Palliser HT Features Video

Palliser is a leader in home theater furniture and is known for its quality and clean designs.  The nature of Palliser seating is that it is generally all custom order product which means that each item can be customized by material, color and many features.

This short but very informative video released by the brand, gives an excellent overview of some of the options that are available for this top home theater seating brand.  The features identified in this video represent the most popular features but are by no means all the features.  The list is far more substantive and includes many upgrades.

Every Palliser seat comes with an industry leading warranty that covers the frame and material for years of hassle-free use.  With over 6 years of exposure to this brand, we are happy to see their position and quality remains at an industry best level.

Klaussner Expands It's Line-up

Klaussner Juno in white leather

Klaussner Furniture is the 4th largest US furniture brand by the numbers and now they are pushing more aggressively into the home theater space.  A number of new custom introductions have been introduced that are worthy of mention and are an excellent addition to this space.

Apart from the Studio, Ambassador and Shubert that were discussed in a previous post, we are happy to welcome the Juno, Astor Place, New Amsterdam, Palace and AMP to the home theater seating market.  All of these new frames can be custom ordered with a host of fabrics, leathers and bonded leathers and deliver from the factory to your home in 6 weeks from the time of order.  Dominated by all the best features like chaise style foot rest and higher seat backs, these theater chairs are going to make an impact.

For more information on the individual styles and designs, please click here.

What Makes Lane Recliners Special

Lane is the largest manufacturer of reclining furniture in the world.  Their presence in home theater - essentially a reclining chair with cup holders - has never been bigger.  The options available now from this prestigious brand abound and the seats are feature rich and built for comfort.

What does this really mean?  Well, its easier for me to show you via a Lane video.  This clip goes into details on how the seating is constructed and how Lane innovates when it comes to a dedicated focus on comfort and quality.

Their recliners are not just any recliners.  Pocket coil seating, superior high density foam and solid frame construction or some of the many qualities that exist in reclining furniture from Lane.

Installing a Home Theater Electronics System

Getting your perfect home theater room to kick-off can be a daunting task.  There is equipment to buy, furniture to measure for, handyman skill sets to sharpen up on - and that's not even the half of it.

One area that seems to always be met with confusion is the wiring and equipment side of the project.  It requires attention to detail and expertise or the end result could be dangerous and hazardous to say the least.  Careful consideration needs to be given to the power outlets, light sources, wire organization and electronic documentation.

Our team here wanted to help shed some light on the areas to focus on in preparation of this aspect of the project and as a result produced a document that is well worth reading before you get started.  Installing a Home Theater System will provide insight and open up ideas for planning and achieving a successful outcome.  This is not an exhaustive resource but will keep the ball rolling in the thought and theater room planning process.

DIY Lane Home Theater Video

Lane home theater seating products are amongst ours and our customer's personal favorites.  The line of seating options available from Lane has expanded significantly since the demise of Berkline to fill the gap that existed with their departure.

Top sellers include the Lane 103 and 175 models which are feature rich and meet excellent price points.  The 103 Matinee includes deep in arm storage and a tray table in a footprint that is large and supportive.  This contrasts somewhat with the 175 seat which has a space savings design but also a high seat back for excellent upper body and neck support.  Both models are available in power and manual recline under a TheaterSeatStore quick ship program.  Lane's legendary brand warrants the products against defect to allow for complete peace of mind and enjoyment.

Here is a great DIY video that the Lane team have developed that educates home theater enthusiasts on how to develop a dedicated home theater oasis.  While the process can be challenging, this video should motivate anyone who is good when it comes to the DIY space and minor renovations and build outs.

Another great resource for a DIY home theater project is this article our team created recently on DIY Home Theater Design.  It provides some great resources on planning and getting ready for the project so that the end result matches your expectations.

Tablets vs. Theaters

The year 2011 saw the lowest movie theater attendance in the past twenty years, according to TechCrunch.com. People are watching more streaming content through their computers and tablets than ever before, even during prime time viewing hours at home.

Tablets cannot offer the in-person communal experience of a movie theater, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t social. Many TV shows offer specialized apps to access exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage and a chance to communicate with other fans, staff and even stars.

Drive-In movies have gone the way of the dinosaurs, but with good wireless reception and a convertible you can relive those days without the distraction of latecomers or those who need to get back before curfew even if the movie’s still playing.

The interactive nature of any Internet device also allows advertisers to tailor their content to individuals, but this is not necessarily a good thing. A world where all commercials are aimed specifically at you based on past purchases and your current demographics means less chance of discovering something you didn’t know you needed until you saw it advertised.

