How to get your TV ready for Super Bowl 2017
The Super Bowl is coming up soon. Chances are you'll be watching it on a TV, possibly along with a bunch of other people. Here's how to get the most out of the biggest TV viewing experience of the year.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
Are you and your TV ready for Super Bowl 51 on February 5?
If you're not among the 72,000-odd lucky fans who get to watch the game in person at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, you'll probably be among the 110 million-plus people watching it on a TV.
Here's how to make that TV look its best for the biggest game of the year.
The big play
The bigger the TV, the better. Football is presented primarily in a press box view, with a lot of the field visible at once, studded with all-too-tiny players. More so than most TV programs, it's best suited to larger screens. You'll get a better experience watching on as large a TV as you have available. It's not too late to buy one, and prices are at their lowest points of the year. Here are our picks.
But maybe you're perfectly happy with your current TV. If it's smaller, you can get a big screen effect "for free" by sitting closer. High-def TVs and 4K TVs usually look great even from very close distances, so it might be worthwhile to move your seat closer to the TV for the game. That is, if doing so won't obscure the screen for your friends.
Connect on the HDMI pass for 720p yards
The first thing you want to do is make sure the TV is set up correctly. If you have a high-definition cable or satellite box, make sure it's connected via HDMI.
Fox is handling the broadcast this year, which will be in 720p resolution. Generally you'll get the best results if you set your box to output either 720p resolution of "native" resolution, which allows your 1080p or 4K TV, not the box, to handle the conversion. (Unfortunately, there's no 4K broadcast of the game.)
You'll also want to make sure you're tuned to the high-def versions of the broadcast. Most cable and satellite providers in the US carry both HD and standard-definition channels, and provided you have a compatible TV, HD will look much better.
For more details, check out how to set up an HDTV.
Call the audible
You should also get your audio set up correctly. If you're using the TV speakers for audio, set your box to output stereo as opposed to 5.1 surround sound (Dolby Digital).
But hopefully you're using an external audio system or sound bar, which can not only deliver real or simulated surround sound (perfect for that great crowd noise) but also much better dialogue. If you want some suggestions, check this out.
No matter what you use to listen to the game, try playing around with the sound controls. Many TVs and external sound systems have a multiband equalizer that lets you decrease certain frequencies independently of others, quieting those sounds you don't want to hear. If your equipment doesn't have an equalizer, try experimenting with a sound mode or even the basic bass and treble controls.
And if you happen to be listening to Fox's 5.1-channel surround-sound broadcast on a surround system, you can turn down the center channel to minimize the dialogue from the announcers. Conversely, if you'd rather hear them over the crowd, turn down the other speakers (left, right and surround) and turn up the center.
Toss a bright spiral
At CNET, we calibrate the picture settings of every TV we review to get the best picture quality. If you happen to own one of the TVs we've reviewed, you can actually try our calibrated settings yourself. Search our picture settings forum for your TV to find out if we, or another reader, has posted settings for it.
Of course, our calibrations happen in a dark room, and your room might be brighter, especially if you're on the west coast where kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. If the picture seems too dim, try increasing the backlight control, which boosts the power of the illumination (typically LEDs) behind the LCD screen. If you have a plasma or OLED TV, try increasing Contrast or Cell Light or OLED Light control instead. Also, be sure to disable any room lighting sensors, automatic brightness controls or energy-saver controls.
Get a green gridiron
During our calibrations we attempt to get the most accurate color possible. For football, the most common color you'll see is the green of the field. The human eye is very sensitive to green, and you can usually tell if grass looks too brownish or dull, or too yellowish or vibrant. When you're watching football, you want as natural and accurate a color green as possible.
One of the best ways to assure accurate colors, including green, is to engage the Movie or Cinema preset. It sounds counterintuitive, but Movie usually provides a more accurate color green than Sports or other picture modes. Those are often punched-up and oversaturated-looking, with greens that are much more intense than in real life. If you like the punchy look, on the other hand, maybe you'll prefer one of those modes to a more accurate one.
On some TVs, unfortunately, Movie will look too dark, even if you turn up the Backlight or Contrast all the way. If that's the case, choose a brighter picture mode and look for a control called "color space" or something similar. There, you'll want to choose the "HD" or "Auto" or "Rec 709" setting, not the "Native" setting. You may also be able to get the grass looking more natural by decreasing the color control.
Don't muff the extra point!
If you won't be making the trek to Houston or buying a new TV, at least you now have some ideas for getting your TV and home theater into prime shape for kickoff. Now feel free to redecorate your man cave in Falcons red or Patriots red, white and blue, invite your buddies over and scream at the screen, knowing it looks its best.