Theater Seating Guide

Home Theater Seating

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Home Theater Seating

Designing Audience Seating in Home Theater Rooms

It should be no surprise that professionalcommercial theater designers strive to deliver atheater's motion picture image and accompanying

sound track to the audience with a minimum ofobstruction and distortion. Unknown to many,though, is just how important the role of audienceseating design is to achieving this goal. In hometheaters many of the same commercial seatingdesign principals apply, except that, with carefulattention to detail, one can usually optimize a hometheater to outperform the finest commercial movietheaters. This section will take a quick look at thedesign of audience seating in commercial theatersand illustrate how the principals can be extrapolatedand, in many cases, improved upon in hometheaters.

Size Matters

The size of the picture seen in a commercial theateris determined by the distance the audience sits backfrom the screen. Simply, if you sit up close, you seea large picture; if you sit far back, you see a smallone. In order to quantify this relationship, displayprofessionals refer to "the angle subtended". Largersubtended angles, both horizontally and vertically,mean that more of a person's visual field is taken up

by the image and, thus, the image appears larger(see our diagram). Numerous studies involvingsubtended angles have been undertaken over theyears and in the January 1986 issue of the SMPTE(Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)journal, William Szabo summarizes many of thesestudies in his paper "Guidelines for the Design ofEffective Cine Theaters". His summary; "...a screenappears large when it occupies a substantial portionof a viewer's horizontal and vertical field of vision.Our experience indicates that the screen image willappear small [in a theater environment] if the imageoccupies less than 15% of the viewer's vertical fieldof vision or less than approximately 30% of thehorizontal field of vision".

In the design of a home theater these optimumsubtended angles (30°+ Horizontal, 15°+ Vertical)can provide a basic framework for seatingplacement. However, you should know that there isanother criteria that is somewhat at odds withplacing the audience seating up close to the screenfor a big picture. It comes from the basic way thatvideo display devices generate color images. WithCRT-based video projectors, images are made byscanning hundreds of thin scan lines across picturetube faceplates and projecting them up on a screen.

Chapter One: About Home Theater Seating 5

W

W = Width of Screen Viewing Area

D

D = Distance From Screen Surface To Viewer

Horizontal SubtendedAngle - H˚

(Optimum = 30˚ or More)

H˚ = Horizontal Subtended Angle = 2 x tan-1 (1/2 W ÷ D)

H

D

D = Distance From Screen Surface To ViewerH = Height of Screen Viewing Area

V˚ = Vertical Subtended Angle = 2 x tan-1 (1/2H ÷ D)

Vertical SubtendedAngle - V˚

(Optimum = 15˚ or More)

Audience Horizontal Subtended Angles

6Chapter One: About Home Theater Seating

60"

80"

49"

87"

STEWART 100"Diagonal 4:3

Screen

STEWART 100"Diagonal 16:9

Screen

SEATING DISTANCED = 1W



Horiz SubtendedAngle = 53˚

Vert SubtendedAngle = 36˚









Horiz SubtendedAngle =19˚


TYPE OF SCREEN USED

D = 1.0 X Screen Width

Screen SurfaceD = 0

D = 2.0 X Screen Width Back Wall

Screen

D = 3.0 X Screen Width

Subtended Angles In A Home Theater Room As AFunction Of Distance From The Screen


Sight lines from all audience seats should be designed for maximum visibility

With LCD and DLP-based projectors, the imagesare made up of thousands of individualsemiconductor generated "pixels" which are alsoprojected. Unfortunately, the basic nature of both ofthese images involves a picture structure that hasconsiderably less resolution than the fine grainedstructure of film stock. As a result, when you are upclose to the picture produced by a video displaydevice, you will most likely see scan lines or pixels.It's simply the nature of the beast. If you arewondering if the "image structure" visibility bereduced; yes, it can. One can smooth out the imagewith line doublers and quadruplers (CRT projectors),or with depixelization filters (LCD/DLP projectors).And you might want to do this if your budget allows.The point we want to make is that when you sit upclose to a video display for large subtended angles,the image structure may become more apparent.The result is that you may opt to purposely sitfurther back (less than 30°+ Horizontal, 15°+Vertical) for a subjectively smoother image.

