The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.The living room is a place for relaxation, but theres a growing number of gadgets that aim to make it even more convenient. Whether you plan on throwing a few parties or Netflix binging alone, heres some gear we like for anyones lounge.Vizio E48-C2 ($484.99)A living room is for living, and theres no better way to live than to sit in front of a television all day. Joking aside, the TV is the centerpiece of any home theater, so you might as well make yours a good one. Thankfully, if you arent satisfied with your current set, you can find a fairly high quality one for less than $500 nowadays. Vizios carved out a reputation for providing great pictures on the cheap, and its newest E series of HDTVs only furthers that standing. This 48-inch model is a particularly great value: It doesnt have the most vibrant screen in this range, but its very close, and it puts that panel in a much larger display than most similarly-priced options.Vizio E48-C2 48-inch 1080p Smart LED TV, $484.99, available at Amazon.Logitech Harmony 650 ($64.95)Shelling out the cash for a universal remote might seem wasteful at first, but the second you dont have to fiddle with seven different controllers to get your home theater working, they feel like it's worth it. Logitechs Harmony line is the gold standard in this category, and the Harmony 650 in particular is its best mix of price and utility. Newer, more expensive models like the Logitech Home Control look better and integrate with more smart devices, but for half the price, the Harmony 650 gives you a more comfortable design, the ability to control up to eight devices at once, and very fewworries about your gadgets being incompatible. Instead of swapping between two remotes to control a speaker and Blu-ray player, you can simply hit the Listen to music and Watch a movie buttons and go from there. Its just convenient.Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control, $64.95 available at Amazon.Logitech K830 Illuminated Living Room Wireless Keyboard ($97.99)Navigating any device hooked up to your TV with a traditional TV remote isnt the most intuitive solution. Anyone whos ever had to use a d-pad to slowly move from one letter to the next when searching for a show should get the idea. You can get around that sluggishness, though, by picking up a keyboard made specifically for Internet-connected TVs. The Logitech K830connects over Bluetooth Smart, and includes a built-in touchpad, automatic backlight, and a few handy hotkeys for controlling any Windows- or Android-based devices hooked up to your set. Itll make getting around anyPC-connected TV less of a chore. If you want a cheaper option, though, try the older $25 Logitech K400.Logitech Illuminated K830 Wireless Keyboard, $97.99, available at Amazon.Roku 2 ($69)Weve sung its praises before, but if youre in the market for a set-top box, the newest Roku 2 is the best you can buy. Rokus app selection, search function, and overall interface are second to none, and the Roku 2 is just as speedy as its step-up sibling, the Roku 3. Its included remote is dumber than the one that comes with that box, but since it gives the same breadth of content and general ease of use for $20-30 less, its a better buy. For an inexpensive, if comparatively limited, option, try the Google Chromecast.Roku 2 Streaming Media Player (2015 model), $69.00, available at Amazon.Sony PlayStation 4 ($399.99)You may not need a Roku if you enjoy gaming, since consoles like the PlayStation 4 support many of the same streaming apps. We highlighted Microsofts Xbox One in our media streamer guide for being a better all-around entertainment hub, but if games are your concern, wed go with Sonys machine. Its exclusives are more appealing than the Xboxs, its more future-proof than Nintendos Wii U, and its more popular than both, meaning youre more likely to have friends to play with. Sony PlayStation 4 (500 GB, The Last of Us Remastered Bundle),$399.99, available at Best Buy.Monoprice 108250 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers ($47.22)Naturally, grabbing a good pair of bookshelf speakers will liven up the sound of your living room setup. Monoprice is no stranger to providing great audio at affordable prices, but its 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a particularly wonderful value, providing a clean, highly detailed sound for the money. You cant expect audiophile-grade performance from ultra-budget speakers like thesethey arent all that adept with bass, for instancebut theyre an excellentvaluefor less than $50. For a still affordable step up, go with the clearer and more stylish Pioneer SP-BS22.Monoprice 108250 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers,$47.22, available at Amazon.Amazon Echo ($179.99)The Amazon Echo is like a Siri for the living room. On the surface, its a just okay Bluetooth speaker, but start talking to "Alexa," the AI assistant at the heart of the device, and it can do much, much more. Like Siri (or Google Now, or Cortana), it can jot down dictated notes, set alarms, tell you the weather, read you audiobooks, schedule appointments, add items to a to-do list, or just tell you random bits of information, among a few dozen other tasks. The Echo is better at comprehending your requests than those other assistants, though, and it can connect with various other smart devices in your home, like a Sonos speaker or Philips Hue light. If youre working on building a smart home, it can be the center of it. Itll be more useful if youre already invested in Amazon, and wed like it to be a little bit cheaper, but the Echo works very well for what it is, and its getting more useful with every update. It feels futuristic. Amazon Echo, $179.99, available at Amazon.Flux Bluetooth Smart LED Light Bulb ($29.95)Smart light bulbs can come off as gimmicky, but when used right, taking control of your lighting can save energy, help you sleep easier, and make you more focused when needed. And yes, theyre fun for parties. The Philips Hue line is still the best of this category, but its prohibitively expensive for many who arent constantly fiddling with their lights. For a more accessible option, this Flux bulb is adjustable through your smartphone in much the same way, and comes with stellar Amazon reviews. (Though its app is much less polished.) If youd like a more portable light, the Philips Hue Go isnt as pricey as its bulb-based brethren.Flux Bluetooth Smart LED Bulb, $29.95, available at Amazon.TP-Link Archer C9 ($121.04)Having a reliable Internet connection will keep all of your connected devices going, and the TP-Link Archer C9 is more than capable of providing it. It gets fast WiFi speeds over 802.11ac that can handle multiple devices at once, has good range through its trio of antennas, and comes with plenty of ports for supporting wired and wireless connections simultaneously. Its a great mid-tier router at a good price. If thats too much for you to spend on a router, though, TP-Links Archer C7 stays close enough for $30 less, even if its a couple steps down performance-wise and isnt as easy to configure.TP-Link Archer C9 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router, $121.04, available at Amazon.Belkin 6-Outlet Commercial Surge Protector ($10.64)Finally, youre going to need something to plug all of this stuff into. This 6-outlet power strip from Belkin does what it needs to do for about $10, and has great user feedback to boot. It works fine as a surge protector for most people, too, though if you want to further protect your gear from blowing up with an unwanted voltage spike, you can try Belkins more advanced 12-outlet protector. Either way, you can never have too many outlets. Belkin 6-Outlet Commercial Surge Protector (8 Feet), $10.64, available at Amazon.SEE ALSO:These are today's best deals from around the webREAD THIS:These are the best media-streaming devices on the marketJoin the conversation about this story
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