Elite Home Theater Seating Blog

Total Recall (2012)

December 18th, 2012

Total Recall, the reboot, is to be released on December 18th. The reboot stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel.  Total Recall will come in three versions: three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and a two-disc Blu-ray release which include both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film, which feature 20 minutes not seen in theaters. 

If you haven’t seen the 1990 version starring  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside than you might enjoy the reboot. It was met with mixed reviews and nowhere is this more evident than Rotten Tomatoes review. “While it boasts some impressive action sequences, Total Recall lacks the intricate plotting, wry humor, and fleshed out characters that made the original a sci-fi classic.” With a 30% average rating, it wasn’t a favourite of theirs. However, sci-fi fans did enjoy it and are anticipating the release on Blu-ray.

Here is a comprehensive rundown of what is available on the 3 disc version:

Disc 1:
Special features include: 
Extended Director’s Cut 
Commentary on Extended Director’s Cut 
Total Recall Insight Mode 

Disc 2: 
Special features include: 
Gag Reel 
Science Fiction vs. Science Fact featurette 
Designing the Fall featurette 
Blu-ray Exclusives 
7 Total Action featurettes 
Stepping into Recall Pre-visualization sequences 
“God of War: Ascension” PlayStation®3 Playable Game Demo 

Disc 3: 
Special features include: 
Total Recall Insight Mode 
Gag reel 
Science Fiction vs. Science Fact featurette 
Designing the Fall featurette

We enjoyed this movie and are looking forward to purchasing the Blu-ray. To enjoy the extended directors cut this holiday season will be great!

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

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Home Theater Gifts That Won’t Break The Bank

December 13th, 2012

Christmas time can be very expensive and we all know home theater equipment and supplies can have high price points. However there are necessities everyone with a home theater needs that won’t break the bank. On December 5th, last week, we looked at four home theater gift ideas. All the items listed were great but can be over budget for some people. This week, let’s look at items that won’t cost you too much. 

1) HDMI Cables: Home theater and HDMI cables go hand in hand and won’t cost you an arm and a leg. HDMI cables can cost as low as $0.83 (any liquidator or dollar stores and even on Amazon). Of course if you want gold plated, longer wires, and a high end brand name, the cost can increase substantially. However, HDMI cables are a big part of home theaters and is a great gift idea.

2) DVD Movies: If you’re looking to buy holiday movies, TV shows, music concerts, sci-fi, horror, or comedies, movies also make a great gift. With prices as low as $3.00 and up, you have a wide selection to choose from. Click here for some great Christmas movies from Amazon.

3) Netflix Subscription: For only $8.00 a month, Netflix is a great gift idea. As an added bonus, you get the first month for free! Click here to get more information on how to subscribe to Netflix.

4) Surge Protector Power Bars: Something so necessary yet overlooked. Surge Protector Power Bars are needed for almost every household. They are beneficial on so many levels especially when it comes to safety. Here’s a list of many available from Amazon. From as low as $13.39 and up, Surge Protector Power Bars are affordable and important.

5) Universal Remote Controls: A universal remote control makes life more relaxing. You don’t have to fumble through multiple controllers to operate your home theater system. Click here to see what’s available from Amazon. 

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

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Cloud Based DVR

December 11th, 2012

Many households especially those with home theaters include a DVR, (PVR’s as they are called in Canada), the one drawback though is the lack of storage for previously recorded shows. Boxee and Aereo have introduced the cloud based DVR to eliminate this issue. For a monthly fee, you can have access to numerous content. 

MSRP of $99.00, the Boxee lets the user record an unlimited amount of TV shows through the DVR box’s two tuners. Everything is stored online through Boxee‘s servers. This is not to be mistaken with Boxee‘s app Cloudee, this is an actual DVR box.

This past October, Boxee CEO, Avner Ronen spoke to Bloomberg Televisions “Bloomberg West” regarding the new cloud-based DVR service. Click here to watch the clip.