A Seat With A View

The next seating parameter to discuss involvesscreen visibility. In a home theater room with a

single row of seats, you should be assured of anunobstructed view of the projection screen becauseyou are sitting "front and center". In a commercialtheater, or multiple row home theater, this may notbe the case. It all depends on where you sit, and theheight of the risers.

Risers is the term used in the building trades for thevertical portion of any stepped construction (staircases are a good example). In theater construction,it refers to the steps that occur between rows ofaudience seats. One would think the proper heightfor theater risers would be high enough to allow allaudience members to have an open, unencumberedview of screen. Theater designers refer to this as"every-row vision" -because every row has an openview (see diagram). The problem is that this is canresult in a steeply-sloped seating profile. Tocompensate, theater designers design less steeply-sloped profiles (every-other row vision, or more) andstagger the seats so that people can see betweenthe seats in front of them. This is the design used invirtually all multiplex-type theaters. Fortunately, youcan do better in a home theater. In a home theater,you can strive for every-row vision, and thisgenerally means that the risers will be "stadiumlevel" or approximately 1 foot high (ordinary riser


First Row Arm Radius = 15'-8"

Second Row Arm Radius = 22'-2"

Platform Radius = 16'-2"

SCREEN

FIRST IMPRESSIONS builds their hometheater seating for installation along aradius. This gives a more natural sightline to viewers on the outside edge byeliminating excessive head twisting to

see the screen.

Easy Head Movement

Limit Of ColorDiscrimination

Limit Of SymbolRecognition

90˚60˚30˚

Comfortable humanhead movement occurs

within an arc of 90degrees


Commercial theaters can bedesigned with “every-row vision”

(the vertical sightlines passcompletely over the person

directly ahead) or “every-other-row vision” (the vertical

sightlines pass completely overthe person 2 seats ahead).Every-row vision is the bestbecause each person has an

unencumbered view of the screen

Easy Head Movement

70˚

Limit Of ColorDiscrimination

30˚30˚50˚

Max Head Movement

Standard Line Of Sight (Standing)

Standard Line Of Sight (Seated)

30˚

Optimum Viewing Zone (Seated)

15-30˚

Since the normal line of sight is 12˚ to 15˚ below the horizontal, seat backsshould tilt back to elevate the line of sight the same amount

levels for seating and stairs is approximately 6 to 8inches). If you have multiple rows of seats in yourhome theater, and every-row vision isn't possible,then make sure you can stagger the seats formaximum visibility.

Relax In Total Comfort

If you've ever come late to the movies and beenforced to sit in the seats on the front, outside edges,you know that twisting your body and head uptoward the screen isn't the most comfortable way toview a movie. In a home theater, ditto. If you analyze this discomfort, there are two

components. First, because your seat is on theoutside edge, you have to twist your head laterally(sideways) to view the screen. Second, because youare up close to the screen, you have to tilt yourhead back to see the entire image. Both of theseconditions are outside the normal skeletal-muscularrange and, as a result, aren't very comfortable.Fortunately, you can avoid such extreme viewingpositions in your home theater through properseating design.

Let's look at the head twisting part first. To preventanyone from having to do this, you can eitherphysically restrict your seating area so no one isseated near the edges, or install your seats in an


angled or curved fashion (see our diagram). JeffSmith of First Impressions, a custom home theaterdesign firm, explains: " We refer to it as sight-linesensitive design. The reason that it's important isthat the human head is comfortable within a limitedrotational angle, some 45 degrees to either side orso. For comfort, this rotational angle can beminimized by installing the seats along a curve. Infact, we design our seats so that they fit together ina group along an arc of a specific radius based onscreen size and viewing distance. This assures thatall audience members have a good sight-line to thescreen and head rotation is minimized. The result isa more comfortable viewing position."

