The first step to watching television via the Internet is making sure your Internet provider offers high-speed and reliable connections. While dial-up or slower speeds are perfectly fine for typical web surfing, you’ll need a high-speed Internet connection to stream videos, movies and television shows.

For strictly watching television shows on your computer, all you need is reliable, high-speed Internet service and a computer. Many network and cable channels offer free streaming of their shows on their websites, while Hulu offers free streaming of a variety of current cable and network shows. The only catch is that you can’t watch the television shows live; however, the shows are typically available the next day. You can also stream movies and television shows on your computer via Amazon Instant Video and Netflix, which offer movies and television shows for a monthly subscription. Beyond these mainstream websites, many other sites offer streaming of television shows.

If you’d like to stream television shows through your television via the Internet, you can purchase a variety of devices such as Roku, Apple TV and Boxee. Each device is user-friendly and allows users to create favorite channels, such Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus, for easy selection and viewing. In addition to strictly Internet streaming devices, many gaming systems, televisions and Blu-ray players are Internet-streaming compatible. Some of these devices include Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, select Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Haier and VIZIO televisions and Blu-rays, WD TV media players and TiVo Premiere.

In addition to streaming television shows on your computer and television, you can also stream shows on compatible mobile devices, such as iPhones, iPads, iPod touch and Android smartphones. Most services, like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, allow users to share streaming across multiple devices, televisions or computers.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including high speed Internet, cable TV, home utilities, phone, satellite TV, and home security systems.

You could channel surf to see what’s on, but satellite television, like DIRECTV or DISH network, offer easy to find on-demand movie rentals through programs like DIRECTV Cinema, direct-to-DVR rentals, pay-per-view movies and movie channels, including HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax.

Many satellite television providers have deals with companies in the film industry, so the satellite television subscribers can view movies via their rental/pay-per-view services often before the movies are available for rental.

To get into the football spirit, check out a few of the greatest football movies of all time.

• “Brian’s Song”: The original movie, which was made in 1971, is based on the real-life relationship between teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers. The movie highlights the bond they established when Piccolo discovers that he is dying. The film stars James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden, Bernie Casey and Shelley Fabares. “Brian’s Song” was remade in 2001, starring Mekhi Phifer, Sean Maher and Paula Cale.
• “Remember the Titans”: Starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton and Wood Harris, this 2000 film is based on the true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school football team on their first season as a racially integrated team.
• “Rudy”: The story about Rudy overcoming personal and physical odds to fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame is an inspirational classic. The 1993 film stars Sean Astin, Jon Favreau and Ned Beatty.
• “The Program”: This 1993 movie showcases the pressures of playing football for a major university and how several players from different backgrounds deal with the pressure. The film stars James Caan, Halle Berry and Omar Epps.
• “Any Given Sunday”: Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid and Cameron Diaz star in this 1999 movie that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the struggles of modern-day football players and those who lead them.
• “We Are Marshall”: The 2006 movie is based on the tragic true story of a plane crash that took the lives of members of Marshall University’s football program and its fans, and how the program’s new coach and surviving players try to keep Marshall’s football program alive. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox and Anthony Mackie.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including high speed Internet, cable TV, home utilities, phone, satellite TV, and home security systems.

For watching live television or Internet streaming, you’ll also need reliable cable and Internet services. So before you buy that new television, use Allconnect to compare cable and Internet services in your area to see what works for you and your needs. Once you know you can stream the big game, you’re ready to put that theater together.

The first step for either an indoor or outdoor theater is deciding upon where to put it. Mapping out where your television or projection screen, DVD or Blu-ray player, video projector and speakers will be placed is one of the most important steps to quickly set-up your theater. Once you have the arrangement planned out, determine how much wiring you’ll need to connect all the components — another important step.

Beyond a television, arranging surround-sound speakers, a DVD/Blu-ray player and a receiver is essential for a home theater. The receiver allows a central station for controlling all your components, including a television, speakers and a Blu-ray player. The one tricky part of setting up a home theater is getting the wiring arranged correctly and balancing the speaker outputs. If you purchase a surround sound speaker system, follow the instructions included with the system for balancing and arranging the speakers. The instructions for each component outline which wires, whether HDMI, audio/video or others, you’ll need to successfully set up the theater.

