Elite Home Theater Seating Blog

Argo on Blu-ray

February 24th, 2013

Argo, staring by Ben Affleck (and directed by as well), Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman was released on blu-ray on February 19th. A movie that is in the running for best picture at the Oscars today!

The Plot:

“In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. However, six managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devised a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez created the ruse and proceed to Iran as its associate producer. However, time was running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House had grave doubts about the operation themselves.”  (Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

 Blu-ray DVD Special Features:

 1) Ben Affleck and writer Chris Terrio team up for the audio commentary track which provides details on the film.

2) A picture-in-picture feature which the real people from the real story discuss their experiences while the film is played in the background. 

3) A 46 minute documentary titled Rescued From Tehran: We Were There.

4) Behind the Scenes of Argo: Absolute Authenticity provides an in-depth look at how film has the authentic 1970′s look and feel.

5) Argo: The CIA and Hollywood Connection

6) Escape From Iran: The Hollywood Option

Argo has received positive reviews since it first hit theaters last year. With the excitement of the Oscars today, we will all see if this film gets the recognition it deserves. For now, kick back and watch the film that got everyone talking.

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com



The Rise in Soundbar Popularity

February 20th, 2013

Over the past few months, we have featured a few new soundbar systems. The increase in popularity for soundbars have increased substantially over the past year. According to Robert Silva of About.com, “[Soundbar] audio-systems reached $658 million in 2012 – which is an amazing 82 percent increase over 2011. At this pace, sound bar sales are predicted to be as much as $1 billion for 2013.”

There are good and bad sides to soundbars. The biggest selling feature would be the price. Soundbars are relatively cheaper than full home theater systems. Another selling feature, especially for smaller home theaters is the space factor. Soundbars do not take up a lot of space. Wha sets soundbars apart is the audio quality. Listen to a few of them and you will be amazed just how good they sound. We all want quality sound when sitting in our home theater.

The not so good side of soundars is just the fact that you will not have true surround sound. You cannot have a 5.1 or 7.1 sound system since the physical unit of a soundbar is just one piece. Soundbars don’t give the consumer a true surround sound system.

When you compare the pros and cons of soundbars, it’s ultimatley up to the consumer. If price is important than soundbars are perfect but if true surround sound is important, you may not want one. Regardless of which one you prefer, you cannot ignore the rise in popularity with soundbars.

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com



The Raptor MultiPlex by Velocity Micro

February 18th, 2013

The Raptor MultiPlex by Velocity Micro is “designed to dominate the living room”. This home theater PC is the most powerful one on the market as per the Velocity Micropress release. The Raptor MultiPlex is capable of 1080p gaming, media streaming, Cable Card functionality with DVR, and Blu ray playback. The Raptor MultiPlex memory has up to three 2TB Hard Drives. Each system works with Windows 8 Pro. High Definition 9.1 Channel audio and will be able to play Blu-rays at 1080p via PowerDVD12.  MSRP starts a $1,849.

Capabilities:
-Record up to 4 channels with the Ceton InfiniTV TV tuner (Cable Card not included)
-Store up to 3.6 TB of media
-Watch Blu ray movies in 1080p via PowerDVD12 Game
-Stream web video wirelessly from Youtube, Netflix, and Amazon
-Connect a media extender like Xbox 360 for whole home entertainment

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, emailor by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com



Skyfall on Blu-ray

February 15th, 2013

Skyfall, the latest James Bond film was released on Blu-ray DVD this past Tuesday. Directed by Sam Mendes and starring  Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Skyfall has been toted as the best James Bond film since the 1960′s. In Skyfall , James Bond‘s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat. Home theater fans, we have a great movie to enjoy!

According to RTT.net, “not only was Skyfall a tremendous commercial success, critics responded with nearly universal praise for directorSam Mendes darker version of 007.  With a frightening turn by Javier Bardem as the latest Bond villain, Skyfall gave audiences a deeply personal spy thriller that shows a further departure from the whimsical tone we saw in the Pierce Brosnan era, completing the franchise face-lift that started with “Casino Royale.”

Bonus content:

Audio Commentary- Director Sam Mendes sits down and discusses the making of ‘Skyfall’.
Audio Commentary- Series producers Barbara Broccoli  and Michael G. Wilson and Production Designer Dennis Gassner discuss the movie
Shooting Bond(HD, 59 min)
‘Skyfall’ Premiere(HD, 4 min)
Soundtrack Promotional Spot(HD, 1 min)
Sneak Peek(HD, 16 min)
Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3 min)

This is going to be a film we will all enjoy in our home theaters. I know we will! We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, emailor by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com



Playbar, The New Sonos Soundbar

February 13th, 2013

Sonos has unveiled their new soundbar called Playbar that connects directly to your TV. The Playbar is 3 feet long with nine amplified speakers that provide great sound for your TV games, music, and movies. With a MSRP of $700, this is an investment for those of you who love great sound in your home theater.

Sonos has stated that the six mid-woofers deliver deep, rich low-frequenc sounds and three tweeters for crystal clear high-frequency detail. Sonos has stated this soundbar provides crisp and clear audio, not just loud sounds.

