The Past and Future of Television

It’s a bit of a trend to say you don’t have a television at home. Some people fear their minds will be “poisoned” by today’s programming, and others don’t want a distraction of that kind in their home. Considering 98% of American households have had televisions since the 90’s, the notion of someone NOT wanting a television these days is rare. This 1927 invention revolutionized entertainment and is now readily available in a variety of sizes, prices, and formats--but it wasn't always that way.

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When you hear the term “cathode ray” you probably think of a retro sci-fi movie with men in silver space suits. But the cathode ray was actually a main component of early television sets which were called picture tubes because of the ray’s structure. Images were first created by coding radio waves or scanning images onto a rotating disk. There were no transforming robots or blue aliens on these television sets. The first image ever projected from a television was a line. Yes, just a regular line and then a dollar sign.  As for the size of these “picture tubes”, all you had to do was set aside a small space if you were able to purchase one, because they measured in around 5” x 12”.

1955 Zenith Remote Control

You might have heard of the RCA company--especially if you’re reading this blog. Well, they considered the television such an important invention that they invested $50 million into its development. When World War 2 came around, however, the buzz quickly died down, and production pretty much halted when larger companies turned to producing materials for the war effort. Once the war was over and the “baby boom” generation was born, the evolution of the television went full speed ahead.

Cable? 1940’s. Color television? Patented in 1904, authorized to broadcast in 1953. Remote controls? 1956. People seem to have this idea that the 50’s were some sort of dinosaur age when it came to technology (no Instagram!?) but the opposite was true. Remember that line that was projected? Americans now had the ability to chose from a handful of television shows like “Howdy Doody”. They got their news information from two 15 minute daily broadcasts, which was a huge deal considering Americans only received news from the radio before those brief reports.

Ancient VCR Tapes

The 80’s saw a boom in television accessories like the VCR and, of course, Nintendo, but the 90’s ushered in the future of television sets. Parental controls, the sleep timer, and the picture-in-picture feature all appeared in the 90’s. While plasma TV’s were still in their experimental phases, the technological aspects of television weren’t the only ones changing. We were being exposed to sitcoms like Roseanne, and a little something called reality television. Programming was changing just as fast as the tech.

The 2000’s brought on the death of analog television. HD and BluRay became household terms and TiVO appeared to make sure you never missed out on your favorite shows. After 2009, all televisions turned to a digital format. Televisions also changed physically--they became thinner, lighter, and bigger at the same time.

3D TV In Your Home

What can we expect in the years to come? We already have 3-D television and Google Glass. Sony is playing pioneer this time. They are already working on a “4HD” television that has a resolution of nearly 4,000 pixels horizontally. That’s like bringing theater-quality viewing into your home. Also, this “4HD” television measures a huge 84” and costs a hefty $25,000. Other things you can do with 25K? Travel to Europe and Asia, buy a car, put a down payment on a home, and attend a few semesters at a university--it all comes down to priorities.

So, if you want to experience the future of television and you already have a 3D TV at home, start saving your pennies and set aside some space.

Keeping Gadgets Clean

We love our tablets, smartphones, and HDTVs. Like it or not, technology is here to stay, so we might as well learn how to take care of our gadgets and keep them in excellent condition--after all, you might want to sell your current model on eBay the moment your favorite company releases a new model. But before you reach for your “All-in-One” cleansing solution, you might want to check out our tips below. As a matter of fact, your home use cleaning products should be kept as far away from your gadgets as possible.

Clean Your Ceiling Fans & Vacuum Your Rugs

I promise this is relevant to technology. Rugs and carpets are dust houses. Think of all of the traffic they experience throughout the day--the dirt they take in from your shoes or your pets. Now stand in your living room and look up. Hey! When’s the last time you cleaned that ceiling fan? If you look closely at the blades, you might notice a collection of dust bunnies along the edges. This combination of dust from above (and below) will show up quickly on glassy surfaces--you know, like the surface of your television. So, make sure you don’t ignore these areas. They need to be cleaned more often than you think.