For an outdoor theater, there are a couple options. First, simply move your indoor theater components to a spot that allows outdoor viewing, such as a patio or porch. The full outdoor theater effect requires a video projector, a viewing screen, speakers and a Blu-ray/DVD player. To watch live television, you’ll need a DTV converter box or a network media player, like an Internet-enabled Blu-ray player or gaming system that allows a cable connection or Internet streaming. Also, determine what wires, and the length you’ll need. If you plan to use your outdoor theater often, invest in wireless components, especially if you already use wireless Internet and connections in your home. Make sure your indoor wireless range reaches the outdoor theater. As for viewing screens, purchase premade screens or simply use white bed sheets, white blackout curtains or another blank white surface.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including high speed Internet, cable TV, home utilities, phone, satellite TV, and home security systems.

For charging in the car or on the plane, the CyberPower AC Mobile Power Adapter is an easy solution when a 12-volt power source is available. The compact unit has a three-prong plug, a USB port and allows you to use an AC device and a DC device at the same time.

If you can’t always recharge, pack a back-up battery such as DigiPower’s ultra-thin battery pack.  Slightly larger than an index card, this battery pack for smart phones and other portable devices provides up to three hours of talk time, seven hours of video playback, and twenty-one hours of audio playback.

Stopping at a coffee shop to recharge yourself and your computer is a great idea unless the outlets are taken. A PowerSquid lets you share an outlet and maybe make a new friend. Even packing a small multi-outlet power tap that creates two or three plugs from one will solve the problem.

If these charging options aren’t available, there’s always the sun. The SolarGorilla has both a 24 volt socket and a 5 volt USB socket creating a renewable power station for your laptop, mobile phone, iPod and many more devices. If you don’t need quite that much solar power, Brunton makes a line of solar charging options for handheld devices such as phones, iPods and GPS devices.

To make sure you are getting the best rates on internet and phone, contact Allconnect. Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

Website such as Openwifispots.com and Hotspotr.com allow you to enter your location and see the options, the only catch is you have to be online to access the website. That works if you plan ahead and research locations before you arrive. Smartphone apps, such as Wi-Fi Finder by Jiwire and Free Wifi by Makayama, solve that problem as they work when connected to a cellular network. However, Wi-Fi Finder also allows you to download the offline directory database so you can access your wi-fi options without any connection at all. The sites also show which hot-spots are free, they have maps pinpointing the exact location, and addresses and phone numbers allow you to call and confirm that the location is open.

Meanwhile, depending on where you are traveling, your destination may be a Wireless Access Zone (WAZ) with access to the Internet provided as a universal service. Also known as Muni Wifi Cities, lists of these city-wide hotspots, including those in foreign countries, are available at Muniwireless.com and on Wikipedia under Municipal Wireless Network. In the U.S., Houston, Seattle, Miami Beach, Philadelphia, Denver and Raleigh have some of the most extensive free public wi-fi networks.

No matter where you work online, make sure you’re getting the best deal on internet services with Allconnect. Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems. Allconnect also offers wireless internet cards.

Before you leave for vacation, take care of these energy-saving and safety items:

•  Unless you’re leaving pets or fish at home, bump your thermostat up to 85 degrees. Make sure you set the thermostat to “hold” so that your pre-programmed settings don’t kick in and turn it back to 75 degrees.

• Turn the temperature down on the water heater — many water heaters have a “vacation” setting.

• Turn off ceiling fans and lights. If you want it to look like someone is at home in the evenings, use a timer to have a lamp turn on. (Make sure there is a CFL bulb in the lamp.)

• Unplug all the phantom power culprits: microwave, computers, printers, modems, routers, televisions, stereos, cable boxes, DVD players, alarm clocks, coffee pot, etc.

• Close the blinds and curtains to minimize temperature fluctuations and for security.

