COMING SOON: HDMI 2.0 Delivers 4 Times the Bandwidth

Image from Wikimedia.org

These days, it is impossible to enjoy HD television without the help of HDMI cables. These little beauties are the 8-lane highways of video communication that enable us to enjoy full hi-def video. Now, with 4K television on the horizon, the HDMI standard is also getting an upgrade.

Say hello to HDMI 2.0. This new standard for audio/video cables delivers 4 times the bandwidth of HDMI 1.4, which is the current standard. While current HDMI technology can deliver a frame rate of 3,820 x 2160 pixels at 30fps, the new standard will deliver the same resolution at rates up to 60 fps. This allows plenty of bandwidth for full 4K or UltraHD TV. Another great feature of HDMI 2.0 is the ability to stream two separate signals at once. This allows one person to watch their favorite show while another plays their favorite XBOX or Playstation 4 game.

The best part of HDMI 2.0? Current HDMI cables are fully compatible! There is no need to throw away your old cables for new ones. Much like USB on your computer, HDMI 2.0 is fully backward compatible, so it will work with your old home theater gear. This doesn’t mean that your old Blu-ray player will now broadcast at 4K resolution however you will be able to use that old player with your shiny new 4K TV (at least until you can get a 4K video player)!

DIY Roundup: 10 Links and More to Help You Build Your Home Theater

Whether you are looking to build your first home theater or makeover an existing space, it’s tough to figure out where to start. Much like an artist staring at a blank canvas, you need some inspiration to help you make the leap from empty basement or den to fully functional home theater. We have collected some links from this blog and our website to help you get going on a home theater of your very own:

1. Building Your Very Own Home Theater – Where to Start?
2. DIY Home theater Video from Lane Furniture
3. Ancient Tips to design Your Home Theater – Feng Shui Ideas
4. “Theater-in-a-Box” Packages
5. How To Install a Home Theater System
6. DIY Home Theater Design
7. How To Measure for Home Theater Seating
8. Designing Your Perfect Home Theater
9. Setting Up Home Theater Acoustics
10. Entertainment on Any Budget – Economical Home Entertainment

Image from shutterstock.com

These articles are a great starting point, but when you are in the thick of building your home theater, it helps to have a community of like-minded enthusiasts to answer questions, offer encouragement and share their own projects. To help you on that front, here are three of the top forums used by the home theater community:

1. AVS Forum
2. Home Theater Forum
3. Audioholics Forum

With these links (and the rest of the Internet) at your fingertips, you have no excuse not to get out there and start building the home theater room that you have been dreaming of. Of course, when the time comes, you’ll want to invest in the perfect seating to cap off your home theater space.

3 Reasons that the Google Chromecast Might be the Next Big Thing for TV

Image from Google.com

Much to-do has been made over Google’s big new innovation to hit the home theater market. Well, not physically big as it is the size of a thumb drive!) Some people say that it isn’t ready for prime time yet while others trumpet its innovations and ease of use. This little gadget is the Google Chromecast, and it packs a big punch into a little package.

After looking at what others have said about the Chromecast, it is our opinion that this little dongle is a great buy. Here are 3 major reasons that influenced our decisions:

3. Features vs. Price – As of this writing, the Chromecast only streams three content sources: Netflix, You Tube and Google Chrome. Bigger set-top boxes like the Apple TV and Roku have hundreds of channels. The thing that caught our attention was the channels that Chromecast offers now. Netflix is the largest streaming television service out there, and having access to the huge content library of YouTube as well as your own stash of videos pretty much covers almost everything else. Plus, with a $35 dollar price tag, Chromecast gives you plenty of bang for the buck.

2. Ease of Use – Instead of coming with a remote, the Google Chromecast links to an app through your smartphone, tablet or computer. This allows you to control the TV with your mobile device. Reviews that we researched online give this feature a glowing review. Plus it works with Android and iOS operating systems as well as Windows 8.1 and the latest MAC OS. One reviewer even switched between his Android and iPhone without any problems.

1. Open Source Development – Instead of relying on a proprietary system or expensive development kit, the Chromecast is an open source device with all of its code, specs and secrets on the web for all to see. This opens the door to any developer who wants to create an app for the Chromecast. It may not have many channels now, but rest assured that the Chromecast will quickly build its channels and features to catch up to its bigger set-top box brothers.

8K Digital Technology Breathes New Life Into Classic Films

image from www.istockphoto.com

After looking closer at the future of television and 4K resolution, we were shocked to discover that 8K resolution is already a thing! While 4K tv’s can display near-film quality images at 3840 x 2160 pixels, or 4 times more than current 1080i high definition, it turns out that 8K technology is able to create an image at a jaw-dropping 7680 x 4320 pixels. This image is 16 times the resolution of 1080i. While the technology of 8K is not expected to reach the home theater market until 2020 or later, the technology is being used for a surprising purpose: restoring and remastering classic film prints.

