If you'd like to keep your television and related items in an entertainment center, keep in mind that finding the best spot for such a large item is not always easy. When choosing a wall unit or entertainment center, first inventory all of the electronics that you plan to store on and in it. Does this piece of furniture have ample room for your equipment — television, cable box, DVD player, VCR, stereo, video-game system(s), surround-sound system, and speakers (left, right, and middle)? Are there enough electrical outlets located in the area? Will the unit hide all of the wires that go with your electronics? Is there a nearby phone jack? If you'll be using WebTV, TiVo, or certain other types of electronics, you'll need access to a phone jack and probably don't want phone wires running across your living area. Be sure, too, that any furniture that will house electronics is well ventilated, as electronics produce a fair amount of heat.

After your entertainment center/wall unit is in place and you begin to add your various pieces of audio and video electronics, be sure to label all of the wires associated with each piece of equipment. Use a Brother P-Touch label maker (available from any office-supply store) or a pen to write labels on tape that can be wrapped around each wire. You can use different colored ties to wrap related wires together for easy identification.