Movies Every Home Theater Should Have

No home theater is complete without an impressive movie collection. While technology continues to to advance and the visual quality of our favorite flicks changes, we purchase those same movies with every update to keep our library fresh. There are certain movies that people consider "must haves"--usually heart-wrenching masterpieces like Schindler’s List or cinematic legends like Citizen Kane. But a movie’s notoriety doesn't always mean it will earn a spot on your shelf. Sometimes, when it comes to a home theater collection, it's all about the bang! The special effects, the thrilling soundtracks; some movies must be seen over and over again--no matter what critics might say. So, which movies do we recommend? Here are some of our staff favorites in no particular order.

Copyright Universal Studios, 1993

Jurassic Park (1993)
We now know (sadly) that there's no way to extract dino DNA from a piece of amber, but that doesn't mean we don't want to go back to Jurassic Park every once in awhile. While the movie franchise expanded into a trilogy (and soon, a quadrilogy) there's nothing like the original movie. With impressive special effects and a soundtrack by score master John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones), this movie is one to watch with full surround sound. If you can't see your glass of water  tremble when the T. Rex roars, you're not doing it right.

Watch the official Jurassic Park Trailer

Copyright DreamWorks, 1998

Saving Private Ryan  (1998) 

Considered one of the greatest war movies of all time, Saving Private Ryan needs the audio quality of a stereo system to bring the battle to you. While it is gory, it is also an honest picture regarding the horrors of war. While rooting on Tom Hanks and his soldiers as they hunt down Nazis and look for Private Ryan, you'll also want to make sure your seat is soft and comfortable. The movie is long at 169 minutes, but the flick is well worth it.

Watch the official Private Ryan Trailer

Copyright Alfred Hitchcock, 1960

Psycho (1960)
A&E’s Bates Motel series is creating a new audience of Norman Bates fans, but the black and white horror classic is what really belongs in your collection . Alfred Hitchcock created a slew of noteworthy movies, but Psycho, based on the life of serial killer Ed Gein, is the Hitchcock film people most often recall. While the shower scene is usually the main topic of conversation when it comes to this film, many don't remember exactly how twisted Norman Bates was. Let’s just say, he was the original mama’s boy.

Watch the official Psycho Trailer

Copyright Tri-Star Pictures, 1991

Terminator 2 (1991)
You know the catchphrase and remember the music, but Terminator 2 was also known for it’s groundbreaking special effects. The robotics and the liquid metal transformation of the movie’s villain (the T-1000) created an all-to-real world where machines have taken over. Considering the advancements Google is making with their technology, the future portrayed in the Terminator movies might not be as far away as you think.

Watch the official Terminator 2 Trailer

Copyright Disney, 2010

TRON: Legacy (2010)
Say what you will about the original TRON, but this Disney movie was the birth of computer animated movies. The sequel to TRON, which came over 20 years later, was a visual and musical spectacle worthy of any sound system and a 3-D television. With a soundtrack by the techno duo Daft Punk and incredible graphics in the blue-toned world of The Grid, TRON: Legacy is a fun movie viewers of any age can enjoy.

Watch the official Tron Legacy Trailer

With the summer movie season approaching, we’re sure we will be adding quite a few movies to the list, but for now it’s a good starting point.

Movie Marathon Ideas

You have your luxurious new seating and a crystal clear television screen ready for your viewing pleasure--but what do you do with it? Sure, you can watch the game (if there is one) or maybe catch an episode of your favorite sitcom, but nothing beats watching an amazing movie with the lights dimmed low and a bowl full of warm popcorn. To add some variety to your movie night, we’ve come up with some movie marathon ideas to make your home entertainment, well, more entertaining

Black and White Movie Marathon

Go back to the days of analog television and cookie-cutter families with a black and white movie marathon. Serve up classic cocktails (of which you can find the recipes on Google) and request your friends wear their Sunday best. No microwaveables ,please! All snacks should be baked (or bought--no one has to know) and absolutely no smart phones or tablets allowed---those things didn’t exist back then.