Warner Home Video is already using the technology to bring many of their classic movies to Blu-ray DVD. Even though many of the original camera negatives of these films are stored in climate controlled vaults, they still show some degradation over the years. Original dyes and developing processes of the time were not foolproof, so many negatives experience loss of color and other signs of aging. With 8K technology, each frame of film is scanned into an 8K image. This image can then be color corrected, cleaned up or modified to better showcase the picture as it was meant to be seen.

Classic Warner Brothers movies that have gone through the 8K process and are now available on Blu-ray include Wizard of Oz, Ben-Hur, Gone with the Wind and North by Northwest to name a few. More titles from Warner Brothers and other classic studios are being restored with the 8K process even as we speak. Even on a current HD TV, the remastered films display vibrant colors, deep blacks and a crisp audio track that has been scrubbed to remove old pops and hiss.

The only drawback? Many of these films were shot at a 4:3 aspect ratio, so black bars were added for wide screen viewing. Despite that, you will be sure that the classic movie on your silver screen is sure to look as good as it did when it first came out in theaters.

4 Reasons that 3D TV is on Life Support

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For the last couple of years, media outlets and TV manufacturers alike have been heralding 3D as the next new thing in television. Most of the televisions manufactured today have a 3d processor built into them, and with the addition of a $100 pair of 3D glasses, they deliver eye-popping 3D with select movies and TV channels. Unfortunately, performance in the marketplace has been much slower than anticipated. Some manufacturers, like ESPN and the BBC are even suspending development of their 3D programming for now.

We’ve spoke of 3D TV before when it was seen as the next big thing. What caused the sudden cold reception? Here are some reasons from experts in the industry:

4. Not Enough Content – Aside from a select number of movies and some dedicated TV channels, the amount of 3D content vs. non-3D is pathetically small. Many movies and TV shows just do not lend themselves to a 3D makeover (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas springs to mind). As for TV shows, the only dedicated 3D channel out there is Hong Kong-based Sky, which has announced that they are sticking with the 3D format.

3. The Benefits are Confusing – Customers as a whole have been reluctant to embrace 3D TV in their homes. Many people are confused as to how the process works, thinking that every channel is going to be 3D. Others balk at the high cost of glasses needed to watch 3D content ($100 per viewer can add up for large families). Others wondered if they would even be able to watch 2D shows on their 3D TV. IMO too much hype was given to the fact that people could watch 3D in their homes and not enough was used to explain how the new technology works.

2. People Were Underwhelmed – Everyone thought that the transition from big screen to living room screen would be seamless. The truth is that people were unimpressed with 3D even in the big theaters. Alyssa Ousler of InvestorPlace.com interviewed theatergoers and discovered that people felt like the 3D effect was not worth the higher prices. This sentiment seems to have transferred to home theater gear designed for 3D.

1. People Watch TV Differently – When people go to the movies, they usually sit and watch the show without doing more than munching on snacks. At home people watch TV much differently. Many people do other things like read, check their smartphones or surf the Internet. Others exercise or do housework while the TV is on. Our family even used to eat dinner while watching the tube. Think of how much harder these activities would be with a pair of 3D glasses on.

In spite of this downturn, it does not look like 3D is going away completely. 3D TV technology has already been incorporated into thousands of TV’s and could still be added in the future.

Our Verdict: 5 Reasons to Keep both Cable and Internet TV – Part 3 of 3

Image from istockphoto.com

It may seem like a no-brainer, but after looking at the arguments for Cable vs. Internet TV it makes sense to have both as part of your home theater system. We at Theater Seat Store couldn’t agree more! Here are 5 arguments for having both Cable and Internet TV make up part of your entertainment system:

5. If you have a Cable TV Package, you also have Internet TV – Since most Cable TV packages include high-speed Internet, you already have access to every online TV source available.

4. One of Your Home Theater Components may support popular streaming services – Virtually all TV’s made in the last 15 years already support direct cable TV connections. Many of the newest TV’s also accept popular Internet TV sources like Netflix and Hulu. Also, the current generation of gaming consoles (XBOX 360, PS3 and Wii/Wii U) all support these services as do many models of Blu-ray players. You might even have a dedicated home theater PC that can also stream video and act as a DVR.

3. Huge corporations are pouring money into both Cable and Internet TV – Large fortune 500 companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Direct TV are constantly developing new and better services to compete with Internet TV. Likewise big players like Apple, Google and Intel are spending huge amounts of capital on Internet TV. With so much development on both sides of the fence, having both gives you access to all the major entertainment innovations.

