The best tech options when you can’t get to the game
Watch football with Fios Gigabit Connection or stream live games with the Yahoo Sports app.
Football season kicks off on September 6th, and unless you are a season ticket holder, you will want to know how to get the best viewing experience outside of the stadium. Whether you’re on the couch, at your kids’ game or tackling an errand, we’ve got tips on how to optimize your viewing experience.
Couchgating Central
It’s become easier than ever to upgrade your home theater and become the go-to destination for all your fan friends, according to Steve Koenig, vice president of research for the Consumer Technology Association. Start by upgrading your TV to a 4K screen, which has four times the resolution of HD screens. “The 4k premium TV with high dynamic range, or HDR, will probably be well below $1,000 in a 55” size,” he says. “Add room-filling sound for $300 to $500 with the upgraded audio quality of a soundbar,” he suggests. Many TV manufacturers make a TV-and-soundbar bundle that’s designed to fit together. For extra deep roars and thuds, you can pick a soundbar that comes with a sub-woofer, which enhances the low tones.
Enough bandwidth for a party?
Picture this: It’s Sunday, and the pre-game is playing on your big screen. Your teenager is playing Fortnite with running commentary with his friends, your daughter is streaming YouTube and having a video chat with her bestie, you’re double-checking the recipe for the blue-cheese dip online, your spouse is watching a different game on a mobile phone with Yahoo Sports, and your dozen-or-so friends are getting updates on their Yahoo Fantasy standing while they’re also using your Wifi to settle a friendly debate about player stats.
Whatever the details in your house, the drain on your internet connection can compromise your viewing quality or create lags. You need a strong signal if you want to enjoy every minute of the game. The solution is simple: Just pick the Fios plan that meets your needs. You can get everything up to Fios Gigabit Connection with speeds up to 940/880 Mbps.
“We offer Gigabit Connection service to almost all of our customers, well over 90 percent of our marketplace,” says John R Schommer, Director of Broadband Product Development at Verizon. “With the Fios Quantum Gateway router, we can stream up to 100 devices simultaneously,” he says. “Our network has been designed with fiber into the home, so it can handle whatever crazy amounts of streaming you might need.”
Boost your signal
If you’ve got a strong signal and are still having problems, your TV might be too far from the router. Or it could be that your walls are too solid for the signal to go through. There’s a simple solution for these problems, too. An extender is a device that helps deliver your signal where you need it. The Fios Network Extender uses coaxial cable to tie in to the signal, says Schommer. Many houses are already wired to have cable near the TV, which makes it easy to add an extender.
When you need to dash out – or if you’ve got multiple fans in the house – you can still have a seamless viewing experience.
Watch on the go with the Yahoo Sports app
When you need to dash out – or if you’ve got multiple fans in the house – you can still have a seamless viewing experience. Try the Yahoo Sports app for live local and primetime NFL games plus stats and coverage of college football, NBA and WNBA, NHL, MBA, tennis, soccer, NASCAR, golf, and more. Switch over to your fantasy league with the Yahoo Fantasy app, which covers football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.
When you’re watching away from home, good audio can enhance the experience. Whatever style of headphone you prefer, from over-the-ear to earbuds, wired and wireless, Koenig suggests looking for a headset that offers noise-cancelling. “It’s become the go-to feature, because it reduces ambient noise and isolates the content you’re listening to, like being in a private listening room,” he says. “Noise-cancelling was a premium feature a couple of years ago, but these days you can probably find a good pair for $150. You’ll be astonished at the number of brands offering them.”
The viewing experience might be so good that you don’t even miss being at the stadium.
Enjoy the game!