The second issue concerns head tilt. Anthropometricdata on human vision shows that the normal line ofsight for a sitting human is approximately 15° belowthe standard line of sight (see our diagram). Thissuggests that comfortable seating should recline aminimum of 15° from the vertical so that viewerswatch along a comfortable sight line. This, in fact, isexactly what most properly designed theater seatsare designed to do.

Shake Rattle and Roll

A trend that is catching on in home theater design isto integrate tactile sound into theater seating. Tactilesound is "felt" sound. It is the low frequency feelingthat you get when large magnitude events occurnearby. Picture Jurassic Park and the scenes with T-Rexs stomping about. Tactile Transducers mountedunder your theater seats, or under your hometheater floor, would give you that subtle, butdramatic "ground shaking" whenever one of thesecreatures walked by. Traditionally, this low frequencyenergy is created by powerful subwoofers but tactiletransducers are a more natural way to do it. Theyallow one to adjust the volume of the room'ssubwoofers to more natural levels but still feel theground move when big things happen.

Tactile transducers, themselves, are pretty simpledevices. They are electromechanical drivers that aredesigned to attach directly to seating surfaces andfloors. The illustration below shows a suggested wayto attach Clark Synthesis transducers to a hometheater room floors. Clark recommends several forentire floors, but one per seat should be enough ifyou decide to attach them directly to seat frames.

Finished Carpet

100 Oz Padding

1/2" Plywood

Builders Felt

2x4" Joists

1/2" Plywood

Rubber Isolation Pads

Insulation Barrier

FIRST IMPRESSIONSdecouples their riserplatforms from the

subfloor with“floating

construction”. Thisprevents internalroom vibrations

(from speakers, forexample) and

vibrations throughthe ground from

reaching theaudience.


Movement of Home Theater Room Floor

2" x 12" securelylag screwed

to floor joists

Movement of Tactile Transducer

Mounting Clark SynthesisTransducers Underneath Home

Theater Room Seat Risers

CLARK SYNTHESIS

TACTILE TRANSDUCER

T-Nut

Home TheaterRoom Floor

Washer

Jam Nuts

3/8"-16Threaded Stud

2" x 12" securelylag screwed to floor joists

To Power Amplifier

12Chapter Two: Home Theater Seating Manufacturers

Generally speaking there are four categories ofseating you can use in your home theater;Conventional household seating, authentic theater

seating, home theater seating and custom seating. Let'slook at each.

Conventional Household Seating. This categoryencompasses the seating options that are commonlyfound in the home. Sofas, sectionals, overstuffed chairs,etc., can all be options for home theater rooms. For mosthome theater owners, the reason to use conventionalseating is because the home theater room does doubleduty as a family room, or play room, during the day andmore dedicated theater seating designs would hinder theroom's alternate activities. The other issue is cost. Usingconventional seating, particular if one already owns theseats, can be less expensive than dedicated theaterseating.

Authentic Theater Seating. Several firms offer commercial-style theater seats to the public. One of the most well

known is Irwin Seating. Irwin Seating has been in thebusiness of producing commercial seating since 1907and offers several of their commercial models to thehome theater market. Their Celebrity Rocker™ seats,for example, are a fixed seat (bolted to the floor), andoffers a contemporary “thick-cushioned” megaplex-likelook. Their Marquee™ series seats, also a fixed model,have the look of classic tufted velvet theater seating,and their Springfield™ seats offer a beautiful Victoriandesign complete with cast aluminum period supportsand solid oak armrests. Borrowing from the design of itspopular Marquee line, Irwin has also designed a newmodel, the Ambassador™ solely for home theaterapplications. Prices for Irwin seats range from $395 to

$695 per chair.