Movie suggestions: Casablanca, Psycho, Some Like it Hot, Roman Holiday

The Geek Chick Marathon

Okay, so being a geek wasn’t really considered “cool” until shows like The Big Bang Theory came around, but now, he who has the best home theater becomes the alpha geek out of the group of friends! Your thickest-rimmed glasses and faded band t-shirts are the required attire, and while tablets are allowed this time, they should only be used to announce your party to the world via social media. Pizza and beer are on the menu for the night.

Movie suggestions: Blade Runner, TRON, Star Wars: A New Hope, Back to the Future

The Fright Night Marathon

For some reason, people always wait until Halloween to watch horror movies. Then they go overboard with Jell-O eyeballs and marshmallow ghosts. But who wants to wait until October to have a scary movie marathon? Host a Fright Night marathon with your friends at any time of the year. Instead of kitschy party treats, you and your friends will take part in a drinking game to test your fear leves. Every jump is a shot and every scream is worth two! As for the dress code? It doesn’t really matter, does it? Psycho killers aren’t worried about your fashion sense.

Movie Suggestions: Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, REC

The 80's Marathon

The 80’s were awesome. We wouldn’t have blockbuster franchises like Transformers and video games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City without the music, cartoons, and movies of that era. The dress code and the menu should reflect the kaleidoscopic rainbow of the 80’s-- colorful and sugary. Get the rainbow sprinkles and the Day-glo socks! It’s time to have a seat with your best friends to check out these classic 80’s (and 80’s inspired) movies. And yes, it’s okay to wear your sunglasses at night.

Movie Suggestions: Scarface, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Top Gun

We could go on with our movie suggestions, but we know how personal movie choices can be. Try to think of your own movie marathon themes and gather up your best friends. You could all take turns picking themes and homes, but we have a feeling everyone will want to come to your house after seeing your awesome home theater set up.

Southern Motion Makes A Splash

Southern Motion Furniture is a relatively new company in the realm of furniture - only having started 17 years ago - a mere baby - where many established US based furniture companies are multiples, if not centuries older than that.  Their age has not stopped them from becoming a force to be reckoned with and it always amazes our team how concerned other brands seem to be at the mere mention of the ‘Southern Motion’ name.  

That type of reaction only happens when a company is doing something better than anyone else.  And those fears are justified.

Having focused only on motion furniture, they have become masters at their trade.  Now they are including home theater seating in their line and we are excited to present their full range of theater seats.  Here are is a run down of the models by popularity from our customers after having had them live for just a few weeks:

Viva Model 2577

The Viva is so unique in its styling that you are guaranteed not to ever see this made by any another brand.  The arm rests are backward sloping and arc in a very contemporary design that looks like the chair you would expect to see the Captain of the Starship Enterprise sitting in.  

The seat back is layered with dense padding that runs down the full length of the chair to the very end of the chaise styled foot rest.  The comfort factor is a 9 out of 10 and the Viva can be ordered in many colors in fabric, leather and bonded leather.  We have seen this seat in black and it looks breathtaking.

One criticism leveled at the Viva is the lack of padding on the arm rest.  While I did sit in this seat, it was not for an extended period of time, but I still found the arm rests to be very soft and comfortable with no noticeable discomfort at all.

NFL Legends Show Humble Respect for Life on the Grid Iron

In terms of luxury homes owned by professional Athletes, current Denver Broncos Quarterback, Peyton Manning has an absolutely beautiful mansion in Cherry Hills, Colorado.   His home is valued at $4.5 million dollars and features a wine cellar, billiards room, and home theater room.  What is most confusing to us is that his home theater looks like an average den or family room.  The room itself is classy and full of grace, yet may be found in any upper middle-class American home.

As a career football player one would think that retired Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway would want a simply amazing space to relive the golden memories of six AFC Championships and two Super Bowl victories, but it seems that his high-tech entertainment room is simply ordinary.  As a native Colorado professional Home Theater retailer, we would love to give his entertainment room a makeover.

