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.

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.

There are many choices when it comes to watching TV on mobile devices.   One option is your laptop, with services like Hulu which streams TV shows to your computer, or Netflix live streaming of your favorite shows or movies.  If you’re looking for a mobile device with TV on the go that fits into your hand, there are even more options.  When it comes to MP3 players, the iPod touch is still the leader with the iTunes store for easy downloading of shows and movies.  There’s also the Zoon HD, and the Sony Walkman, which has over nine hours of battery life! Tablets are also an option. They offer the same connectivity of a laptop and portability of a smaller mobile device. The screen is larger for viewing and devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab have up to seven hours of battery life.

Mobile phones like the iPhone or Android also have video options and all the major carriers have TV packages.  Just like adding text or data, live TV is now an option you can add to your cell phone’s package.

For more information about the numerous ways you can get TV on the go for summer travel, check out Best Buy’s great video on TV to GO.

There was nothing wrong with the television. As it turns out, Carla should have spent more time researching HDTV service.

While your current cable or satellite plan may offer some channels in high-definition, you should find out what is offered in your area before you make a final decision about that new television.

If you’re looking at new televisions, you should stop by Best Buy’s website to learn more about options for HDTV service: specialized antennas for HDTV, cable, satellite and fiber optics. Not to mention an HDTV Boot Camp to help beginners sort out all the acronyms.

Once you’ve got the basics down, Allconnect can help you find HDTV providers in your area and compare plans.

With all of these new products demanding Internet connections, you may find yourself asking, “Is my router up for the job?” It’s no surprise that the network requirements of the family room are often different from that of a laptop. Streaming video live on your TV demands heavier use of your wireless network than just checking email on a laptop. So how do you know if you have a router that can handle the task of keeping everything running smoothly and quickly? Best Buy offers information on the latest kinds of routers and important standards among routers, designated by letters like “N” or “G” which help indicate the suitability of certain devices for your needs. For example, Wireless-B is one of the older network standards. While a Wireless-B router will work fine for a single laptop used for internet tasks, it you plan to have a family room with a vast amount of multi-media traffic, you’ll need to upgrade to a unit that can support the volume your connected family will generate. On the other hand, Wireless-N routers are the latest and greatest, supporting the highest connectivity standards. If you want to “future-proof” your home, these are the routers you’ll need to check out.

Even if you already have a wireless router, it may not have all the capabilities required for supporting the sort of network that all the best Internet-connected products need. With the different kinds of choices and unique needs for each family and home, it’s important to read up about wireless router capabilities and options. For more information, check out Best Buy’s resource section and read more about routers.