, with power or manual recline options.  Custom order in other leather and fabric colors will be available in the not too distant future.  An industry leading warranty protects the frame, power recline and material covering ensuring complete peace of mind.  The black or brown leather manual recline versions will start selling for $579 including shipping with a $100 up charge for the power versions.

Ashley Furniture Buys Berkline Intellectual Property

Ashley Furniture has been the successful bidder for Berkline's intellectual property assets, paying $6.07M in the auction.  They had made an initial bid at the start of the bidding for $850,000 and beat other bidders.

Berkline decided to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2011 with the intention of liquidating it's assets.  As one of the leader's in reclining furniture and the largest brand in home theater seating, the news in March came as a surprise to many in the industry.   Their brand recognition and quality remained sought after - even after the announcement.  Berkline has been in existence since 1928 and operated out of Morristown Tennessee.

New Home Theater Introductions Across the Board

Lane Grandslam 175

This week marks the end of the Las Vegas Furniture Market which was the first major market post the demise of Berkline.  For this reason, there were many brands introducing large home theater offerings - some for the first time.

Lane Furniture brought 15 new styles to the show, many completely new designs incorporating sought after features like contour seating, chaise style foot rests and power headrests.  The offering is by far the largest in new home theater from any one single brand.  One promising design is the Bijou group which incorporates all these features.  Other more familiar models include the Matinee 103 which is the same design as the Berkline 12003 Reno.  Another Berkline favorite now being offered by Lane is the 13175 model which Lane have developed as the Grandslam 175.

Other brands offering new introductions to this category are Klaussner Furniture, Barcalounger and Mac Motion to mention just a few.

TheaterSeatStore.com Showcases Their Youtube Channel

We are proud to announce that now all the videos produced over the years on top selling home theater products for the site products can be found in one place on our Youtube page.  Just enter www.youtube.com/theaterseatstore and click on any one of the featured videos.

New videos added include Jaymar home theater products as well as the Palliser Blade.  Others will be included over the course of the next month with more expected in the 3rd quarter.

Lane Steps Into Home Theater in A Big Way

Lane 103 Matinee Theater Seat

The demise of Berkline came as a big surprise to many in the industry, the details of which are included in an earlier post in this blog.  Berkline represented the lion's share of the home theater seating furniture sold in the US market, with Palliser coming in close behind them.  The big question on everyone's mind was who will step up to the plate and challenge the space in Berkline's absence?

Lane Furniture Company appears to have taken that challenge and by all accounts is right on track to make a dent in this space.  Key Berkline models that offered features customers admired have been used in creating some exciting new Lane models at compelling price points - similar to those offered by Berkline.  Lane also strategically hired some of the top Berkline home theater staff in an effort to make an investment and concerted push into the industry.

The summer Las Vegas furniture market will be used to introduce at least 8-10 new Lane home theater models.  Having worked extensively with Lane over the past few years, we can confirm that these models are exciting and will bring something fresh to the market.  

Lane is the largest reclining furniture brand in the world and operates out of St Louis and Mississippi, shipping custom made furniture in 3-4 weeks from order date.

New Exclusive - The Bullet from Palliser

TheaterSeatStore is once again proud to announce a new exclusive event with Palliser Furniture - the arrival of a best in class space-saver called The Bullet. 

With the world of home theater experiencing a dramatic set back on the untimely announcement of Berkline's liquidation, the options to consumers in the short term will be constrained.  The Berkline Tangiers was a industry leading space-saver with no real competition from the field.  Now the Bullet offers all the same features and more. 

Features include a chaise style foot rest - missing in the Tangiers - with lighted cup holders and a burl wood black colored tray table.  The base of the seat has ambient lighting for a true theater experience.  Most importantly these lights are not daisy chained to the entire configuration like they would have been with Berkline (even though the Tangiers did not offer lighting - this type of connection existed on other Berkline models) which is a feature that has the ability to cause frustration.  If one seat loses it's lighting then the entire chain is broken and all seats will lose the ambient lights.

The Bullet is available in stock in most configurations and can be delivered in around 10 days.  Material options include black or brown leather match, with power recline or manual.  Of course this includes Palliser's industry leading warranty - limited lifetime on the frame and mechanism and 5 years on the padding - power is warranted for 2 years.

