So you can’t get tickets, and you have to watch the game at home, with friends, and lots of Miller Lite. Here are a few tips to make sure it’s the best possible home viewing experience.
Make The Screen Pop
We’ve all had to close the curtains and adjust lamps to reduce glare and watch the game properly, of course, but try this the next time you’re fiddling with light sources: Put a small light behind your TV and turn it on, pointed at the wall. The contrast between the TV and your wall will make the screen more vivid, especially if you have a light color behind the TV. It also means you won’t have to strain your eyes, and you won’t have to worry about seeing where you’re going when you head to the kitchen.
Put Live Fantasy Updates On The Screen
Spend $35 on a Chromecast, and instead of spending the ad breaks hunting for snacks, use it to put your laptop’s image up on the screen. You can easily check your fantasy results and rag each other waiting for the game to return.
Cable Out? Build Your Own Antenna.
There’s nothing worse than the cable going out on GameDay, and you’d be surprised just how terrible the internal antenna on modern TVs are. Fortunately, if you’ve got 15 minutes and a few supplies, you can jerry-rig an antenna during a commercial break.
You need a nail, the biggest metal can you have, a coaxial cable (what your cable box uses to connect to the wall, if you have cable you’ve got five of these), some wire strippers, and some duct tape or electrical tape. Snip off the end of the cable and strip away some of the covering. Tap the nail into the can about three quarters of the way through, and wind the bare copper around the nail. Pound the nail the rest of the way in, cover the nail head in the tape, and connect it to the TV.
Yes, this works with digital signals. It’s not as good as an antenna from Radio Shack … but at least you can watch the game.
Test Your Remote With Your Phone’s Camera
Remote not working? Not sure why? Boot up your phone’s camera, point the remote at it, and press a button. Smartphone cameras can easily detect IR radiation, so if the remote’s IR blaster lights up, you’ll know it’s working.
Fix Your TV Before The Game Starts
But my TV isn’t broken, you say! Wanna bet? Do this and see if you still think so: Turn the brightness and contrast on your TV down to zero. Bring the contrast back to 90% of the maximum. Then, adjust the brightness while looking at the blacks on the screen. If they look too faint, dial it back. You’ll notice a real difference.
Come back Friday for our final set of tips, about building the ultimate man cave.