Terry Bradshaw, former quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers listed his $9.9 million dollar Oklahoma 7500 square foot ranch home which sits on 650 Acres of beautiful Oklahoma land.  This rustic home features 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and 2 partial bathrooms with an array of relaxation options like a pool, tennis courts, a barn, an exquisite outdoor grilling arena and a simple entertainment room.  We got a good look at the listing for his home couple of years ago, and it doesn't look like this house has a home theater either!  The former athlete's photographed entertainment room consisted of a billiards and gaming table, coupled with a fully equipped old-fashioned juke box. 

Joe Montana, a legend in the history of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs listed his 500 acre Tuscan-Style Napa Valley estate for a whopping $49 million dollars which remained on the market at that price from 2010 until 2012.   We scoured the web but could not find a single photograph of an entertainment room or home theater on this property. 

We are a bit confused.   We assumed that someone who loves the game as much as they do would need the prestige, comfort, and bragging rights of a luxurious home theater fully adorned with relics and mementos of their successful careers.   So why do so many star NFL Quarterbacks have meager home theaters? 

Our best guess is that life on the field has given them a unique perspective.   Rather than sitting back and watching the game, they prefer to live it.

Traditional Movie Theater Seating Takes the Stage

We are excited to announce an expanded selection of traditional movie style seats.  These seats are typical  

Finesse Plus Movie Seat

of what one may find in your local movie theater, but with many more bells and whistles.

Movie seats are easier options when forward space is limited when compared to many of the full extension loungers that we sell like Octane®, Palliser and Berkline.  The loungers all have full length foot rests that require a lot of forward space between rows. 

There are literally several hundred new movie seat styles available to us but we are showing just the top 27 styles based on customer interest and past performance.

Features like rockers, tray tables and cup holders come standard on many of the models and their flexibility in color and cover combinations is massive.  More importantly, these seats allow for the selection of various internal seating widths – not available on the loungers – so one gets the option of flexibility on the width too.

Our best selling styles are the Regal Plus, Verona Plus, Finesse Plus and the Como movie seats.  Every seat is manufactured here in North America and delivers from order date in 6-8 weeks.  The Plus version seats offer expanded features like a bigger wider seat back, or more arm rest variations when compared to the standard version of that style.  See the difference here between the Finesse Plus and the Finesse.

With impeccable quality and absolute attention to detail, these seats are receiving a very warm welcome from our customers and we are excited that we can now offer this expanded collection to our starting in 2014.

Some Great Year End Lists – What A Year It Was!

It’s the end of another year and the web is full of some excellent ‘Best of’ and ‘Worst of’ lists that we

thought might be worth compiling here for our readers.  The year was significant for the movie and theater industry in many ways.

For one, it was the highest domestic grossing box office year in history – a significant achievement.  The number one movie in gross revenue earned a cool $1.2B - don't worry, we aren't going to spoil it - and the number 2 movie was animated.  Can you guess what that might have been?  All of the top 5 grossing movies were part of franchises or a series which speaks to the power of characters that we know and love.  In fact, the top grossing movie this year is part of a franchise that is close to toppling the biggest grossing franchise of all time - Harry Potter.  This is sure to happen with their next release.  Super heroes were once again a big factor in the top 10 rankings. Do you think you know who the three were?  The most surprising ranking was the highest earning actor - we did not see that one at all but it's well deserved.  He is a local to South FL and just an overall damn nice guy! There were also many low points like the loss of Paul Walker tragically near the end of the year. 

Here they are in no specific order:

·         Highest Grossing Films of 2013 
·         Most Pirated TV Shows 
·         TV Guide’s Top 60 Series of All Time 
·         15 Highest Grossing Foreign Movies of 2013 
·         Top 10 Money Making Stars of 2013 
·         Most Pirated Films of 2013 
·         Top Grossing Actors of 2013 
·         Highest Paid TV Actors of 2013 
·         Top 100 Movies of 2013 
·         25 Best Movies of 2013 
·         The 10 Worst Movies of 2013 
·         Stars of Films We Lost in 2013 
·         Best and Worst Movie Moments of the Year 
·         Best TV Shows of 2013 

That’s a wrap!  Thank you for all your support in 2013 and we look forward to a fantastic new year ahead!

