Elite Home Theater Seating Blog

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

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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

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Will Streaming Movies Wipe Out Blu-ray’s?

January 21st, 2013

With the popularity of streaming services like Apple TV and Netflix, will Blu-ray DVD’s become a thing of the past? For home theater enthusiasts, this may never occur because the quality of blu-ray’s are far more superior than streaming services. Last July, we spoke about this in our blog, (click here to view it), and just yesterday I had a conversation about this with a friend which made me want to revisit this subject again today.

Personally, I cannot see streaming services replace blu-ray because of the audio and video quality. The difference is substantial and for those who love home theater systems, they too also won’t settle for subpar sound and video. It’s true that streaming has now started streaming HD content but the clarity is just not the same. If you stream content to a smartphone or a tablet, the quality is amazing but for a large screen projector or TV, there is a difference.

There is also the concern of available content. When you own a blu-ray, you can access it anytime however with streaming services, you are limited to what they provide thus causing an issue if there is something you love to watch but they don’t provide it.  

Personally I do not think streaming services like Apple TV and Netflix will ever take over entirely. Home theater enthusiasts want the best quality and as of right now, blu-ray DVD’s are the best. Comparing the quality to streaming services doesn’t even make sense since the quality of streaming is good but nothing like the clarity of a blu-ray disc.

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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Looper on Blu-ray

January 5th, 2013

Looper, directed by Rian Johnson and starring  Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt was released on Blu-ray DVD this past Monday (New Years Eve). While Looper wasn’t a huge success at the box office ($66 million US and $166 million worldwide), the movie has slowly gained the attention of the public making this a highly anticipated release on Bluray. According to The HD Room, Looper  gained high sales from Amazon prior to release, making this an anticipated release. 

Looper revolves around criminal organizations that use time travel in the year 2074 to  send those they want killed into the past where they are killed by “Looper“, (assassins paid with silver bars strapped to their targets). Joe, (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a looper, encounters himself when his older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to be killed. In Looper, time travel was invented in 2044 but outlawed and used by criminals for their own personal gain. These ”Looper“, dispose of the bodies in a time where the victim doesn’t exist but the only catch to this is that these ”Loopers“, are sent to kill their future selves. It sounds a little confusing but if you think back to how time travel operated in Back To The Future, the premise here is pretty much the same; what you change in the future changes the present.

The special features included on the Blu-ray are: 

1) Feature Commentary with Director Rian Johnson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt  
2) Looper: From the Beginning – Making-of Featurette
3) 5 Deleted Scenes with Commentary
4) Scoring Looper
5) Looper Animated Trailer

Blu-ray Exclusives

1) The Science of Time Travel Featurette
2) 17 Additional Deleted Scenes with Commentary

With the holidays over most of us have time to relax and watch TV once again. This is a good way to kick it off.

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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2012: A Look Back

December 20th, 2012

Another year has gone by so quickly and it was a year of some great milestones, some new beginnings, and some great memories. 2012 was the year we took on social media with our accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest and we also committed ourselves to do more blogging because we love talking about all things home theater. Smart TV’s, Cloud Based DVR’s, The Dark Knight, Home Theater Themed Rooms, and Home Theater Trends really caught our attention. There were events outside of home theater that also made huge headlines. From happy moments like the second term win of President Barack Obama, the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup, and we can’t forget how the world danced in unison to Gangnam Style. There were also sad moments the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy, the horrific school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, and the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting. Just like any year, there were amazing achievements and tragic events, that’s just how it goes. Let’s focus on the good and recall some of our favourite home theater blogs of 2012. Now it’s hard to choose because we love all our blogs BUT we took some of the most fun to write blogs and most important (to us) and have listed our top 10. Hope you enjoy this look back at a great year.

1) Our Exclusive Dark Knight Themed Home Theater Room!! We have asked or pictures of the completed room and once we get them, we will post it right away!

2) Home Theater, A Great Movie, & The Kids! 

