Welcome to the age of plasma and LCD TVs in every room. What was once a specialty home theater setting in a basement or custom media room is now becoming a standard fixture in every household. The rapidly declining price of the wall mounted flat panel television and the advancements in new technology are allowing a larger number of households to create a home theater in almost any room. These rooms are now becoming dual purpose rooms that have everyday uses for the family and become a home theater on demand. A flat panel on the wall above a fireplace with in wall or ceiling speakers, strategically placed amplifier, subwoofer and digital receiver and an instant home theater is in place. Add an ipod dock, a few volume controls in other rooms of the home, possibly outside on the patio and the sound is carried throughout the house. That might just be the beginning. It can become contagious.

Now that you have your sound and theater in place everything may sound great but something is still not right. The lighting. Dimmers? Why not take it one step further. Lighting controls at the touch of a button. There are a variety of systems available now that allow you to control the lighting schemes for different rooms in the house and at different levels for anything from party settings, to dining, to bedtime. Home automation is now easier than ever to integrate into existing homes thanks to wireless technology.  Companies such as Control 4 and Crestron offer wireless systems that allow you to program almost anything electric. These in wall devices communicate with each other wirelessly and can allow you to create different lighting schemes. Many of these systems can operate with remotes or tablets that will allow you to combine functions. One button can turn off the lights, arm the security system and adjust the thermostat all from the nightstand with the remote. Why not connect remotely through the internet in order to adjust things prior to arriving home.

Before you rush out to purchase anything please keep in mind that technologies are constantly changing. It is strongly urged that you do the research prior to purchasing a new television or any equipment. There are several different wireless systems on the market and with HDTV quickly becoming the standard, TVs are constantly improving in picture. By the time you have finished reading this article, this information may already be old news.