2. Having both Cable and Internet TV gives you the latest entertainment – With Netflix starting to create their own series (House of Cards) and cable-only channels like AMC offering the highest rated shows (Mad Men, The walking Dead to name two). Having both gives you acces to the latest and greatest entertainment as it airs. Cable also has the advantage of giving you live covereage of major events like The Super Bowl.

1. Having both Cable and Internet TV is not much more expensive than having one – Cable packages that include TV and Internet are not much more expensive than having one of them alone. Often, the difference can be as little as $5 a month. With such a small difference it makes sense to have both Cable and Internet TV on your home theater system.

5 Reasons to Stick with Your Cable Plan over Internet-only TV – Part 2 of 3

Image from istockphoto.com

Last week, we gave you 5 compelling reasons to ditch your cable plan for streaming TV. For one thing, you can’t just pick up an axe and cut the coax cord as your Internet most likely comes from the same source. In the interests of fairness (and the fact that there are many opinions on this subject), we present 5 reasons to keep your cable plan as part of your home theater experience.

5. There are no significant savings for internet-only service – Most cable companies offer a bundle package to provide your Internet, Cable TV and phone. In most cases, dropping Cable TV from your cable plan will only translate to savings of $5 or less a month.

4. Cable companies are manipulating their content providers – It does not seem fair, but many cable companies offer extra money and other perks to content providers that promise not to license to Internet TV companies. If this doesn’t work the same companies can threaten to drop the content provider’s programming if it refuses to play ball.

3. Cable TV is often the only place to see new episodes of popular shows – Some popular shows like Mad Men and The Walking Dead are only available on Cable TV. Streaming providers often carry older episodes of these shows for those who don’t mind waiting for their favorite show fix.

2. Internet TV does not carry live events – Major TV events like the Academy Awards, Super Bowl and live news coverage can only be seen on broadcast or Cable TV. Internet TV users can watch YouTube clips of these events as they are posted, but often the quality is not the same.  

1. With the rise of Internet TV Cable will be forced to innovate – As Internet TV gets more popular, cable TV will be forced to revamp their programming and fees in order to compete. This will likely translate into better programming, more innovation and lower cable bills as time goes on.

5 Reasons to Cut Cable for Internet TV – Part 1 of 3

Image from istockphoto.com

You have just finished building the perfect home theater. The home theater recliners are in place, the ideal projector / screen combo is installed and all of your components are wired up. One question remains before you sit back and pick up the remote: Should you stick with cable TV or “cut the cord” and opt for only Internet TV? Below we present 5 good arguments for cutting the cord, and next week we will present 5 more arguments for sticking with your current cable plan.

5. Most TV shows available on Cable TV are also available online – Often, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime offer new TV episodes a week or less after they originally air.

4. Cable TV prices keep going up – After the six month promotional period, cable TV prices can increase to 2 or 3 times their original monthly price. A $49.99 promotional bundle of TV, phone and Internet can quickly grow to $200 a month or more. In contrast much of Internet TV is free or costs a small monthly fee.

3. Internet TV can be streamed from a variety of devices – Whether you choose to watch your favorite movie or TV show on your tablet, laptop, TV or other device, Internet TV can accommodate you. Also, many game consoles, set-top boxes and even Smart Televisions can access popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.

2. Both cable and internet TV is available in HD – Switching to internet-only TV does not mean that you have to suffer through non-HD quality programming. Both cable TV and Internet TV channels offer full HD resolution.

1. Internet TV is the wave of the future – Large companies like Apple, Intel and Google are investing large amounts of money to refine and improve Internet TV. As more and more enhancements are made, the better and more accessible Internet-only TV becomes.

Put the Max into Your Home Theater with a 2 Million Dollar IMAX System

Image from www.imaxprivatetheatre.com

When it comes to building a home theater, the sky is definitely the limit. While most people are content to sink 10 – 20,000 dollars into their home system, top of the line home theaters can get up to the millions of dollars. The price tag is usually influenced by three things: The size of your home theater space, the shape of the home theater room layout and the quality of your equipment. The pinnacle of these requirements comes in the IMAX Private Theater which can be yours for a cool 2 million dollars.

Image from www.imaxprivatetheatre.com

Room Size and Geometry: The smallest IMAX screen available is 21 feet, which requires a room space of at least 15.5 feet high, 36.5 feet long and 26.5 feet wide. This massive space is not only to contain the screen, but to allow adequate space and geometry for the sound system and room acoustics to work together perfectly. IMAX even offers to work closely with your architect and interior designer to ensure that the home theater room offers the best size and sound.