Dispelling the Myths on Power Recline

Power recline is now completely in the main stream but there is not a single day that goes by without someone from our sales floor being asked about the risks of ordering power over manual.  The concerns would have been valid a few years back but today it should not cause anyone to hesitate for a second.

The motors used in power recline theater seats generally all come from a small handful of manufacturers.  These same brands make the exact same motors that go into cars today.  There is no hesitation when buying a car with power recline seats so their should be no hesitation buying a theater seat.  In the event that you do have a problem with the motor there are fail safes.  One, all motors have at least a one year warranty and from my experience if you are going to have a motor breakdown, it happens right in the beginning - within the first week in about 80% of the cases we see.  The remaining 15% of break downs will occur within the first year and then there are about 5% of motors that will give out beyond that period.  

Lets further assume that the motor breaks outside of the warranty - circumstances are not as bad as you may think.  Replacing the motor is easy.  The cost of the replacement motor with shipping to your home is between $75-$100.  The motor itself can be installed by a child - it literally takes less than 5 minutes.

So, with some fears abated - go out and enjoy those seats!

Movie Theater Economics

The cost of going to the movies has changed today dramatically when compared to 20 years ago.  Here is some interesting data that was compiled by our team recently that provides some valuable insight into the economics of the transaction.  This could also be a key driver in the trend to home theater the experience.  No doubt technology has played an important part in that trend as well with the advent of affordable large screen home theater electronics and sound.  If you cannot read the fine print, check the full graphic on our site here.

 

A previous post in this blog referenced an article featured in the USA Today that discussed the rise of home theater environments here in the US.  Their popularity continues to soar and the desire from enthusiasts to create the authentic theater experience has not subsided.

So, with that in mind, how much does it cost to have your own home theater?  It really is not as bad as you might think.

Certainly offers some food for thought??

Director's Rate of Return

This article provided some interesting analysis on some director's budgets and the revenue earned on their movies.  It shows how certain director's seem to have the midas touch when it comes to generating a return in the movie industry which is notoriously tough to succeed in.  This is just one director but some others can be found here: Director's Return

Home Theater Seating Space Requirements

The number one question that needs to be answered when buying theater seating relates to the dimension and space requirements.  The two factors that need to be considered here are the size of the actual seats and the distance that one needs to sit from the screen. 

The seat dimensions are the easy part, the harder part is figuring out the placement of the furniture in relation to the other seats and the screen itself.  The size of the screen in front of the seating plays a pivotal role in this decision.  Knowing the furthest and closest that one can place the furniture is important. The formula for this is quite simple - take the horizontal - not diagonal - length of your screen and multiply that by 2X to get the closest to the screen and by 5X to get the furthest distance from the screen.

This diagram helps map this out:

Berkline Decides To Close It's Doors

Berkline Furniture Company is now the latest casualty of the economic recession here in the USA and as of early April has decided to close it's door and file for bankruptcy protection with a liquidation of assets.  Orders accepted by the factory were being honored - we're not sure for how long that will continue. 

This represents a sad day for the industry and a great loss to consumers as Berkline always maintained a high standard of quality - building most models domestically here in TN - they are one of the last US based furniture brands that haven't moved the majority of their production to Asia in some shape or form.

In the home theater industry, Berkline have been instrumental and powerful.  Their large range of models have driven the industry from a design perspective and dominated all home theater seating sales. 

There are also a number of rumors floating around that they will be resurrected by one of the heavy weight US furniture brands but that remains to be seen.  

Unethical Furniture - Is this too much?

Furniture is made primarily from wood, leather, fabrics and now polyurethane by-products.  The role of synthetic products in furniture has never been more important as the price of producing them decreases and the quality and look compared to the real thing improves.  But there are still some exotic materials that are being used that are getting attention.  They include:

• kangaroo hide
• cat and dog skins (in China)
• animal blood and bone (used for glues)
• ivory (no surprise)
• antlers
• human bones

Other popular hides are alligator and crocodile which are produced commercially now for many years - subject to seasonal hunting guidelines.  This article on Unethical Furniture goes into more detail on the use of 'unconventional' and sometimes 'unethical' products in furniture and other products and is well worth a read.