Another firm, Bass Industries, offers three styles ofauthentic, fixed-style, theater seats through their HomeCinema Accessories catalog. Their Forum™ seats, forexample, are an entry level home theater seat and can beordered with woven, velour or leather fabrics. The nextstep up is their Contour™ seats with have a higher formfitting back and cup holders in the arm rests. The top-of-the line model is the Presidential™ which has a high-backheadrest and features thick cushioning. Prices for BassIndustries seats range from $405 to $897 per chairdepending on features and materials.

Home Theater Seating. For those who want seatingdesigned for home theaters but more along the line oflarge, comfortable, stratolounger-style furniture, severalcompanies rise to the occasion. First Impressions Designand Management, Inc., for example, offers their verycomprehensive CineLounger™ collection. This line ofseating is designed for comfort, but the styling is definitely

SeatingManufacturers

FirstImpression’sCineloungercollection of

home theaterseating is

designed formaximum

comfort. Incliningand reclining

backs, foot restsand drink holders

are standard.

Chapter Two: Home Theater Seating Manufacturers 13

IRWINMARQUEE

IRWINSPRINGFIELD

IRWINCELEBRITY

BASSCONTOURTHEATER

SEAT

BASSFORUM

THEATERSEAT

CINEMACHAIR BY ACOUSTIC INNOVATIONSODESSEY BY BLACK CANYON DESIGNS


theater-like (see our illustrations). The series offersrecliner and incliner mechanisms, beverage holders (inacrylic, glass or solid marble), illuminated glass endpanels, specialty detailing like exotic woods and veneertrim, and each chair can be covered from a customselection of several hundred fabrics and leathers. As wementioned previously, many of the Cineloungers can becustom ordered to be installed along a pre-designedseating radius for comfortable sightlines. Contact FirstImpressions for details.

Another firm, Acoustic Innovations, offers theirCinemaChair™ line with a similar overstuffed reclinerdesign. The CinemaChairs offer two recline positions anddozens of fabric and leather choices. One of the first firmsto enter the period home theater design business, TheaterDesign Associates, offers their DreamLounger™ line ofseating. DreamLounger™s are also available in amultitude of fabrics and are unique in that they can beordered in custom seat widths and designs. Front row loveseat anyone?

Custom Seating. If none of the above interests you thanyou might want to go the total custom route. Black CanyonDesign Group, a custom furniture manufacturer located inParker, Colorado, is a good source for custom theaterseats. Their owner, Dan Mick, offers a unique opinion ofhome theater design, one that is reflected in his seats."Home theaters are all designed backwards", he says,"they are environments where people sit down to enjoyaudio and video presentations. If the seating isn'tdesigned right, and installed right, then the whole point ismissed. Proper seating is the difference between an

average home theater and a great one". As a result, BlackCanyon Designs approaches their seat designs with aphilosophy; extremely comfortable. Several "standard"designs, the Odyssey™, Classic™ and Roosevelt arecurrently offered, but from-the-ground-up custom designsare commonly constructed for clients.

FirstImpression’sCineloungercollection of

home theaterseating is

designed formaximum

comfort in hometheaters


PREMIERESEATING

PREMIERE Home TheaterSurroundings

5330 Derry Ave.Agora Hills, CA 91301

818-706-0700


ENCORE RC-BLeather: $1695Capretto: $1449

Premium Fabric: $1399Standard Fabric: $1349

ENCORE RCW-BLeather: $1695Capretto: $1449

Premium Fabric: $1399Standard Fabric: $1349

ENCORE RC-RLeather: $1595

Capretto: $1349Premium Fabric: $1299Standard Fabric: $1249


ENCORE RCW-RLeather: $1595


ENCORE RACLeather: $1495


ENCORE RC-LLeather: $1595


Theater Seating Guide

Documents

securely lag

home theater

impressions

conventional

home theater

home theater

authentic

home theater