Image from www.imaxprivatetheatre.com

Equipment Quality: The IMAX projection system for the home theater market is truly the best in the business. It is comprised of twin 4K projectors that face each other. The images that they project bounce off an intricate mirror system and on to your screen. The projection room requires a separate sound booth to prevent projector noise and heat from ruining an otherwise perfect movie night. Soundproofing in the room itself also makes sure that no outside noise gets into the theater while no sound gets out annoying your neighbors.
More technical information about the IMAX Private Theater can be found in this article from DSI Entertainment.

Of course, this setup does not include the first-run content that you will surely want to enjoy in your new theater. A couple of options are available once your IMAX theater is up and running:

Image from dsientertainment.com

Bel-Air Circuit: If you happen to be a high level Hollywood player (a-list director, producer or talent), you can join the members-only “Bel-Air Circuit”. (Although talks are underway to expand membership to those who can afford it). Membership in this exclusive group allows you to get first-run movies directly from the studios on the same day that their films open. Studios send out the movies free of charge, though the projection equipment needed is the same arclight projector used by commercial theaters.

Image from www.primacinema.com/

Prima Cinema: The Prima Cinema server is a device that allows you to download first-run movies on a pay-per view basis. This system works with standard home theater equipment so you do not need to invest in commercial gear. The cost is expensive ($35,000 for the server plus $500 per movie per view), but still far less than commercial equipment. Also, Prima Cinema is currently in talks with IMAX to package their product with the IMAX Private Theater.

Take the Fun Outside: Building Your Own Outdoor Home Theater

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Now that summer is here, many of us are looking at our outdoor decks and thinking “movie night”. While it is easy enough to take your laptop or tablet outside to watch a flick, nothing beats the experience of a full-size outdoor theater. There is something nostalgic about sitting under the stars and watching a movie with family and friends. For older people, it brings back memories of drive-in theaters with window mounted speakers. For others, it may be a whole new experience that creates whole new memories. Either way, nothing beats sitting outside with your favorite drink and some freshly grilled BBQ while watching a great movie on the big screen.

Setting up your own home theater is not as expensive as it sounds. The idea is to watch a movie outside, not try to replicate the 5.1 surround sound of your inside home theater. Drive in theaters were nowhere near IMAX quality anyway. A decent outdoor venue can be created with a homemade screen, consumer level projector and receiver, standard stereo speakers and a laptop/Blu-Ray player/game console or set-top box. A simple setup like this is also desirable in case you need to take everything inside if Mother Nature decides to crash the party.

Sound: For the outdoors, a simple 2-channel stereo setup is ideal for two reasons. The first is ambient outdoor noise. There is no way to completely shut out ambient outdoor noise without walls and insulation. The second reason is that you do not want to annoy your neighbors and people the next block over with ground-shaking bass. Teenagers with oversized car stereos already have a lock on that.

This brings up a good point. Always invite your neighbors to your outdoor screenings. This lets them know about your planned event even if they can’t attend.

Picture: Unless you have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on your home theater setup, you will need to wait until it is dark before showtime. When you set up your screen, make sure that outside light pollution like a neighbor’s porch light or street lamp does not interfere with the picture. Even a full moon can detract from the picture’s quality. A screen can be as simple as an ironed bed sheet strung up on a wall, or a sophisticated inflatable screen like the Airscreen Airtight. Any consumer-grade projector will work fine as long as it is set up properly. Many projector set-up guides exist online to help you find the perfect projection angle. Likewise, the Web has numerous tutorials on building your own screen for indoor or outdoor use.

TheaterSeatStore.com Offers Customers 3 Ways to Save this Memorial Day Weekend

As Memorial Day Weekend ushers in the summer months and a plethora of cookouts, picnics, get-togethers and other social engagements, TheaterSeatStore.com has unveiled a new Memorial Day Sale that is designed to help you make the most of entertaining family and friends. This sale offers three different ways to save money and get ready for summer festivities quickly:




Free Power Recline on Klaussner Home Theater Seats – Klaussner makes some high quality home theater furniture, most of which is able to house motorized power recline mechanisms. Power recline works with a quiet motor that leans your chair back into any comfort angle. During the Memorial Day Sale, you can get a free power recline upgrade on any Klaussner home theater recliner except for the Twilight series (which cannot accept power recline). This promotion can be redeemed by calling (888) 602-7328 and speaking with one of our friendly and knowledgeable Sales Experts.