One concern of any cloud computing service is the ability or inability to retrieve your stored content if the server goes down. For now, the concept of having an unlimited amount of storage for recorded content is ideal and hopefully the DVR can rectify the one issue people have with it. More storage space is ideal be it cloud based or bigger hard drives. We will all see in due time what will occur from cloud based DVR’s

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

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The Bourne Legacy on Blu-ray

December 8th, 2012

December 11 will bring us The Bourne Legacy on Blu-ray! The Bourne Legacy was directed by Tony Gilroy and stars Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, and Edward Norton. In The Bourne Legacy Aaron Cross, (played by Jeremy Renner), a member of a black ops program whose agents are genetically enhanced, goes on the run once Bourne’s actions lead to the public exposure of Operations Treadstone and Blackbriar. The title character Jason Bourne does not appear in The Bourne Legacy, as Matt Damon, who played Bourne in the first three films.

“The Bourne Legacy takes the action-packed Bourne series to an explosive new level. On the verge of having their conspiracy exposed, members of the government’s intelligence community will stop at nothing to erase all evidence of their top secret programs – even the agents involved. Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) must use his genetically-engineered skills to survive the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse and finish what Jason Bourne started. Also starring Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz and Academy Award® nominee Edward Norton, critics are calling this a “thrilling, edge-of-your-seat heart-pounder” (Meg Porter Berns, WSVN-TV (FOX), Miami).

The Bourne Legacy received mixed reviews.  Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 56% rating and stated “It isn’t quite as compelling as the earlier trilogy, but The Bourne Legacy proves the franchise has stories left to tell and benefits from Jeremy Renner’s magnetic work in the starring role.” Regardless of reviews, fans of the franchise were happy about this release even if Matt Damon wasn’t apart of this film.

Fans will be happy with the bonus content available on the Blu-ray and DVD.

Bonus Features
1) Deleted Scenes
2) Re-Bourne
3) Capturing Chaos: The Motorbike Chase

 Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features
1) Moving Targets: Aaron and Marta
2) Crossing Continents: Legacy on Location
3) Man vs Wolf
4) Wolf Sequence Test
5) Feature commentary with director / co-writer Tony Gilroy, co-writer Dan Gilroy, editor John Gilroy, director of photography Robert Elswit, second unit director Dan Bradley, and production designer Kevin Thompson
6) BD Live – My Scenes

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

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Home Theater Gift Ideas

December 5th, 2012

We are twenty days away from Christmas. The malls and stores are full of shoppers so now is a great time to offer some home theater gift ideas to help all you shoppers out there. For home theater enthusiasts, you have so much to choose from; seating, surround sound speakers, sound bar speakers, TV’s and projectors, Blu-ray players, Blu-ray movies, gaming systems, etc. etc. With so much to choose from, let’s showcase some of the best home theater gift ideas!

 

1) Furniture (of course that’s #1): There are plenty to choose from. You can buy already made seating or you can take the custom route. Our chairs are made for you, we do not mass produce. You place an order and we make it to your specifications. Custom ergonomic support, fine quality Valentino leather, cine-suede, or silk leather fabric, and you can also choose your own foam density. Our chairs make an ideal christmas gift this holiday season. Customize a chair design here (just click)!

2) Smart TV’s: This past July, we wrote about Smart TV’s (click here to read about it). The Samsung Smart TV’s are simply amazing. The 8000 series comes as a 64″ screen with and all the features we mentioned back in July. The Samsung Smart TV’s is a great choice this season. 

3) Epson Powerlite Home Cinema Projector:  In September, we wrote about the oustanding Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 710 HD Projector. The cost is lower compared to higher end projectors but the quality is superb. Read the details here.

4) Sound Bar Speakers: Just last week we wrote about Sound Bar Speakers and there’s great reason to. You don’t need a surround sound system with Sound Bar Speakers which will cut down costs substantially. Read up about this new trend in home theater equipment!

With so much to choose from and from so many retailers offering special promotions and discounts, holiday shopping can be tiring and frustrating so we hope a few of our ideas may help you this season.

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

 

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Men In Black 3 on Blu-ray

December 2nd, 2012

This past week Men In Black 3 was released on Blu-ray DVD. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, & Michael Stuhlbarg. With six diferent versions released (click on each to take you directly to Amazon, Best Buy  and Wal Mart for purchase) just in time for the Christmas season:

1) 3D Blu-ray and Blu-ray DVD: This 3 disc edition includes the following special features:

a) Spot the Alien Game
b) The Making of Men In Black 3
c) Men In Black: 1960s vs. Today
d) Creating the Visual Effects
e) Scene Investigation
f) Progression Reels
g) “Back In Time” Music Video by Pitbull

2) Blu-ray and DVD: This edition is 2 discs and has the same special features as the previous but without the 3D version  of the film.

