Make watching the Super Bowl super
CNET TV's Natali Del Conte showcases TVs and devices to enhance the viewing experience and offers tips for those of you who don't want to spend a dime.
The Super Bowl is one of the must-watch TV events of the year, and it can be a complete viewing experience.
On The Early Show on Tuesday, CNET TV Senior Editor Natali Del Conte presented super ways to make watching the big game as good as it can be for the serious living-room fan, showcasing some high-tech gadgets providing premiere ways to watch.
She also showed those who don't want to purchase anything how to make the best of what they already have:
The serious splurge: Panasonic 65-inch Premiere
This model is the Ferrari of televisions, and it only began shipping last week. It is sold only through really high-end retailers, and it cannot yet be ordered online. It has a professional studio-quality monitor and the richest black detail of any TV on the market. The plasma technology offers clear motion reproduction, deeper blacks, and a wider viewing angle.
Price: $9,995
There is no CNET review yet for this model.
The more affordable: Vizio 37-inch television
This model is not only affordable for a flat-panel TV, it gets great reviews from technology sites and magazines. It has accurate gray-scale and primary colors. This model also has one of the most important things that you should always look for in an HDTV--more than one HDMI port. This one has three, in fact, as well as one PC output. If you are looking for a solid and advanced LCD at a decent price, this is it.
Price: $730
CNET review: Vizio VOJ370F
Watch the Super Bowl anywhere in the house: Slingbox
This is a device that is perfect for the serious Super Bowl watcher. It allows you to stream home TV to any mobile device with a broadband connection. So if you want to take your computer in the bathroom with you, you don't have to miss a thing. The Slingbox can also stream HD content into other TVs in your home, so your guests, or your friends in the kitchen, can follow every moment. Connect to and control multiple video sources, including your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, and DVD player.
Price: About $290
CNET review: Sling Media Slingbox Pro-HD
Best universal remote: Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Remote
This is the first universal remote that is almost entirely a touch screen. It offers you the ability to customize the on-screen buttons to meet your specific needs. It has Web-aided programming via Windows and Mac PCs. It is compatible with tens of thousands of devices. And at CES 2009, it took the Best of Innovation Award in home entertainment, the second time for the Harmony line.
Price: $500
CNET review: Harmony 1100 universal remote
Enhance your viewing with what you already have:
The economy is such that you might not have the extra money to delve into new devices to watch the Super Bowl. That's OK--electronics are expensive. But you might not know that there is a right way and a wrong way to set up your HDTV. As Del Conte points out, the HDTV is an investment, and you want to get it right to watch a big event like this.
First of all, it is important to put the TV at eye level to you when you are sitting. A lot of people will hang their flat screen high, but if you want it to be at its best, the optimum position is at eye level from a sitting position.
Second, you might not know that there is a proper distance to place your seat from your HDTV. A good rule of thumb for everyone with a flat screen is to divide your screen size by four. The number you get is the number of feet you should sit from your TV for optimal viewing. So if your screen is 65 inches, and you divide that by four, you should sit 16.25 feet from your TV.
Put the TV in the darkest area of your living room. Do not put a bright lamp by the TV, and do not face the TV toward a bright window.
See also:
• Quick tips: Where to put your HDTV
• Quick tips: HDTV settings demystified
• Click here for more Super Bowl stories.