It connects directly to your TV with an optical cable and plays audio from everything connected to it, (Blu-ray DVD players, game consules, and cable boxes). The free Sonos app lets you control your Playbar from your smartphone or tablet to stream music from a home computer, or other music services like Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody, and Amazon Cloud Player.

According to PCMAG.com, “Sonos said the Playbar was designed for easy setup and use. It can lie flat on a TV stand or be mounted on the wall above or below the TV”. “Sonos has transformed the way people listen to music throughout the home and now we’re bringing our wireless HiFi [high fidelity] approach to home theater,” Sonos CEO John MacFarlane said in a statement. “Playbar will change everything about the sound experience in your living room, bringing together amazing HiFi sound for your TV and wireless access to the world’s music in a radically simple way.”

Watch for the Playbar to hit stores on March 5, 2013. We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com



Apple TV Rumour Heats Up

February 12th, 2013

Rumours of Apple bringing their Apple TV (aka iTV), into the market have been ongoing for a few years now. This week the rumours started up again when Apple hired a senior OLED engineer, Jueng-jil Lee. Previously, Mr. Lee worked at LG’s OLED Development Centre in San Francisco.

Mr. Lee was a part of the LG project, AMOLED TV. For those of you that are unawar of what this is, AMOLD TV creates printed products using a 3D printing process that builds the item layer by layer. So with Mr. Lee now employed by Apple , does this mean they are working on the iTV? AMOLED stands for Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode, and it is  an advanced version of OLED with higher screen refresh rates, lower power consumption, and higher contrast  ratios. 4K televisions have four times the resolution of standard high-def TVs,  with a resolution of 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels. Apple’s existing 15-inch  retina MacBook Pros have a resolution of 2,880-by-1,800 pixels.

If you haven’t seen what the OLED TV is like, please watch the clip below.

With Jueng-jil Lee now working for Apple , we are open to speculate exactly what his role is. We all know Apple is secretive so let the rumours begin! Regardless of what the rumours are, we are all anxious for the release of the Apple TV (aka iTV).

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com

 

 



Flight on Blu-ray

February 10th, 2013

Flight starring Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez, & Don Cheadle is released on Blu-ray February 12. Flight is a movie about an airline pilot, Whip Whitaker, (Denzel Washington) that saves the passegers in his plane after a horrific crash. The investigation into the accident reveals some major twists and turns, making this an exciting movie watch. If you’re scared of flying, it may not be a great idea to watch this film :-) This film was made for home theaters!

Flight is  presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French  5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and  English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and  Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen  enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital,  Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French,  Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

 

Flight will be available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with UltraViolet and  special features that give the  audiences a behind-the-scenes tour about the film and how the filmmakers created the ever so scary plane crash. The combo pack includes access to a digital  copy of the film and the following bonus content:

� Feature  film in high definition
� Origins of Flight
� The Making of Flight
� Anatomy of a Plane Crash
� Q&A Highlights

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com



Red’s RedRay’s Streaming 4K Player

February 6th, 2013

Red has introduced the 4K Ultra HD player, the RedRay for home theater users. You can purchase this for $1499. While Blu-ray works on how they can put 4K films on their discs, the RedRay is a great alternative in a 4K HD system.

The RedRayplayer streams ultra HD content from the internet. There is a one TB hard drive which can be upgraded to save more content, based on your own preference. The RedRay player comes with 1 HDMI 1.4 output, 3 HDMI 1.3 outputs, and an additional HDMI output for 7.1 surround sound.

The RedRay connects to Odemax’s cloud-based content delivery system where you can find all of their 4K content. The negative of the RedRay is that it can’t play any of your existin movies unless you upload them to an externam hard drive. Don’t forget you will need to have a 4K TV to view this content because you won’t be able to enjoy the 4K qualities without it.

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave. Surrey, BC V3S 2A7 Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office 1927 Boblett Street Blaine, WA 98230 Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com

 



THX Introduce THX Tune Up

February 4th, 2013

THX, the audio reproduction standard for over a decade now introduce a calibration app for the iPad and iPhone called THX Tune Up. The app helps home theater ethusiasts get the best sound from their home entertaiment system.

The app can work in two different ways:  connect directly to your home entertainment system with an Apple Digital AV adapter or wireless through Apple TV. The camera on your  iPad or iPhone is used to set up the number of parameters on your TV, (colour, brightness, etc.) The app will ensure that your speakers are connected effectively with the proper sound levels of your home entertainment system.

The app was free until today but now is available from the iTunes store for $1.99. According to iTunes, the app is compatible with:

- iPhone 4
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 5
- iPod touch (4th generation)
- iPod touch (5th generation)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G
- iPad (3rd generation)
- iPad Wi-Fi + 4G
- iPad (4th generation)
- iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation)
- iPad mini and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular

For an indepth review courtesy of PCMag.com, please click here.

We always appreciate your comments and feedback so contact through Facebook, Twitter, email or by phone.

Canadian Head Office
Unit 406, 17665 66A Ave.
Surrey, BC
V3S 2A7
Tel. 604-575-8310 Fax. 604-575-8329

U.S. Head Office
1927 Boblett Street
Blaine, WA
98230
Tel. 1-800-490-1595

email: sales@elitehts.com