MoDesign (Monster, LLC)
Are you looking to house your various electronics in a way that will add to your room's décor rather than detract from it? MoDesign's $2,500 Audio/Video Component Tower 6000, part of their Centra line of home theater consoles, is made with a smoked-black-tinted glass door and sleek, lustrous wood. If you don't like the glass, wooden doors with either a light- or deep-cherry finish are also available separately. The unit is functional, too. According to MoDesign, a dual-fan cooling system helps your components perform as they should, and the glass door is specially designed not to interfere with signals from remote controls. The Monster Cable Management System helps keep your cables neatly organized.
MoDesign (Monster, LLC) (866) 563-6388 www.MDesignLife.com
Ellula Some things in life are just so much fun that they hardly need explanation, and Ellula's HotAir inflatable multimedia speaker is one such thing. The HotAir is compatible with any type of computer or portable music source, including personal CD players and MP3 players. With a little help from a connection kit, gameheads can even use these speakers with most gaming consoles. Do the HotAirs sound good? At $49 each, why not grab a couple and find out? Ellula (646) 935-0912 www.ellula.com
Home Cinema Accessories It's often the only thing missing when Uncle Bob busts out the camcorder. A tripod might make his masterpieces easier to watch later, but we're talking about the verisimilitude that only a clapper can offer. The Professional Studio Clapboard from Home Cinema Accessories measures 11 inches tall and 12 wide, and it offers plenty of room to write and change your scene and take numbers. The Professional Studio Clapboard also comes with a wall-mounting cord for those who'd rather admire than direct, and it's a great value at just $15. Home Cinema Accessories (800) 346-8575 www.homecinemaaccessories.com
Giclée Art World What's an evening in your home theater without your favorite film-time treat? Nothing makes a home theater a home theater more than a big, freshly popped bowl of popcorn. Now, thanks to artist Clark Carroll's Pop Art, you can keep that feeling in your theater even when the popper is taking a well-deserved rest. Carroll has been an illustrator for 30 years and has been a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York (whose other members have included Norman Rockwell). Pop Art is available as a limited-edition giclée on Somerset paper, numbered and signed by the artist. The 15- by 20-inch version sells for $250, and the 30- by 40-inch size is $400. It might not fill your theater with that buttery aroma, but Pop Art may be the next best thing. Giclée Art World (610) 449-5560 www.gicleeartworld.com
OmniMount You can't get much more elegant than the clean combination of aluminum and glass, both of which OmniMount has incorporated into their Cosmic Series of A/V racks and TV stands. The Cosmic AT-5 tower shown here features five polished-glass shelves, each of which supports up to 50 pounds. The 63-inch-tall rack can house components up to 19.5 inches wide and 20.75 deep. The AT-5 comes with a cable-management system, as well as adjustable aluminum feet, a feature that anyone with uneven floors is sure to appreciate. The Cosmic Series also includes the VT-3 and VT-2 TV stands, which retail for $400 and $450, respectively. The AT-5 tower sells for $500. OmniMount (800) 668-6848 www.omnimount.com
Bass Industries Do you like comfy seats? Do you like good-looking seats? Do you like reasonably priced seats? Home Cinema Seating, a division of Bass Industries, may have the seat for you. The Millennium home theater seat features an upholstered back and seat bottom, flip-up armrests with integrated cup holders, a 42-inch pleated back, and a bolstered headrest to take the strain off of your neck as you watch movie after movie. The Millennium has that classic movie theater look and is available in numerous colors of velour, leather, or Nusuede. Prices range from $723 per seat in rows of three or more. Bass Industries (305) 751-2716 www.bassind.com
DreamVision DreamVision's graceful gray ovule is sure to make an elegant statement in your home theater. The DreamWeaver DLP projector's design is said to provide natural airflow and eliminate stray light. It also incorporates its own cable-management system to keep your theater nice and tidy. The DreamWeaver isn't just stylish, though; DreamVision has packed some serious technology into this stunning package, including Texas Instruments' HD2 Digital Micromirror Device, Faroudja's DCDi technology, and a 1,280:720 native resolution, which makes it a natural choice for the HD buff. If you're in the market for a high-end projector, this $10,995 DLP will make for sweet dreams. DreamVision (800) 663-9352 www.audioplus-services.com
Apex Digital It might look a bit small if you compare it with the 50-inch big boys, but Apex's 42-inch PL 42HD12W plasma display can hold its own in the category and has a wallet-friendly price. The wall-mountable PL 42HD12W's case is 53 inches wide by 28.5 tall by only 4 thick, and it supports 480p, 720p, and 1080i material. Inside, you'll find a digital comb filter and deinterlacing with 3:2-pulldown detection. On the outside, there's one DVI input and one RGB input, as well as inputs for component, S-video, and composite video and outputs for computer audio and standard speakers. It's a nice overall package that covers all of the bases for $3,999. Apex Digital (909) 930-1239 www.apexdigitalinc.com