3) DVD: This is the 1 disc version.

4) The Trilogy: Limited Edition Collectors Set and Figurine Blu-ray: The trilogy has all three films and the Worn figurine.

5) Metal Tin Best Buy Exclusive Edition: This version comes in a metal tin, unsure of the contents of the discs themselves.

6) Wal Mart Exclusive Edition: Alongside the Blu-ray DVD and Ultraviolet is an exclusive bonus disc featuring a documentary “Meet The Aliens of Men In Black 3″.

 

With six different versions, (five if you exclude the standard DVD version), Men In Black fans have a lot to choose from. Reviews of the blu-ray have been positive. Blu-ray.com states “the image is remarkably clean and naturally filmic; light grain reinforces beautifully crisp edges and razor-sharp details. Viewers will enjoy precision facial and clothing textures that reveal every line, pore, and crease with natural accuracy.” While Cinema-Blend.com goes on to say “the first thing you’ll notice about the Blu-ray conversion for Men In Black 3 is that it looks terrific!”

It looks like we have another blockbuster to enjoy in the comfort of our homes for the holiday season. Which ever version you choose to buy, we know you’ll love the movie.

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

 

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Home Theater Receivers

November 29th, 2012

Home theater enthusiasts love AV receivers. With soundbars being the new trend in home theater equipment, (click here for our previous blog on soundbars), a true home theater experience needs nothing less than a 5.1 surround sound system with a great AV receiver. Let’s take a look at a few receivers that can add life into your home theater experience.According to CNET here are three of the top AV receivers.

Sony STR-DN1030: MSRP $499.00. The Sony STR-DN1030 is a midrange receiver with built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. AirPlay, Pandora, and Slacker are the networking features included. For some reason there are only five HDMI inputs which are fewer than its competition. According to CNET the user interface isn’t very well done and can be frustrating when trying to access the streaming music services. Solely focusing on the price and the built in Wi-Fi connection, this is a great receiver for your home theater.

Onkyo TX-NR616: MSRP $699.00. The Onkyo TX-NR616 is equipped with eight HDMI inputs (unlike the Sony STR-DN1030 with five). Wi-Fi can be added with a USB adapter as it’s not built in. The built in networking and audio support includes Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody, and Internet Radio. 

Denon AVR-1913: MSRP $579.99. The Denon AVR-1913 comes with six HDMI inputs, iOS and Android app, DLNA compatibility, AirPlay, and built in streaming audio services with Pandora, Sirius, and Internet Radio. The sound quality is great and the remote with user interface is user-friendly. There isn’t built in WiFi which makes it less desirable since the price is higher than the Sony STR-DN1030 and does not include Wi-Fi. 

Home theaters can be built to suit your individual needs. For those of you that want the full experience with authentic sound and 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, an AV receiver is a must.

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

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Soundbar Speakers

November 27th, 2012

Soundbar speakers have become the new trend in home theater equipment. Home theater enthusiasts prefer soundbar speakers because they eliminate a lot of the wiring with 5.1 surround sound systems, they are a space save, less expensive, and you don’t need an AV receiver.

According to CNET, soundbar speakers sound great but not as good as traditional 5.1 surround sound. Last week, CNET‘s article titled “Best Soundbars”  listed nine of the most cost effective and best sounding soundbars on the market. Click here to read the article.

View the Harmon/Kardon review by Audioholics. 

Everyone agrees that soundbars do not sound as good as your traditional 5.1 surround system but the convenience factor is so attractive that soundbar speakers have risen in popularity. When purchasing a soundbar or if you’re thinking of purchasing one, here is what to look for:

Virtual Surround Sound - Most sound bars produce small beams of sound that bounce off your walls and ceilings. Ensure you have the illusion of surround sound with your soundbar speakers.

Watts - Watts are important for amplified sounds. Dependent on the size of your room and the watts you want, ensure you get what’s best for the size of your home theater.

Subwoofer - You can purchase soundbars with internal subwoofers. If you require more deep bass sounds, an external can be purchased to boost your low end.

Frequency Response  - For lower frequencies like an explosion, gunfire, sound of doors opening or closing, frequency response, measured in hertz, is imperative. 

