Among the new gadgets for new homes are some that are bound to appeal to well-heeled movie buffs. Home theaters are growing in popularity, particularly among buyers of upscale homes.

Until now, home theater electronics focused on providing the highest quality video and sound possible. But now a new element of realism has been added. Motion simulation chairs are being marketed by D-Box, a company that builds reclining theater chairs and loveseats with a twist. The chairs rock and sway in sync with the onscreen television action and sound. With up to 2Gs of acceleration, the goal is to make you feel more like a participant than a viewer.

Of course, to get in on the action, you need some of D-Box’s 400 movie titles that have been programmed with their proprietary F/X motion codes. But if you can afford the $5,000 chair, the cost of several movies should be no problem.

Kaleidescape Inc. has a new digital movie player for DVD and high-definition movies. With this system, homeowners can access any movie in their collection from any viewing zone in their home. Each room can be configured for individual preferences, such as audio, screen aspect ratio, and parental control.

An on-screen interface allows the homeowner to browse and search an entire collection of movies, play a movie without navigating through a DVD menu, create collections and mark or play favorite scenes with an electronic bookmark. The movie player is $4,000, but a Kaleidescape base system with electronic storage of 180 DVD movies is $27,000. Of course, the system is expandable for storing thousands of DVDs, all of which can be played throughout the home via Ethernet.

The International Builders Show (IBS) is the best place to see all the new gadgets for the home. Unfortunately, the IBS isn’t open to the public. Here are a few other highlights from the 2005 show.

GE displayed its new Monogram Walk-In Wine Vault. It’s more than an appliance, it’s a chamber dedicated to storing wine in the consumer’s home. It has to be professionally installed, and is an ideal location for storing or displaying wines. It has an inventory tracking system that uses a touch-screen monitor and printer.

When it comes to washing clothes, Miele says its latest fabric care system — the Touchtronic — is designed to make clothing and other washables last four times longer. The secret is a stainless steel wash drum built in a convex pattern that resembles a honeycomb. The design reduces the number of water extraction holes in the drum by 80%. A network of water channels creates a thin water layer that cushions and protects fabrics as they spin in wash and rinse cycles. The machines retail for $1,799.

Other new home innovations involve new materials that mimic something else. For example, there are many companies that manufacture fake stone. Engineered wood products can lower the cost of a home several thousand dollars without sacrificing quality. There are many new products that look like a wood deck but aren’t; some are recycled plastic. Roofing is being made out of light-weight concrete. Another company makes stone-coated steel roofing panels that look like rugged split-wood shakes; they’re guaranteed to withstand 120 mph winds and two-inch hailstones.