I'm not sure (I switched back to cable a few years ago) He may gave changed the TV's Menu Setup to turn OFF the TV speakers. And changed the DirecTV Menu Setup Audio Output from Analog to Stereo or Digital. (change it back to Analog)

Sorry guys, I tried to hit every relevant point in my first post, but obviously a few things were left out. @normel: The bathroom is the only portion that loses power... it's at the end of the circuit, with the next closest connection being the stove hood (which continues to work during the outages). I have not looked at the actual connection point as I believe it would require ripping out part of the wall behind the hood (I will verify next time I'm in the attic). I do not believe any receptacles are on the same ciruit, though I cannot guarantee it at this point. I considered the possibility of heating, but it appears more random. We can come back from a shopping trip or wake up in the morning and it will be off, and it has only turned off during use a handful of times. A loose connection seemed the most obvious, but the LED continuing to glow raised an eyebrow... could that be from a miniscule amount of power flowing through the neutral? @tbroms: The wiring is definitely not aluminum, as I've had my hand in almost every receptacle, including the main box (on a sidenote, I believe by the early '70s [u]most[/u] wiring had moved over to copper). There are still a handful of 2-plug receptacles scattered around the house, but everything is 3-wire to the box and either the metal box is grounded or the outlet itself is a proper 3-plug.

Sounds like you must have one of the First Alert detectors with the IR remote control test/silence feature. You simply aim any IR remote towards it, press any button, and it works like the test button on the unit itself. They can be overly sensitive and are sometimes triggered by the remote when it is not even pointed at them. The instructions even tell you how to disable this feature when this is the case. Typically, you open the battery compartment so the battery is disconnected, press and hold the test button, close the battery compartment and then release the test button. You did mention that this occurs even if you use the power button on the television itself - plasma displays, and also some LCD televisions with fluorescent backlighting, can generate quite a bit of IR which can be "seen" by the detector and trigger the test function.

mqmoi - Yes, our countertop is Verde Butterfly granite - dark blackish/green. And no, we don't want a coffee table. I really like the end table you linked. It reminds me of something I bought for our bonus room at Hobby Lobby, but their stuff seems to be "cheap" in quality and for the bonus room its fine - since I can replace it when it gets too shabby. The thing I did like about the Hobby Lobby end table is it's got some "rubbed/distressed" places so it's not as formal and price was right. And your right, I think black is the right color. tinker1121 - the wall behind the chair is Porter Paint Greige, the wall beind the sofa is Porter Paint Autumn Olive and the yellow wall is Porter Lion's Mane. the Autumn Olive often picks up the tan from the other walls - the color changes depending on what light is on or what time of day it is. The walls closest to the sliding door is probably the most accurate. THANKS! Christy