Digital Signal Processor (DSP) - A DSP makes your home theater sound like you have side and rear speakers. Look for soundbars with a DSP

Connectivity – HDMI, RCA, optical, and coaxial digital outputs and inputs will allow you to connect your Blu-ray player, gaming system, PVR/DVR, and other important home theater equipment. The more connectivity options you have, the better for your system. 

If you decide to follow this latest home theater trend, ensure you do your research and pick what’s best for your home theater. We recommend reading the reviews done by CNET.

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

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Holiday Movie Classics (part 1)

November 24th, 2012

We are officially in the holiday season which means it’s time to enjoy classic holiday movies once again. With the US Thanksgiving this past Thursday and the ever so popular Black Friday shopping the following day, we are now officially able to watch holiday movies while enjoying our favourite peppermint mochas and other tasty holiday drinks. We will be inundated with Christmas movies for the next four weeks. Here are some of our picks to kick off the season!

1) It’s A Wonderful Life: Probably the most popular Christmas movie ever to be made. The movie surrounds George Bailey (James Stewart) decides to commit suicide on Christmas Eve only to be stopped by an angel that shows George how life would be if he was never born. This movie can give you perspective on life and is an extremely uplifting movie for the entire family. 

To purchase this from Amazon, click here.

2) Christmas Vacation: The quirky and hilarious Christmas Vacation brings the Griswold family (Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo) together to celebrate the holidays. Disaster after disaster, this movie will make you laugh from start to finish. 

To purchase this from Amazon, click here.

3) Home Alone: The original Home Alone is another holiday favourite with everyone in your entire household. When Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left at home while his family goes to Paris for the holidays, Kevin defends his home from two slapstick burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Even though the sequel is good and also takes place at Christmas time, the original is still the best out of this franchise.

To purchase this from Amazon, click here.

4) Elf: Will Ferrell plays an oversized elf that is sent to New York City to meet his biological father. This movie is 9 years old and already has become a holiday classic. You will see this on TV alot over the next few weeks. It’s a funny and cute movie.

To purchase this from Amazon, click here.

5) The Santa Clause: Tim Allen accidentally kills Santa Claus and has to take over his duties. This movie doesn’t stray too far from the TV show Home Improvement but it’s still a great movie to watch this holiday season.

To purchase this from Amazon, click here.

Over the next few weeks we will feature other holiday classics. There are so many to choose from. Rest asured, whichever movie you watch this season, it will lift your  holiday spirits. What a great way to spend the holidays with your loved ones as you watch a great movie in your home theater.  As they say, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

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

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Home Theater Trends

November 21st, 2012

Over the years, the popularity of home theaters have increased. At the same time, trends have also evolved. From basements to family rooms, projection screens to plasma then LED TV’s, 5.1 surround to 7.1 surround, and from DVD players to 3D Blu-ray DVD players, home theater is constantly evolving. What’s trending in home theater now? Let’s take a look.

1) Multiple Screens: Back in June, our blog featuring Sports Themed Rooms showcased one room with four screens. Well this isn’t a one off, this is a trend amongst new aged home theater room. The room we were speaking of had the main big screen and then an additional three on a shot clock as well, giving you the illusion of being in an arena or stadium. With “entertainment” rooms now exploding in popularity, having multiple screens will give you the feel that you’re in a local bar with different options for things to look at while you’re socializing. 

2) Social Networks: We’re all apart of it and there’s no escaping it. Social networking has taken over our lives and it’s also being implemented in home theaters. Smart TV’s were featured in our blog back in July. Smart TV’s can connect you directly to social media sites where you can share what you’re doing and what you’re watching. The addition of tablets and smartphones has also become integral to home theaters. We are truly connected to one another all the time and social networks makes that even easier to do. You can tweet while you’re watching the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup Final or even live tweeting with your favorite TV show like Criminal Minds or Sons of Anarchy. 

3) Floor and Soundbar Speakers: Since floorstanding and soundar speakers produce clear audio, more consumers are deciding to change from wall mount or in wall speaker systems.

4) Apps: Yes apps are now controling our homes from lighting to fire places and our TV’s and entertainment systems. Home Theater Apps, our blog from October will give you the most used and most beneficial apps to use in your home theaters. 

We’re all looking for the best value our money can buy so it’s important to ensure you make your home theater suit your needs. Make sure the benefits you look for are a part of your home theater room. This holiday season, there will be a lot of products to choose from. Ensure you get what’s best for you and not what you think you need. Do your research and enjoy your home theater to the fullest. 

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

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