Still, as ticket prices rise and Hollywood’s creativity seems limited to sequels and remakes, it will get harder for theaters to compete with the privacy, portability and exclusive content offered by tablets.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, a free app offered by Apple lets you use your iPad as a universal remote, ensuring that you never again have to hunt through sofa cushions to change the channel.

Theater Room Packages

Home theater rooms have become very popular over the course of the last few years as the technology that provides the experience has improved.  More and more people favor the comfort and benefits of watching a great movie at home with friends (and pets) over dealing with crowds, expensive condiments and parking hassles.  It just makes sense.

The average home theater today is a media room in a home that has been accessorized with rows of seating, a big screen and projector and the occasional popcorn machine.  The concept can be taken much further with a true theater experience including curtains, risers (leveled platforms) and theater lighting.  This is more often done in more affluent homes because the cost of custom making the molding, risers, columns and banisters etc can run into the six figures and some even much higher.  This leaves people like myself standing in the cold wanting to get inside.

Fortunately, there is now an excellent solution.  The 'Theater in a Box' concept.  This is a package with all the necessary components that will allow any room to be magically converted into a true home theater with bells and whistles.  These packages (excluding seating and carpeting) run from around $3k to $7k.  They can all be installed in one full day from start to end.  Here are some of these packages recently added to our site Theater In A Box Packages

The Changing Face of Home Theater Equipment

Home theaters used to mean tons of components, a central receiver and a virtual army of remotes, but times – as they do – have changed. The economic crunch coupled with consumers getting tired of having to change to a new format every few years – remember VHS tapes and laser discs? – have changed the home theater landscape forever, offering the home theater buff more choices than ever before.

Multi-Use Platforms
Thanks to multi-purpose gaming consoles, it’s no longer necessary to have a different machine for each activity. Sony’s PlayStation3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 play blu-ray and DVDs, while they – along with Nintendo’s Wii – also allow users to watch streaming videos. Having one console to play games, watch movies and TV shows, listen to music and play games is a boon to people with smaller homes and shrinking paychecks.

Streaming Videos
According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, increasing numbers of people are using the Internet capabilities of their gaming platforms to stream TV shows and movies via ESPN,  Hulu Plus, Major League Baseball Network, Netflix and YouTube on their TVs, rather than on their much-smaller computer monitors. Paying by subscription rather than purchasing physical copies means access to a much larger film library than ever before.
A wider array of choices with fewer components means that a custom home theater is within reach of almost every budget.

Spring Warm Up Sale

Spring Warm Up Sale

TheaterSeatStore is running a promotion that will end on 05/06/2012 called the 'Warm Up Sale'.  This promo will offer a free upgrade to lighted cup holders on the following top selling models (usually a $50 upgrade per seat):

• Palliser Blade
• Palliser Pacifico
• Palliser Atomic
• The Magnolia
• Lane 103
• Lane 174
• Lane 123 & 124

Lighted cup holders are a great addition to a row of seats and add atmosphere and ambiance to your home theater room.  The controls can be individually turned on/off at each seat and do not any longer link together (daisy chain connection) which is a vast improvement in our opinion compared to past models of theater seating.

Cool Man Cave Stuff

Though it took men millions of years to get out of the caves and into modern housing, that primal male urge for a cave of his own has never left. According to a survey done by Servicemagic.com, 40 percent of homes contain a man cave; while another 13 percent report that they are building or at the very least planning one.

One of the most popular forms of man cave is the home theater, but they don’t all have to look the same. Making your man cave stand out from the pack is easier than you’d think.

State Your Theme

Whether you’re a fisherman, baseball buff or a tool time guy, shelves shaped like oars, bats or tools add a touch of humor to your manly retreat without adding the cost of a bar made from the front end of a Chevy or a functional rock-climbing wall behind the flat-screen TV.

Serve In Style

Refrigerators don’t have to be square white boxes any more than man caves have got to have stone walls. Small refrigerators come in many colors, sizes and shapes from the hot red enamel and chrome of sports car finishes to fridges made to look like jukeboxes or classic speakers. A working hot dog cart or old-school popcorn machine adds atmosphere and offers hot snacks, for a total win.

Tone it Down

As tempting as it is to go full-on Vegas with strobe lights and a stripper pole, you may eventually want to invite people other than men into your cave. Comfortable seating, good lighting and family-friendly décor may not be as exciting as leopard skin walls and pin-up girl posters, but they are definitely more versatile.

