We’ve all heard the saying, “The family that plays together stays together,” and there’s a mountain of truth in it. Family dinner is one bond that holds true.  That’s because the family that plays, eats, watches TV or otherwise interacts together also talks, shares opinions and viewpoints, laughs as they strengthen their bonds. Children across all demographics whose parents regularly engage them in dialogue are happier, as they receive regular reinforcement that their parents care about and value them.

A television wall mount or ceiling mount looks neat and sleek—and they free up space in the room to be used for other things. Suppose you replace your bulky, rear-projection TV with a state-of-the-art flat-panel mounted on the wall; the space you gain could allow you to add a sectional sofa or even to install theater seating. Or it can simply open up the room more for better flow.

If you’re of a certain age, you probably have had plenty of memories of lying on top of shag carpet in the family room staring at a television—probably even black-and-white—inside a hefty media console that was probably made from heavy, dark wood.  Every TV was more or less the same, and chances are your parents kept that console around until you were savvy enough to realize it was long outdated.

As fashion-conscious as some folks are, the average family is inclined to update its TV more often than the furniture for that TV.  That deep cabinet that housed your old-school tube television, for instance, is of no use to any set you’ll purchase today. But even for the fashion-minded, keeping with the trends in technology goes hand-in-hand with keeping with the trends in décor, thus the evolution from consoles to armoires to the most contemporary mounts.

Selecting the video and audio equipment for your home theater set-up is crucial, of course, but how you arrange your home theater seating is equally important. Adding this feature to your home is a major upgrade, and you want to make sure you do it correctly to ensure everyone’s comfort during—and after—the show.

I’m picky, so I’m told. But rather than getting defensive and asserting that everyone is picky about certain things—or at least they darn well should be—I’ll instead say that sometimes it’s essential to be particular. At times it’s out of our control. Take the time I was shopping for my entertainment armoire, for instance.

Thanks to NetFlix service, movie fans can enjoy the ultimate indulgence: ordering and receiving their choice of video entertainment without leaving home. Best of all try it for free for 2 weeks.

Users surf through an immense library of titles online as they assemble their line-up of choices, to be delivered (usually three at a time depending on the plan selection) by the U.S. mail.

If I hadn’t been born a baseball lover, I may never have watched television as a kid. When I was growing up, it was about the only thing our TV seemed capable of showing on weekends, at least after the Saturday morning cartoons were done. There were no satellite TV sport subscription. After saving the world in his office all week, my father had a plan for Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon: to crank up the footrest on his recliner and take in the great American pastime.

I don't know how we ever got by without a HD DVR. The excitement of Christmas 1985 still sticks in my mind. That was the year Dad put a much longed-for item under the tree: a spectacular new video cassette recorder. As one of three teenagers still left in the house, I was as excited as my brother and sister were about our new opportunities to tape whatever we wanted—especially music videos. The VCR was huge, and so was its price tag, but it really made a difference in the way our family managed its entertainment hours.

Federal law has required all full power television stations to stop broadcasting an analog signal and switch to a digital format beginning February 17, 2009. Here’s what these requirements will mean for you and your television viewing.