Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips

Speaker 1: Hey everybody. The Super Bowl is coming up this Sunday, and that means that you're probably going to be watching along with millions of other people around the world. Now, to do so, you're going to want to make sure that your TV is ready for the game. That's going to mean some setup tips, maybe some sound tips. You're also going to have to figure out that connection. So I'm going to guide you through all that to make sure that your big screen is ready for that big game. Alright, I'm going to start with the basics. You really want to make a good connection for this game, and that means HDMI. It might seem simple, but just make sure that [00:00:30] your TV is connected via that high definition multimedia interface. That is the plug, the cable that's going to do the best job. Some cable boxes are connected via other methods. Speaker 1: Of course, if you're using a streaming device or the TV's built-in streaming, less to worry about there. But just remember you want HDMI. Now maybe you want to go really deep. Well, the game is streaming in 4K on some services this year. Some streaming services like YouTube, TV and fuo offer it, and maybe your local cable or satellite service does as well. [00:01:00] Maybe you want to upgrade to that 4K signal. You will get better image quality than the standard streaming service, which will still look pretty good. Talking about streaming the game is also available on Paramount Plus, so that's CBS's streaming service. If you're a subscriber, you could jump onto that service and get the game not in 4K in 10 80 p, but it should still look really good. Paramount Plus is also pretty inexpensive. It costs six plus a month to subscribe, but if you just sign up and then cancel for a week long free trial, you can actually watch [00:01:30] Paramount Plus and stream the game via that service for free. Speaker 1: So nice little tip there. Another thing to make sure you're set up for before the game starts is your wifi connection to your streaming device. So make sure you've got plenty of bandwidth. Maybe watch a couple things on the service that you're going to use beforehand during that day. It's going to be a really big day for streaming all around the country. You want to be as prepared as possible when making sure that your wifi and your connection to the television is up to spec. Of course, if you're using cable or satellite, not [00:02:00] too much of an issue there, but again, you want to make sure that everything looks good from that initial connection. Another big part of the game is going to be sound. So most TVs have built in sound of course, but they're not really good in terms of fidelity for audio. Speaker 1: So I would recommend using an external audio device like, hey, a soundbar. So maybe you want to run out and grab one. Now they're relatively inexpensive to prepare for that big game. There's some really good soundbars there for around 120, $150, and they make such a big difference, especially if you're having a lot of people [00:02:30] in the room. You want to be able to hear the audio of the game. You want to hear those big plays that crunch when there's tackles. So again, that soundbar is going to be really important there. And like I said, they're not that expensive. Another audio tip, you want to make sure you're using the 5.1 surround sound mix coming from whatever service you're using to get that sound. So make sure you're set up for that extra little bit of surround sound, especially if you have something like a soundbar or even a full-fledged surround sound system. Speaker 1: Could be really good. Give you that immersion, the crowd noise. So [00:03:00] again, depends on your setup and what service you're using to watch the game. But look for surround sound if you can. So another way to get your TV ready for the Super Bowl is to delve into the picture settings. Now, most people are going to be watching obviously, in the evening, so you don't need to worry about it being super duper bright, but you do want a nice vibrant picture. For that reason, I recommend checking out the movie mode on the tv. Now that might seem counterintuitive, but the movie or cinema mode is going to give you the most accurate picture. When I talk about accuracy, I'm saying something like the green [00:03:30] of the field or the uniform colors. You want those to be as accurate as possible, not neon looking or yellow, for example. Speaker 1: On the field, you want to have that nice natural color and movie mode is the way to get that. However, movie mode can sometimes be a little bit dim even when you don't have a lot of brightness coming in through your windows. So that's why I'd go in and actually increase the brightness control after you've select movie mode to get that improved pop. Now that's going to be the taste. It actually makes sense to do that a little bit in advance as well prepare that picture setting beforehand. [00:04:00] But as long as you combine that movie mode with the improved brightness, you're going to be in really good shape. And some TVs even have an additional picture mode, which designed for bright room viewing that remains accurate. So look for that. Another picture setting tip is something that TVs have these days called smoothing. Now it varies in the terms of the name from TV to tv, but you're going to want to experiment with this setting. Speaker 1: Personally, I think you should turn it off. That'll allow the TV to have a natural motion when you're watching the game. Now, some people might actually like having that [00:04:30] smoothing effect on, but on some TVs it can also create some artifacts. For example, like a ring around the ball, something like that. You really don't want that. So delve into the menu settings. You can see on this TV, it's called something a little bit different probably on your tv. But look around for this setting a little bit deeper in the menu, and I'd recommend turning that smoothing off to get the best picture. So those are a few tips on how to enjoy the Super Bowl. Now that you're all set up, just kick back and get ready to enjoy the game.