Are ‘Second Screen’ Devices Becoming Top Dog in the Living Room?

Image from Shutterstock.com

These days, more and more people getting their news, entertainment and game fixes off their mobile devices. This has given rise to the term ‘Second Screen’, with the smaller mobile device becoming a companion to the ‘first screen’ or home TV set. Not only do smartphones allow TV shows and movies to be taken out of the living room and enjoyed on the go, they also offer a way for people to get extra content about the shows that they are watching. Want to look up a map of Middle Earth while watching Fellowship of the Ring? No problem! Want to get the recipe for the soufflé featured on your favorite cooking show? Easy. You can even search local stores for the best prices on ingredients. Streaming Media magazine first reported on this phenomenon in 2011, and it has grown ever since.

Now it looks like the second screen may be overtaking the first screen in popularity. A recent article on TechCrunch noted that 50% of online entertainment giant Hulu’s viewers are using their mobile devices exclusively. This number is a sharp rise from previous years, and it does not take into account those who watch on desktop computers. The interesting thing is much of this mobile viewing is taking place in the living room with the TV turned off or completely absent.

Image from TheaterSeatStore.com

With mobile devices getting less expensive and cable TV costs going up, it looks like more and more people will “cut the cord” and enjoy their content on the go. What does this mean for us? At TheaterSeatStore.com, we also recognize this trend and now offer removable tray tables and specialized tablet holders on many of our home theater seat models. This allows the mobile user to enjoy all of the comfort and convenience of home theater seating while offering easy access to their mobile device of choice. Whether they prefer to watch the small screen, or search for more information while watching their favorite movie on a 105” 4K TV and Dolby surround sound system.

3 Reasons to Use a Sound Bar for Your Home Theater

 Sound bars have become a popular speaker choice for many home theaters simply because of their size. They are a great compromise between a large surround-sound system and the tinny speakers on your TV set. Below are some reasons why you may want to try one of these new devices in your own home theater space.

Walk into any electronic store or browse home theater websites on the Internet, and you are sure to see sound bars. These long and thin boxes are often paired with a subwoofer and designed to mount underneath your flat panel TV. While many sound bars claim to deliver surround sound, they cannot compete with a full 6-speaker surround sound system. Despite this limitation, there are some reasons why you might choose a sound bar over multiple speakers in your home theater. Here are three reasons that we feel are the best.

3. Limited Space – Many home theaters end up being wedged into whatever space is available. Often times this space is compact, not offering much room for a full surround sound setup. In a case like this, a sound bar may make better sense as it may not be possible to put rear speakers behind the couch or home theater seats. Also, a smaller room may enhance the faux surround sound feature mentioned on many sound bars.

2. Easy to Use – For the most part, sound bars are not complex pieces of equipment. Many models don’t even come with a separate remote, opting to have the TV remote programmed to control it. Some sound bars plug into your TV via HDMI or optical audio cables. A few higher-end models even offer a built-in switchbox to let you choose between your game console, cable box, Blu-ray player or other components. Once a sound bar is properly set up, it will usually work as an extension of the TV, so you do not need a second remote to control it.

1. Budget – A good surround sound setup can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands and even millions of dollars. A good sound bar often costs much less starting at $199 or so. This price discrepancy is often enough to get more people to buy sound bars and raise their popularity. If you do not care about true surround sound, but don’t want to listen to your TV’s small and tinny speakers, a sound bar might just be the thing that you are looking for.

For more information on choosing the right sound bar, check out this review on CNET.