3) The Cinema Series

4) Home Theater Seating Comfort

5) Customizing Your Chair with Elite HTS

6) DIY Home Theaters

7) Sports Themed Home Theater Rooms

8) Sound Bar Speakers

9) 3D Technology

10) Friday The 13th

First and foremost we want to thank all our customers for being with us in 2012. We look forward to working with you again in 2013. For all of you that have supported us on social media, we cannot thank you enough. We are very excited for 2013 and we are excited to grow with you all.  We will still be blogging and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest over the holidays but we know today is the start of many peoples Christmas holidays. So before some of you head out to see family and friends, we want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New 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 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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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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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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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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TV on Blu-ray: The Complete Friends Collection

November 16th, 2012

Chandler, Monica, Joey, Phoebe, Ross and Rachel made up the hugely successful sitcom, Friends which ran from 1994 till 2004. With 236 episodes, 90 hours of laughs, 21 Blu-ray discs, and 17 hours of bonus features, The Complete Series on Blu-ray is just in time for the holiday season. 

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox. Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer gave us some of the best moments in sitcom history. The One with Joey’s Bag, The One with Ross’ Teeth, The One with the Holiday Armadillo, and The One with Joey’s New Brain are all included in this highly anticipated Blu-ray collection. Friends will always be remembered for having such a stellar cast with unforgettable TV moments.

For a listing of all 236 episodes please click here (courtesy of TV.com). Along with all 236 episodes on the first 20 discs and their respective bonus features, it’s disc 21 with all the additional bonus features. Here is a rundown of what you will find:

Additional Bonus Features: Disc 21 

1) Friends from the Start (HD, 28 minutes): The first of three high definition documentaries, “Friends from the Start” finds crucial members of the crew and a handful of supporting actors — executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, director James Burrows, network executive Warren Littlefield, former president of Warner Bros. Television Leslie Moonves, producer Todd Stevens, art director John Shaffner, costume designer Debra McGuire, and actors Elliott Gould, Christina Pickles, Melora Hardin and James Michael Tyler — coming together eight years after the end of the series to discuss the genesis of the show, its development, sets, storylines, characters and more. It’s a great retrospective, but the main cast is sadly MIA. No Aniston, Perry, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc or Schwimmer, except in the endless clips that litter the proceedings.

2) When Friends Become Family (HD, 29 minutes): Bright, Kauffman, Crane, Burrows, Littlefield, Stevens, Shaffner, McGuire, Gould, Pickles, Hardin and Tyler return — along with writer Greg Malins, audience warm-up artist Jim Bentley and actors Maggie Wheeler, Bonnie Somerville and Alexandra Holden — to cover the show’s runaway success, its ongoing evolution, and the secret behind its endurance and influence. Still no sign of the main cast, though, which would have rocketed the 21st disc’s documentaries to heights unknown.

3) The Legacy of Friends (HD, 11 minutes): “If you know it’s the end, you’re writing toward a finish line.” This tenth and final season retrospective brings satisfying closure to the documentaries, although without any fresh faces. Even so, it’s a nice, heartfelt trip back through time.

4) Friends on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (SD, 22 minutes): Jay sits down with Schwimmer, LeBlanc and Matthew Perry (in Central Perk no less) moments after the actors watched the final episode for the first time. A few minutes later, he invites Aniston, Kudrow and Courtney Cox into the spotlight. Finally, with six minutes to spare, the entire cast shares the stage.

 5) Music Video (SD, 3 minutes): “I’ll Be There for You,” courtesy of The Rembrandts.

 6) The One Where Rachel Tells Ross (SD, 23 minutes): Shortly after 9/11, a pre-recorded scene with a bomb joke left the producers with little choice but to alter the episode in which it appeared. For the first time, see the original producer’s version of “The One Where Rachel Tells Ross” and read the original script.

7) Gag Reel (SD, 7 minutes): “The One with Never-Before-Seen Gags.”

8) Friends Visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show (SD, 16 minutes): Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres welcomes Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer (separately but in good spirits).

The official press release can be seen here.

With the holiday season approaching, expect to see more special editions of your favourite TV shows, movies, and concerts on Blu-ray.

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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