6% Off Everything Else – If you are not in the market for Klaussner Home Theater Seating, you can still enjoy a 6% discount on almost any other item on TheaterSeatStore.com. This discount is good for everything from home theater seating to Entertainment Centers and Accessories like popcorn makers. Products by Palliser, Catnapper and Jackson Furniture are not eligible. To take advantage of this discount, just enter the Coupon Code SIXTSS into the online shopping cart at checkout.

48 Hour Turnaround on Quick-Ship Items – This offer applies to those items that TheaterSeatStore.com has in stock. Every time a Quick-Ship item is purchased, TheaterSeatStore.com will ship that item within 48 hours of receiving the sales order. There is no charge for this service. This promotion is especially important to anyone who needs to receive their new purchase in a short amount of time. The promotion automatically applied to all Quick-Ship items, so the customer does not need to do anything more than complete the order.

You need to act fast if you want to take advantage of this sale. It will end on Tuesday May 28, 2013 after Memorial Day Weekend. Order now and get ready for summer fun!

Home Theater Highlights: The Top 3 Expensive Home Theaters of 2013

We’ve all thought about winning the lottery and what we would do with all of that cash. You could keep it in a giant vault to swim around in like Scrooge McDuck, or a better alternative would be to build a monumental home theater like the ones that we found below.

Star Trek Home Theater – Cost 3 Million: Images of this Star Trek themed home theater exist all

Image from geektyrant.com

over the Web. This residential home theater was designed for a hardcore Star Trek fan with deep pockets by ECS (who may not be in business anymore as their website link is broken). Exact instructions were given to the designers to keep the room as close to the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise as possible. With high-end video and audio systems, touchscreen control, seating for 9, concert style lighting and a commercial HVAC system, this home theater is closer to a commercial venue

Image by slaymancinema.com

than a home rec-room.



The Crimson Home theater – Cost 3 Million: Inspired by the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood, this 8,000 square foot theater has all the trappings of a movie palace of yesteryear. Designed by home theater designer Jason Vorhees and Slayman Cinemas, the Crimson Home Theater’s look was inspired by a single piece of red fabric. The Old World décor of this theater hides a sophisticated 18 speaker setup that delivers 8,400 watts of power. Add to that an 18 foot diagonal screen, and this old timey theater can showcase the latest blockbusters with ease.
One of the greatest features of this home theater is the opening which is made to resemble the front of an old movie palace.



The Kipnis’ Outer Limits Home Theater – Cost 6 Million: We have covered music producer Jeremy Kipnis’s home theater

Image by kipnis-studio.com

before, and it still stands at the pinnacle of home theater spending. The six-million dollar price tag of this huge home theater includes a 22 foot diagonal screen, no less than 20 audiophile-worthy Snell speakers, and a home theater setup that gets the best possible sound and video from anything from digital media and DVD’s to old formats like VHS and LaserDisc. Plus, a copy of the Kipnis Outer Limits Home theater can be yours! Just contact Jeremy Kipnis through his website for details.

Building Your Own Home Theater PC on the Cheap – DIY HTPC Systems Under $500

Image from istockphoto.com

With so many different gadgets attached to your home theater system, you might ask why you need to add a PC (personal computer) into the mix. The answer is simple, a Home Theater Personal Computer, or HTPC is capable of integrating many of the tasks that previously required different components. These tasks include recording TV, watching steaming video, storing digital media files and playing music, to name a few. The best part about HTPCs is that they can cost very little money to build or program, even by computer novices. Also, HTPC’s can be configured to work with a remote, eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse on your couch.

If you would rather purchase a fully functional HTPC off the shelf, there are many options available that still meet a low budget. Companies like Assassin HTPC and Performance PC offer complete systems for less than $500. System costs go up from there with high end systems available for thousands of dollars.

For those who don’t mind (or even relish) getting their hands dirty, here are three inexpensive ways to build your own HTPC:

Convert a New Computer – Computer manufacturers have created smaller computers called Small Form Factor for light computing tasks like internet browsing or running a cash register. Despite their size, these little PC’s pack enough processor and graphics power to stream HD quality video. They are also small and quiet so they won’t take up much space in your entertainment center. Ideal products include the Shuttle X350 and the ASUS EEE Box. As an added bonus, Windows 7 and 8 come with a Media Center that can do most of the tasks you need. For those who want to stay away from Microsoft, an Apple Mac Mini also makes a great HTPC with plenty of blogs and forums dedicated to it.

Convert an Old Computer – Most people have an old PC gathering dust in their closet or basement. These can easily be converted into powerful HTPC’s with very little money. All you need is an HD capable video card and the XMBC operating system. This Linux-based system is designed to control all of your media functions with very little memory usage. How-to guides and tutorials are available all over the web like this great article from Tech-2.