• If you have a hot tub or water bed, turn those thermostats down.

• Turn off the main water line to the house. It isn’t likely that you’d have a leak, but a week-long leak could cause a lot of damage.

• You might also want to have the Post Office hold your mail and stop newspaper deliveries while you’re out of town.

• Let your alarm company know you’ll be out of town and if there are alternative numbers to reach you in an emergency.

Another smart way to not spend more than you need to on electric and natural gas bills: compare utility rates at Allconnect.com.

Before you leave for vacation, take care of these energy-saving and safety items:

•  Unless you’re leaving pets or fish at home, bump your thermostat up to 85 degrees. Make sure you set the thermostat to “hold” so that your pre-programmed settings don’t kick in and turn it back to 75 degrees.

• Turn the temperature down on the water heater — many water heaters have a “vacation” setting.

• Turn off ceiling fans and lights. If you want it to look like someone is at home in the evenings, use a timer to have a lamp turn on. (Make sure there is a CFL bulb in the lamp.)

• Unplug all the phantom power culprits: microwave, computers, printers, modems, routers, televisions, stereos, cable boxes, DVD players, alarm clocks, coffee pot, etc.

• Close the blinds and curtains to minimize temperature fluctuations and for security.

• If you have a hot tub or water bed, turn those thermostats down.

• Turn off the main water line to the house. It isn’t likely that you’d have a leak, but a week-long leak could cause a lot of damage.

• You might also want to have the Post Office hold your mail and stop newspaper deliveries while you’re out of town.

• Let your alarm company know you’ll be out of town and if there are alternative numbers to reach you in an emergency.

Another smart way to not spend more than you need to on electric and natural gas bills: compare utility rates at Allconnect.com.

Time is money and if you download large files, you may not want to spend time waiting. For example, according to Earthlink, you can download 45 photos in 1 minute at 6.0 mbps vs 11 photos in 1 minute at 1.5 mbps. A dial-up connection would download half the photo in a minute.  When downloading music files, 15 songs can be downloaded in a minute at 6.0 mbps while only 4 songs would download per minute at 1.5 mbps. The dial-up connection would take 6 minutes to download a single music file.

For video conferencing, downloading movies and streaming video, AT&T recommends a downstream speed of 18-24 mbps. For example, a 1.7 GB movie downloads in less than 10 minutes at 24 mbps vs approximately 38 minutes at 6 mbps. You can still download larger files, they just take longer. There are also speeds in between the lowest and highest mentioned here, allowing you to purchase more precisely the optimum speed for you.

When you’re ready to compare Internet plans available at your address, Allconnect.com provides recommendations based on your needs after you enter your address and select the Internet icon. You can then compare prices for different speeds from different providers, ensuring that you have the best deal for the speed you need.

For natural gas, water and electric utilities, check the website of the provider at your new address for an online bill estimator or tier calculator. Companies call them different things.

If you can’t find an online calculator, see if the rates are posted online.  You’ll be able to estimate the cost yourself by multiplying the posted rates by your current usage.  You should be able to determine if the cost will be higher or lower, considering the size of the property along with the weather. Calling the new utility company and asking what you should expect to pay at the address you’re considering will provide the most complete information.

If you use an online estimator, the information you’ll need to provide will vary. For example, after you choose a rate plan, enter your typical usage (made even more accurate if you can use actual numbers from your current bill) and select the month. The Scana Energy online bill estimator projects the cost. PG&E’s tier calculator estimates your electric bill after you enter your location, the time of year and the number of kilowatt hours you typically use. Duke Energy provides a chart to use as a starting point for comparing different fuels and heating systems by combining the size of your house, its age and estimated air leakage. The City of Austin allows you to estimate your water bill through a chart that shows the different charges based on quantity and time of day.

After you review projected utility expenses, you can easily compare other home service plans at your new address – or address you’re considering – at Allconnect.com. After entering a specific address, plans and pricing for satellite TV, cable TV, Internet, and phone can be evaluated. The site’s home services price comparison chart provides averages for major metropolitan areas as well.