And if you’ve got to indulge your wild side, there’s always room for a small, discreet disco ball.

Pass the Popcorn, Please

According to a recent article in “The Consumerist,” a Michigan moviegoer sued his local theater manager for charging too much for popcorn while forbidding patrons to bring their own snacks into the theater. The theater owner replied that cleaning up after messy patrons costs money. Since you can’t charge your friends admission to your home theater – not and expect to have any friends -- how do you keep your home theater fresh and clean?

Size Does Matter

Bite-sized snacks tend to be less messy than larger ones. Smear a little soft cheese on dried apricots and top them with whole almonds. Fresh fruit is also hard to make a mess with, but if you need a bit of crunch, serve mini-pretzels and "goldfish" crackers instead of chips.

Cut the Crumbs

Use flatbread, naan, tortillas or pita bread torn into bite-sized pieces instead of crumbly crackers. Or roll a meat and a cheese – salami and provolone, turkey and Muenster, ham and Swiss – together with a dab of hot mustard and secure them with toothpicks. You can also try training your guests to eat cheese and crackers with the cracker on top, but do you really want to be that guy?

Cover Your Tracks

If you can’t watch the big game without authentic – and messy – Buffalo wings, make custom slipcovers out of disposable plastic tablecloths and painter’s paper tape. Toss sports-themed throws on top and your pals will admire your decorating skills and team spirit without ever realizing that your home theater furniture has been party-proofed.

Home Meridian International

Tips for Furnishing Your Home Theater

Your choice of home theater seating is every bit as individual as what you choose to watch in it. The biggest, sharpest screen and most awesome sound system won’t hold anyone’s attention if your seating is uncomfortable or awkwardly arranged. Home Meridian offers several models of the most comfortable and appropriate seating to make your home theater experience perfect for you.

Smaller Rooms

Marquee is perfect for smaller screening rooms. Popping up for snacks and drifting off for drinks during intermission shouldn’t involve an obstacle course, so don’t stuff your home theater with furniture that’s too big for it. This space-saving design offers wide, spacious seats with narrower arms, giving you big comfort with a small footprint.

Sturdy Support

Palisades features wide seats and backs that are 42” high to ensure that you are cradled in comfort after a hard day’s work. The extra room is welcome whether you’re a big man, a teen who likes to stretch out or a parent with little ones to cuddle. Lighted cup holders are pretty and practical and the gapless footrest ensures that your entire body is supported by thick padding covered in soft leather.

A-List Luxury

Regal is an excellent choice when getting the most for your dollar is important and only the best will do. Motorized headrests, power recline, gapless chaise styling and lighted cupholders all come together for home theater seating so attractive and luxurious it stands alone, leaving your room design clean, classic and uncluttered.


Once you know what you’re looking for, choosing the appropriate size, style and price of home theater seating is a lot easier than getting everyone to agree on what to watch.

Tips for Keeping Track of Remotes

The only question heard more often in a home theater than “What’s on?” is “Where’s the remote?” For legless, inanimate objects, they seem to disappear with frustrating frequency. Don’t panic. Once you’ve located your wandering remote, taming it is a lot easier than getting it away from the man of the house.

• Bag’em. Hang a cloth bag like those used for magazines over the arm of one of your theater seats. Hang it on the right for most people and on the left for southpaws. Once reaching down for the remote as you sit becomes a habit, so will dropping it back in the bag when it’s not in use.


• Box’em. Gather all of your remotes together if you have more than one, and place them in a decorative basket or box on the coffee table. Many home theater stores and office supply places offer a wide variety of choices ranging from pretty cloth-covered baskets to more masculine-looking leather boxes. Even a clean and empty coffee can covered with shelf paper works because people are more likely to put things back where they belong if they have a definite home.


• In Extreme Cases. If someone in your household keeps the remote in hand as they head for the kitchen for snacks, attach a curly cord to your home theater furniture at one end and the remote at the other. Self-adhesive Velcro dots are great for this, but remember to stick them inside the arm of the chair or sofa down near the cushion where they won’t show.
  

Maintaining Your Home Theater Furniture

Enjoying movies, TV or the big game in your very own home theater seats offers a level of comfort you can’t get in a theater. The only thing missing is the cleaning crew to whisk away stray popcorn and clean up sticky spills. Not to worry. Whether your theater seating is upholstered in cloth or leather, it’s simple to keep it fresh without wearing yourself out.