Build One from Scratch – For those who love to build things from scratch, the Raspberry Pi development kit is a perfect solution. This is a Linux-based computer board that is the size of a credit card and has enough computing and graphics power to make a good HTPC. It’s used for hardware development and DIY projects by students, hobbyists and entrepreneurs. Lifehacker, the DIY website, loves the Raspberry Pi and has a great tutorial on building a raspberry Pi HTPC.

Indianapolis – Area “Superman” Home Theater Goes the Distance with Style and Power

image from electronichouse.com

Vikram Rao did not originally set out to create a superhero-themed theater, but as his “Fortress of Solitude” took shape with high end components, professional sound-proofing and a striking red / blue / black color scheme, HT fans watching his progress on AVS Forum quickly dubbed it the Superman/Man of Steel Home Theater. Rao has been passionate about movies and music since childhood, so he spared no expense to transform a room in his basement into the ideal entertainment space. Rao hired many experts to help complete his vision, including custom home theater builder/contractor Jeff Parkinson, who brings his passion and mechanical engineering background into every project. As this massive project took shape, every detail was displayed on this AVS Forum thread that quickly grew to 32 pages.

Soundproofing: The room is built more like a bunker with 12-inch concrete walls on three sides, and rebuilt walls and ceiling are stuffed with R19 and R25 material. The wall studs (doubled for strength) hold four layers of drywall with Green Glue noise dampening compound in between each layer. The flooring hides acoustic rubber mats underneath the plush carpet, and the stage is filled with many bags of ordinary play sand.

Audio: The peak output of this massive sound system is 15,000 watts. Seaton Catalyst front speakers combine with JTR, Procella Audio speakers and an 18 inch sub to deliver rib-shaking sound that has driven some patrons from the room! Rao worked directly with JTR and Seaton Experts to get the system working perfectly. The seat riser also works as a bass trap to keep the sound from traveling to the rest of the house.

Video: The 144-inch Seymour Screen takes up the front of the room and is acoustically transparent to allow all sound from the front speakers and subwoofer to thunder through. Crisp video is delivered by an Epson Powerline Pro Cinema Projector. This is linked to an Oppo BDP-103 Blu-Ray Player and Sony PS3 to get the best out of DVD and Blu-Ray media.

Design: The Red, black and gray walls and floor are broken up by sweeping curved risers and soffits. Blue LED rope lighting runs throughout the theater and is hidden by custom-made wood lips. The glowing blue light contrasts nicely with plush red carpet, giving rise to the Superman/Man of Steel moniker. Six plush leather home theater seats provide the ideal seating for guests to enjoy movie night.

Electronic House Magazine recently interviewed Vikram Rao about his home theater. You can read the article here. For a jarring contrast, see their slideshow of 5 Bad DIY Theaters.

Ancient Tips to Design Your Home Theater – Basic Feng Shui Ideas

images from istockphoto.com

The Feng Shui masters of 5000 years ago could not have possibly imagined the idea of a modern home theater with wide screen TV, surround sound and motorized leather recliners, yet many basic Feng Shui principles can help enhance the comfort of your home theater space. Many of these principles appear to be common sense ideas about furniture placement, but others are much more esoteric. Following some of these ideas may be the difference between occasional use and frequent movie nights with friends and family. Most of these tips come from an article in AVSforum.com:
Basic Tips:

• Entry and Exit ways should be unblocked and well lit. They should also be in the front of the room so that none of the home theater seats face with their backs toward the door. Many people don't like to site where they cannot monitor the door to see who stays and who goes.
• Isolate the home theater from other rooms and appliances. This keeps the focus of your home theater on itself rather than outside objects. Likewise no objects like home theater seats or décor should be so prominent that it pulls attention away from the screen.
• Stay away from bright colors or shiny surfaces. These can also distract the audience from the movie, even in a dark room.

Some of the more "out there" ideas include:

image from istockphoto.com

• Energy enters the room from outside, so make sure that your door opens inward. Also be sure to keep things from blocking the door (and any energy).
• Live plants keep the room's energy fresh as well as the air.
• Add curves to your room, especially if the space is square or rectangular. Curved shapes can include round side tables, curved patterns in wallpaper or rugs and even rounded theater seats can all help.

If you really want to take full advantage of the benefits of good Feng Shui design, you can always consult a Feng Shui expert for advice. Just make sure to check their online reviews and whether they are properly trained before contacting them. You can try to decipher the formulas yourself like this article.

Tough Guy Cinema: Michael Bay Honored with BAYMAGGEDON Tribute at the Alamo Theater

Sunday! Sunday!! SUNDAY!!!