Coming Soon! Black Friday Deals to Rock Your Home Theater

2013 Black Friday Sale for TheaterSeatStore.com

As the start of the holiday shopping season looms ever closer, we look forward to its official start on Black Friday with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Anticipation for the great door-buster deals to be had and dread at getting up at 3am, fighting in traffic and standing in line. Actually, 3am is a bit of a late start anymore as some retail outlets want to start Black Friday a day early on Thanksgiving (much to the chagrin of their employees).

With that in mind, we at TheaterSeatStore.com offer an alternative. Shop on our website, check off your gift list, and then call us at (888) 602-7328 to take advantage of unprecedented home theater savings. We offer four great Black Friday Deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your couch:

50% off Power Recline on Lane Home Theater Seats – Power recline lets you recline back to the perfect comfort angle at the touch of a button, and now you can add it to any Lane home theater recliner for half the normal price. This adds a lot of luxury and convenience for very little price.

Image from www.theaterseatstore.com

10% Discount and FREE Extended warranty on all Octane Seats – Octane Performance Seating is our newest brand that encompasses all of the great things about luxury home theater seating. Leather upholstery, tall seat backs and chaise style footrests work with a bevy of other features to take your movie or sports watching to another level. Now you can get the Turbo XL700 and the Bolt XS400 at a 10% discount with an Extended Warranty added free of charge!

Free Upgrades on Palliser Home Theater – Palliser home theater seats are a hot commodity right now, and can go toe to toe with high-end home theater seating without the huge price tag. For Black Friday we are adding FREE White Glove Delivery to any Palliser order over $2,000 or FREE Extended Warranty to orders over $2,500.

6% Off Everything Else – If you are not in the market for any of the above brands, you can still accessories like room packages. This is perfect for rounding out your perfect home theater and saving a little money at the same time. You can get this savings on the website by entering coupon code BLACKTSS during checkout.

Lane End Zone 222 Home Theater Seats

enjoy a 6% discount on almost any other item on TheaterSeatStore.com. This discount is good for everything from home theater seating to TV stands and

Our Black Friday Sale is only around from now until December 2nd, so the sooner you get your shopping list fulfilled the sooner you can sit back in a brand new leather home theater recliner and watch the frustrated masses from your window.

Introducing Octane Seating for a High Performance Home Theater Experience

Theater Seat Store has always been the go-to place for luxury home theater seating, but now they shift into overdrive as they unveil their signature line of home theater recliners. Octane Seating takes all of the style and power of your favorite muscle car and puts it in a home theater package that is as comfortable as it is stylish. The Octane line has two models for now, with more to come. Both of these recliners feature automotive inspired seating and power recline with extra features such as hidden storage, tray tables, tall seat backs and sleek yet durable leather based upholstery.

Image from www.theaterseatstore.com

Turbo XL-700 – This Home theater seat has all the bells and whistles of a European Supercar without the crazy high price tag. A 44 inch seat back features segmented padding and an angled head rest for the pinnacle of comfort. Press a button, and the optional power recline pulls you back into a state of comfy bliss. Built-in lumbar support, high density furniture foam and buttery soft bonded leather supports you from head to toe in the lap of luxury. Hidden storage spaces in the arms conceal removable tray tables and tablet holders to hold your favorite snacks and tablet. Browse the Internet to monitor your fantasy football team while you watch the big game! With superior quality craftsmanship, the Turbo XL-700 is designed to keep you comfy for many years, and like a classic car retain its good looks.

Image from www.theaterseatstore.com

Bolt XS-400 – The unique split-back design of the Bolt XS-400 is designed to support your lumbar region for hours of movie watching pleasure. Extra padding in the headrest supports your head and neck, while a chaise-style footrest cradles your legs and feet. This gives you the ideal blend of comfort from head to toe. Optional power recline is built on an automotive seat motor that is designed to last for many years. The Bolt’s arms are thinner than most models, making it an ideal choice for small spaces or to add more seats per row. The arms widen at the top to hold full size cupholders for your favorite beverage. Like the Turbo, the Bolt is available in manual or power recline models covered with bonded or premium leather upholstery.

The Octane Seating brand is sure to be the go-to seat choice for many a home theater enthusiast.