• Preventive Care. Drape a cloth-backed plastic tablecloth over your toddler’s favorite theater seat to make family movie night a little less nerve-wracking if you like to serve snacks. A placemat draped over the arm of a chair can help prevent stains from plates. Tuck a basket in the corner for shoes to avoid scratches from buckles and stains from soles.
• Spot Cleaning. Blot spills immediately with a paper towel, dishtowel or clean cloth diaper. Use a mixture of mild detergent to and water to clean cloth upholstery. Leather cleaner is safest for leather upholstery. Apply a little bit of either on a clean cloth and gently blot the spill. Blot the spot again with a clean, damp cloth. Keep blotting with a clean cloth until the area is dry.
• Maintenance. Consistent upkeep is the best way to keep your theater seats in first-run condition. Vacuum beneath cushions once a month if you have no small children or pets, and once a week if you do. Dust leather home theater furniture with a soft cloth. Clean cupholders with a damp cloth or moist towelette.
  

Tips for Hosting Home Theater Parties

Movies used to be a social occasion for all ages, from packs of kids piling into a Saturday matinee through first dates for young sweethearts to date nights for busy moms and dads. These days movies are just as likely to be watched at home, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be social.

• Cast of Characters. It’s important to ask dinner guests about preferences before a dinner party, and movie night is no different. Some people can’t handle suspense or gore, while others are bored if there’s not an explosion in the first five minutes. Invite people with similar tastes, values and senses of humor so no one gets an unwelcome surprise. It’s also best to keep it light unless you’re sure that everyone is up for a tear-jerker or tough drama.


• Set-up. Whether you serve dinner before the show or during, do as much of the prep work beforehand as you can. It’s hard to concentrate on a good conversation or a twisty plot if you’re jumping up every few minutes to check what’s on the stove. Toss a small tablecloth over the coffee table or set up a folding table near your home theater seats for extra napkins, condiments and drinks to help keep the interruptions to a minimum if you’re dining in front of the screen.


• Main Theme. Keep it simple. One-dish meals, sandwiches, pizza and other finger foods are far less trouble if you’re eating during the film. Avoid anything that requires a knife to keep the noise level down. Coordinate the meal with the movie for a little extra fun. Cowboy flicks are complemented by chili and all the fixin’s, while classic French farce goes well with quiche and hot baguettes.


• Twist Ending. Serve fresh fruit and cheese along with simple cookies for dessert. It’s not only healthy; it’s easier on your home theater seating to serve mess-proof treats like pear and apple slices or grapes. Or move the party to the dining room where you can talk about the movie over coffee and cake.

With a little planning and a bit of preparation, you can have all the fun of movie-going without the hassle of crowds, high prices or those clueless few who won’t turn off their cell phones. More movie party ideas can be found in this article.

Small Spaces: Home Theater Seating Options For Tight Quarters

One of the most frequent misconceptions our customers have is that they need access to a cavernous room in order to install home theater seating. While a large area would certainly be ideal, it's not an absolute necessity—especially with the many space-saving units currently on the market. If you're wondering which theater seats to purchase for tight quarters, take a look at these options:

• Palliser Bullet. This model comes with great features like power recline, 44" seatback, lighted cupholders, ambient base lighting, and removable tray tables.
• Palliser Blade. Our best-selling space-saver offers slim arms, an articulated headrest, and a chaise-style footrest for supreme comfort.
• Lane Grand Slam. If you like super plush seatbacks that practically engulf your body when you sit down, then this is the unit for you. The Grand Slam also features a nifty wallaway design that allows you to place it mere inches from the wall and still recline fully
• Traditional theater seats. We carry a number of models that look like they came right from the local Cineplex. Each one has a gravity lift seat, flip up armrests, and durable upholstery that will withstand heavy usage.
  

Don't give up your dream of installing home theater seating just because you have smaller rooms in your house. Instead, check out the many affordable space-saving solutions from TheaterSeatStore.com and learn how you can fit a maximum amount of theater seats even in a very confined area.

Top Movies To Watch On Your Home Theater Furniture

Your new media room is set up just the way you envisioned it. You've mounted a huge flat-screen TV on the wall, wired up a tremendous sound system, and installed the most expensive home theater furniture you could afford. The whole project turned out better than expected and everything looks amazing. Now you're finally ready to sit back and enjoy some great films.

