With the Big Game right around the corner, it’s worth taking some time to evaluate your home theater setup to get the most out of America’s biggest sporting event. There are plenty of great upgrades you can make, whether you’re looking for high-end audiovisual equipment or want to enhance your viewing experience on a tight budget. No matter how you want to watch the big game, you won’t go wrong with an updated home theater.
Different TVs excel at displaying different types of content, and there are a few features and specifications that offer an advantage when watching sports. The most upfront (especially for NFL football) is peak brightness because most games happen during the day. Less well-known is screen uniformity, which you’ll notice when the display is filled with consistent colors like the green grass in a large arena. Where black uniformity is an important concern for watching movies, gray uniformity tells the biggest story when determining which big-screen TVs will make the game look best.
Another important thing to keep in mind when looking for a 4K TV for sports is panel type. Most 4K TVs use what’s called a vertical alignment or VA panel that delivers high contrast and deep black levels but tends to degrade quickly when viewed from an angle. If you plan on watching a lot of sports, consider an in-plane switching or IPS panel. IPS and IPS-like panels offer wide viewing angles that ensure your entire group of friends and family sees the same high-quality picture.
As long as you pay close attention to a projector’s brightness, you can find one that provides a great viewing experience. One benefit to using a home theater projector compared to a TV is that there’s no color shift or distortion at an angle, which is great for especially large screens and groups of people.
Keep in mind that if you want a true 4K experience, a high-brightness projector won’t come cheap. On the other hand, there are some effective ways of simulating 4K output in addition to a wide selection of great 1080p projectors if you want to save some money.
With the right source, you can catch the big game in glorious HD and full 5.1-channel surround sound. Many cable, satellite and over-the-air broadcasts for the Big Game deliver 5.1-channel audio, you’ll just need to make sure your audio equipment has an HDMI input with audio return channel or ARC functionality or, alternatively, an optical audio input like many soundbars have. If you do opt for a soundbar, consider a 3.1-channel model, because the center channel is perfect for hearing announcers during pre-game analysis and the game itself. Of course, you can also upgrade to a wireless 5.1-channel surround sound system for latency-free audio that’s particularly great for watching movies another day.
This is one of Samsung’s top 4K TVs overall, as well as the most advanced TV on the market that uses an IPS-like panel with high brightness and impressive consistency. It’s great for a wide range of uses aside from sports, including gaming and UHD cinema.
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There are few 4K TVs available with the same kind of value at a reasonable cost as the Hisense U6G. While it doesn’t boast a ton of advanced features, it’s a solid set all around and sports quantum dot filtration for a wide color gamut.
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If you want a high-end TV at a moderate price, consider the U8G, which is a big step above Hisense’s U6G and U7G, and the 55” model is currently offered at a significant discount.
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Without spending thousands on an ultra-premium home theater projector, this 3,500-lumen option is one of the best true 4K models you’ll find. It’s a great long-term investment for movie night due to its above-average HDR performance.
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You don’t have to spend a fortune on a quality Full HD projector with this sub-$600 model from Optoma. Its 3,600-lumen output and dynamic black levels make it ideal for a wide range of content.
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Silver Ticket Products STR Series Projection Screen
The quality of your projection screen heavily influences how good your projector looks. This fixed option is the perfect upgrade for owners of 4K home theater projectors.
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While it’s not the absolute most premium choice, it’s affordable and highly effective thanks to its wrinkle-free and glare-reducing material.
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Platin Monaco Wireless 5.1 Surround Sound
This high-end yet low-profile setup is as simple to install as they get. It includes the WiSA SoundSend unit needed to ensure high-fidelity wire-free surround sound with no noticeable latency.
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Hisense HS312 3.1-channel Soundbar
The soundbar itself consists of left, right and center channels and is mated to a wireless subwoofer that adds to the realism of crowd noise at sporting events and action-packed scenes in movies.
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This 2.1-channel setup is one of the best deals on a no-nonsense soundbar. While it’s not ideal for high-end home theaters, it’s still a huge upgrade to any TV’s built-in speakers.
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