An event like this needs to be announced like a monster truck rally or a chainsaw juggling contest.

image from www.drafthouse.com

This Sunday, April 21, lucky filmgoers in four different cities will be able to take part in BAYMAGGEDON. This event honors Michael Bay, everyone’s favorite action movie director and explosion-meister. Baymaggedon will take place this Sunday at all four locations of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Austin TX, Denver CO, Kansas City KS, and Houston TX. Guests will be able to enjoy 3 mystery Michael Bay films while munching on a special menu of entrees based on the main characters of Bay’s upcoming film, Pain & Gain.

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that Michael Bay has redefined the action genre with more explosions and less regard for the laws of physics. Alan Cerny aka Nordling of Ain’t It Cool News put it best in his article about Baymaggedon:

“There are a lot of socially-aware filmmakers out there, like Michael Moore, who make movies to expose various injustices in the world.  I know Michael Bay hates poverty.  He hates it with every fiber of his being.  Do you know how I know that?  Because in BAD BOYS 2 he destroys a shantytown in Cuba with a Hummer.  Just devastates it.  THAT is passionate, advocate filmmaking.  He literally runs poverty over.” 

image from istockphoto.com

Michael Bay films are like chocolate covered popcorn, a guilty pleasure for many people. Plus, there is no better way to test your home theater surround sound system than with a screening of Armageddon or Transformers: Dark of the Moon. So if you are looking for something manly to do this weekend, nothing could be better than watching an explosion-fest while munching on an order of “Paul Doyle’s Carbo Load” or “The Lean and Mean”.  Tickets are still available, so get yours now!

A New Comic Book Based on Early Star Wars Notes: What Could Have Been is Coming Soon!

Deak Starkiller (Luke's father) fights Sith Knight Darth Vader with a lazer sword. Art by Ralph McQuarrie for early version of Star Wars (image from starwars.wikia.com).

Dark Horse Comics is coming out with a new Star Wars title that is sure to turn Star Wars fans on their collective ears. This new title is a comic book adaptation of “The Star Wars”, an early draft of the script that would eventually become Star wars Episode IV – A New Hope. While the basic story follows that of the final movie, many of the characters and settings are radically different. Here is a list of some of the major changes to be found:

• Han Solo is a 6-foot green lizard.
• Luke Skywalker is much older and takes the role later filled by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• The young hero is named Annakin Starkiller and not related to Vader or Leia.
• Darth Vader is a Sith Knight, and plays a much smaller role as an Empire enforcer.
• Light sabers are called “lazer swords”.
• Jedi knights have more in common with Japanese samurai, including top knots in their hair.
• The Millenium Falcon looks completely different (though it does have the iconic cockpit).
• The Wookiees live on the planet Yavin and play a major role in destroying the Empire’s massive space station (NOT called the Death Star yet).

While there are no plans to adapt this script beyond the comic book series, we all know that successful comics eventually find other mediums to inhabit, whether it be TV, movies or video games. Plus, Dark Horse released over two dozen comics that became movies and TV shows. These include Frank Miller’s 300, The Mask and Timecop, to name a few. With such a track record, you may be able to enjoy this alternative version of a beloved franchise in the comfort of your home theater!

Big Power in Small Packages, 3 Set Top Boxes Under $100

One of the newest technologies to hit home theaters is also one of the smallest. Tiny set-top boxes from manufacturers such as Apple, Roku and WD are not much larger than a can of SPAM™, yet they pack powerful technologies like 1080HD resolution, 7.1 surround sound, wifi support and other great features that help you enjoy the best in streaming TV. In this post we are going to look at three popular set-top boxes and compare their strengths and weaknesses.

All of these boxes share similar features like 1080HD resolution, wifi connectivity, support for major streaming services like Netflix, and smartphone control in lieu of an included remote.

Image from apple.com

Apple TV – Apple’s set-top box has all of the user friendliness that you get from your iPhone or iPad. It comes with a user interface and remote control that are easy to learn for everyone from small kids to their grandparents. You can also control the Apple TV box with your smartphone or tablet with a handy app. The other handy feature of the Apple TV is Airplay. This wireless system lets you share music, video and image files  from other Apple devices. For example, you can shoot a video with your iPhone and immediately send it to the Apple TV.  One of the major downsides to the Apple TV is the lack of streaming services such as Hulu Plus and Pandora.

Price - $99.99

Image from wdc.com

WD TV Play – Made by Western Digital, the company that has manufactured computer hard drives for years, the WD TV Play is a fully functional set-top box at a smaller price tag than the other two entries on this list. Its remote also offers direct access to some of the more popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Vudu. Another great feature of the WD TV Play is its ability to play music, video and image files from your home network. You can easily watch movies or listen to music stored on your PC or an external hard drive, (one product in this line is the WD TV Live Hub, which has a built-in hard drive for content). The WD TV also reads more video, music and image formats than the competitors, so it eliminates the need to reformat files. The major downside of the WD TV Play box is its video resolution. While it does support 1080HD, the picture tends to look a bit washed out compared to other devices.