But there is an art to choosing the best movie to watch on any given night, so don't just grab the first DVD you come across. Instead, try to base your selection on the following considerations:

• Audience. Are children going to be present? Will you be watching the film with a mixed audience or with an all-male/all-female crowd? Is this going to be a romantic evening alone with your partner? These are the questions to answer first.
• Theme. Theme nights are fun, especially when you add appropriate decorations to the equation. Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day are just a few examples of great themes to try.
• Favorite stars. If you can't get enough of Johnny Depp, Scarlett Johansson, or Martin Scorsese, rent all of their films and watch to your heart's content.
• Genre. Some genres more readily lend themselves to big-screen viewing than others. A blockbuster action flick or the latest technological marvel (think Avatar) would look incredible when seen from your own theater seats.
  

You can also refer to various "Best of" lists that are widely available online and pick the top selections in each category.

Whatever you do, just remember that choosing the right films to watch on your home theater furniture is vital to the viewing experience, so keep these guidelines in mind before your next movie night!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Home Theater Room

You probably use your home theater room for a lot more than just watching movies. Video games, sporting events, and television programs all look great on your state-of-the-art equipment, and your home theater furniture guarantees that you always have the best seat in the house. But to ensure that you're getting the most out of your primary entertainment area, take a look at the following tips and make any necessary adjustments.

• Acoustics. Various guides are available on the Internet that will identify ideal speaker placement locations based on factors such as the distance from your theater seats to the screen and the number of speakers you have installed. Use these guides so you get the best sound possible.
• Lighting. Different activities require a different amount of lighting, so having several options will improve viewing conditions in your media room. A central overhead light, wall sconces, and recessed downlights (all with dimmer switches) are some ideas to consider.
• Calibration. Not even the most expensive electronic equipment delivers superior performance right out of the box. You have to spend time calibrating your television and sound system to get the quality you want.
  

If you've invested a lot of money in awesome home theater furniture and top-of-the-line electronics, then you owe it to yourself to try to get the most out of your media room. Checking for ideal speaker placement, adding a few layers of lighting, and calibrating your equipment will help you achieve a mind-blowing entertainment experience, so try these tips now!

Get ‘Date Night Ready’ With Home Theater Seating

Valentine's Day is next week, which means it's time to finalize your plans for that evening. While most people will be scrambling to make last-minute dinner reservations or spending a ton of money on overpriced gifts, you can play it smarter by staying in and watching movies with your new home theater seating. Read through the following checklist to see how you can pull off a great date night with your loved one:

• Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Start things off with a nice bottle of wine and some simple hors d'oeuvres such as cheese and crackers or fruit.
• Dinner. Cook a special meal together or have something delivered from your favorite restaurant. Eat by candlelight or get a fire going in the fireplace to enhance the ambiance.
• Movie. No date night would be complete without a movie, so have a selection of romantic classics or "chick flicks" to choose from. Watching the film from your reclining theater seats will make it feel like you're at a private screening.
• Romance. Well it is Valentine's Day, so you can probably think of a few romantic activities to try next!
  

Staying in for Valentine's Day has its advantages. You and your date will be able to spend quality time together without having to deal with traffic, crowds, or bad weather, and you can make the evening as formal or as casual as you like. It all comes down to the details, such as watching movies from home theater seating instead of the couch. This year, give the above ideas a shot or think of your own ways to wow your sweetheart on February 14.

InteriorMark Theater Seating

One of the benefits of shopping at TheaterSeatStore.com is that we give you exclusive access to brand-name home theater furniture you won't find anywhere else online. This includes a number of great InteriorMark theater seating options that are sure to enhance your movie or television viewing experience.

InteriorMark is a manufacturer that places extra emphasis on quality workmanship and innovative designs. They produce beautifully upholstered chairs in exquisitely modern styles that will look fabulous in any room of your home. Among the models we carry are:

• Aspen. With features such as a motorized headrest, power recline, LED cupholders, and wrap-around bucket style comfort, the Aspen represents the very best theater seating InteriorMark has to offer. This model is available in luxurious black, brown, or merlot leather.
• Parker. The Parker comes with a chaise style footrest and motorized recline that stops and starts in any position. It also boasts a versatile design that complements virtually any décor.
• Essex. If you're looking for a terrific value in home theater furniture, check out the InteriorMark Essex model. The entry-level price tag and space-saving design allow you to purchase more units for smaller rooms, while the microfiber upholstery gives you the look of leather without the expense.

All of our InteriorMark theater seating is in stock now and ready for immediate shipping as part of TheaterSeatStore.com's Quick Ship program. Visit us today for exclusive deals on these and other InteriorMark home theater furniture products so you can finally build the entertainment room of your dreams.