WALTHAM, Mass., May 10 -- With all the static about new digital technologies, more and more people are looking to create their own media room for their homes.

To make sure their new media room is a hit, lead design consultant Davis Remignanti of http://www.furniture.com offers do-it-yourself solutions for all budgets with these helpful hints about location and furniture:

* LIGHTS! -- Create the fitting atmosphere for home entertainment and

choose the room with the least amount of light -- usually the basement.

Face TV's away from windows and use window treatments to prevent

picture washout. Place a light with 10 or 15-watt incandescent (or 5-

watt fluorescent) bulb behind the TV to further reduce eyestrain and

glare. Choose a white light rather than pink to enhance the quality of

onscreen color. Use a neutralizing, flat gray paint behind TV's to

maximize the quality of how colors look onscreen.

* CAMERA! -- The home theater basics include a speaker system, AM/FM

receiver, DVD/VCR player and -- most importantly -- a TV. The ideal

screen size for your TV depends on budget, available space, and viewing

preferences. High-definition is a more refined picture, without the

visible scan lines of analog TV's, letting viewers sit as close as they

want without "ruining their eyes." Small screens or small spaces

shouldn't be discouraging. Many people find sitting close gives them a

more theater-like experience. A small screen and small space could be

all viewers need for that edge-of-the-seat, lump-in-the-throat

entertainment.

* PLACES! -- Finding the best seat in the house depends on the type of TV.

A good rule of thumb, the larger the screen the farther away views

should sit for optimum picture. For analog sets with a regular 4:3

ration (4 inches of width for every 3 inches of height), sit a distance

3 to 6 times the diagonal width of the screen. For high-definition,

wide-screens (16 inches of width for every 9 inches of height) sit a

distance of 1.5 to 3 times the diagonal width of the screen.

* ACTION! -- A home theater would not be complete without its supporting

cast -- the furniture. There is an abundance of different padding,

motion and size choices available in the quickly growing category of

home theater seating. Soft, comfy designs can give double feature

luxury as well as absorb sound waves to improve the audio quality of

the room. When choosing a home entertainment center, viewers should

keep two shady characters in mind: dust and poor ventilation. A unit

should be large enough to avoid stacking electronics -- which can block

vents and reduce performance. Adjustable shelving will allow enough

room to frequently wipe components clean. Shutting cabinet doors when

the system is not in use will keep dust under control.

* And CUT ... That's a wrap. Of course, the focus of a media room should

revolve around what's on screen. But regardless of whether the

screening is a Cary Grant classic or a Hugh Grant romp, with just a bit

of planning, any homeowner can create their own media room environment

that's sure to rate 5 Stars.

Furniture.com (http://www.furniture.com) offers consumers the best of Internet shopping by merging the convenience, accessibility and ease of online shopping with the proven infrastructure of North America's largest retail furniture chains. At Furniture.com, consumers quickly browse, compare and buy brand-name furniture and accessories, find decorating advice and product information, and utilize interactive design tools. To complete the experience, Levitz, Seaman's, and Harlem Furniture in the U.S., and Leon's Furniture in Canada, provide customer service and fast, in-home delivery. Furniture.com, a privately-held company, backed by a private equity firm with over $1.0 billion in committed capital, is a member of BBBOnline, TRUSTe, and VeriSign.

Note to Editors: High resolution images for publication are available at: http://www.furniture.com/pressroom