Price - $69.99

Image from roku.com

Roku 3 – Roku has been making high quality set-top boxes since 2010, and the Roku 3 is their latest product. This little set-top box has more channels than the other two entries combined. You can find movie and music channels to fit just about any genre and the motion control game remote lets you play popular online games like Angry Birds. The remote also has a convenient headphone jack which allows you to enjoy music or movies privately without wireless headphones. While the Roku does not support as many file formats as the WD TV, it does work directly with Plex, which is an app for your computer that streams any stored content. A built-in USB port also lets you watch .mp4 movies from a flash or external drive. While this is a downside to those who have a home server full of ripped movies, it does offer a workaround, and Roku has been good about providing regular updates to their equipment.

Price - $99.99

Upcycled Home Theater Made from Shipping Palettes

Everyone knows that young kids will just as likely play with the box that their shiny new toy came in instead of the toy itself. For some designers, the same goes for furniture. Rather than purchase a bunch of new high quality home theater seats (ahem!), an enterprising furniture designer elected to create her home theater seating from the shipping palettes that such furniture is usually delivered on. Normally we do not recommend home theater seating with objects that you find lying around, but we do love DIY projects and this one is perfect for the setting it is in.

Image by Simone Tasca

This picture comes from Simone Tasca, a designer in Brazil who loves to upcycle whenever she can. She created three rows of theater seating with nothing more than twelve shipping palettes, some large cushions and her imagination. The seats can accommodate up to six guests and while they lack important amenities such as cupholders, power recline and even legs, they do look like a comfy place to enjoy a movie night.

While this home theater setup appears at home in an industrial style loft, it may not be the right look for your own home theater. Rest assured, TheaterSeatStore.com carries a large selection of high quality home theater seating in traditional and contemporary styles. Give us a call at 888-602-7328 and we will be happy to help you find the perfect home theater recliners and accessories for your entertainment space.

Pleading the Case for Old Media

With more and more audio and video formats coming at us, it seems like a waste of time to hold onto our old records and video tapes. Why hold on to these old formats when they seem to just take up space in the garage or attic? While there are hundreds of reasons to let go of your dusty old record or tape collection, this article takes a close look at these old technologies and why they just might be worth hanging onto after all.



Vinyl Records – The record has been the primary recording medium for almost a century, and vinyl records have languished in our bookshelves and storage spaces since 1947. With your entire music collection fitting on an iPod, it seems silly to keep 12-inch records and a turntable around, but there are a couple of reasons why you might not want to get rid of your wax collection just yet.

• Durability – When stored properly, vinyl records can sound just as good as they did when your grandparents bought them for 25-cents apiece. That is because a record is made up of grooves in plastic, and as long as they are stored and handled carefully, those little grooves will last as long as the plastic itself which can potentially be thousands of years (not that you want to preserve grandma’s Lawrence Welk records for the next millennium, but who knows? That might be all that’s left of our culture by then). 
•  Sound – As we have noted before, true audiophiles prefer the warm analog tones of vinyl records to that of sterile digital recordings. Audiophiles believe that the computer cannot replicate these organic tones and the only way to truly appreciate a recording is from a vinyl pressing. This is why true audiophiles are willing to spend thousands of dollars for the right turntable to play their old albums on. 

VHS Tapes – Who can forget the huge library of video tapes that many of us grew up with? Not to mention the hassle of finding a blank tape to record the latest episode of Survivor. With new and higher resolution formats available on the market, why hang onto that clunky old VCR and tape library? A couple of reasons may keep you from throwing out your tape collection quite yet.

• Availability – With the way that video formats seem to come and go, many obscure movies and TV shows fall through the cracks and do not appear on newer formats. Because VHS tapes dominated the home theater market for so long, many rare gems of entertainment were recorded on VHS that never made it to DVD or Blu-ray. Searching eBay or Amazon will help you find some of these treasures, but more often than not, they are on video. 
• Digital Download – It’s no secret that video tape has a finite shelf life. This is why movies you watched as a kid just don’t look as good now. Nevertheless, you may want to preserve some of these great shows along with the many tapes your parents likely made of your childhood. If you don’t want a VCR cluttering up your home theater space, you can connect it to your computer instead and copy those old tapes to a digital format. You can then burn them to DVD or stream them to your TV and relive the memories over and over.