HOW-TO: Totally blow out the Super Bowl!
posted Feb 1st 2005 1:04PM
It's unlikely that this year's Super Bowl will equal the awesome spectacularness of last year's event (though since it's Fox that's broadcasting the game, you never know), but whether you're going to tune for the game itself or just for the commercials, we thought we'd do our part and tell you how to blow out the Super Bowl like nobody's biz (from the Engadget perspective, of course). We're giving you the best guide to jaw-dropping Super Bowl gear this side of Mark Cuban's skybox, and topping it off with an extensive guide to DVRing (or TiVo-ing, if you will) that hi-def Super Bowl broadcast. Let the games begin!
An HDTV (duh)
So you have to rock the Super Bowl in high definition. It's just not even a question. Sure, it may not be 1080p, or a Jumbotron (or the other Jumbotron) but if you're ready for the king of plasma HDTVs (for the next 15 minutes, anyway), look no further than the Panasonic Onyx XVS series. That's right, no more need for another HDTV tuner box floating around, this guy's got an ATSC/QAM tuner built in, as well as a CableCARD slot, and almost every interface under the sun. Our only complaint is that they're not the full 1080 (native res is actually 1366x768, which really burns our chaps), but we'll overlook that in favor of its outstanding black (and color) representation.
Click on for the rest of the Super Bowl gear guide, and our very comprehensive hi-def DVR How-To courtesy of HDTV specialist Stephen Speicher.
A high-definition digital video recorder
Right, so you have to rock the Super Bowl in high definition, but you can't do it without the DVR! What if
something else happens worth rewinding over and over and over again this year? The problem with watching HDTV
and DVRing HDTV is that if you want to do both, it can get a little hairy. Fox will be broadcasting the game on Fox HD,
and if you live near enough to a Fox affiliate that's broadcasting the game in HD and if you have a Media Center PC (or
even just a regular PC) with a high-def TV tuner, you shouldn't have a problem (just make sure you have enough space on
your hard drive to record all those hours of HDTV).
But not everyone lives within range of an over-the-air HD broadcast and not every cable and satellite provider carries Fox HD. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get the Fox HD broadcast via DirecTV, which means you could use the HR10-250 high-definition TiVo from Hughes to record the game; if you have Time-Warner Cable and live in an area where they carry Fox HD, you'll have to get them to upgrade you to the Explorer 8000HD post-haste. But more on this later.
Sharp's AX-HC1 fat-reducing oven
With all the pre-game, post-game, and actual game stuff, the odds are pretty good you're going to spend roughly 16 hours or so parked in front of the tube (or panel, if you will) on Sunday, so we feel something of a moral obligation to include the AX-HC1, Sharp's new mini-oven which uses superheated steam to melt away the oil in fatty foods. They claim it should reduce calories by about 13%, which means you should feel about 13% less guilty about feeding bucketloads of nachos to all your friends.
A 5.1 surround sound system
If you're watching the game in high definition, you had better be watching it in glorious 5.1 surround. Listen
to the grunts of the player, the howl of the crowd, and the braying of Fox announcers in full 3-D space. But
before you run out to pick up a system, make sure your set-top box or HD receiver has a digital out in either coax or
optical format.
Most people build their 5.1 systems with a receiver and speaker sysem of choice. Others take the easy way out and
get a Home Theater In a Box (HTIB)—with the HTIB you get all the cables and can save some cash. One elegant solution is
the
Kenwood
HTB-S610 wireless home theater system, which gives you 5.1 surround without all the wiring hassles. It is minimal,
however, so future scalability could be an issue when you try to plug in that Xbox 2, Blu-ray/HD DVD player, or Airport
Express. For power users, you can go with Yamaha's
DTX-5000. This tower of 6.1 surround
power sets you up for some nice movie viewing when the game ends. Give yourself some time to set it up and optimize,
though—you ain't messing around anymore!
Football TV Remote
This is technically the ABC Monday Night Football remote control, but if you hold it just the right way none of your
friends should be able to tell the difference. Or you can take a black sharpie to it, kind of like somebody with a
bunch of old, bad tats they really can't stand anymore. Sorry, we just had to add this.
Projectors
So you want that massive 100-inch screen (or maybe you'd like a 200-inch screen?) but don't have any inside contacts
on the board of directors at Samsung. Okay, so there's a quick and dirty way to get a huge screen, and an added benefit
is that you can pick it up and take it anywhere: just use an LCD or DLP projector. There are now a handful of small,
powerful home-theater projectors that are HDTV-compatible, and can throw your display anywhere there's a big enough
white wall (preferably one painted with a highly reflective paint like Goo Systems' Screen Goo). Of course, you'll
still need an HDTV tuner and speakers, but for a system that you can stick in the back of the car and take with you to
the Superbowl party, a projector is the only way to go.
One popular option is the Toshiba TLP-ET1. For a street price of just under a grand, you get a
7.7 pound projector that can easily throw a clear 80-inch image from a relatively short distance, has an 800 lumen bulb
rated for 3,000 hours, and inputs for component, S-video and RGB (no HDMI, so if that's on your must list, skip this
one).
If you're ready to spend a little more, $1,500 will get you the Sony VPL-HS3 (or, if you're
so inclined, their VPL-HS51), which is a little heavier
(almost 10 pounds), but includes an HDMI port and a 900 lumen bulb. This unit also operates at short ranges, and
includes Sony's Cinema Black Pro technology, which the company claims results in greater sharpness and contrast than is
the norm with LCD projectors.
For less than the cost of the Toshiba, you can pick up the highly rated Optoma H30. Though it doesn't accept HDMI
input, it's got an 800 lumen bulb, great resolution and a street price of under $1,000. Like plasmas, when it comes to
projectors, you've got lots of
options.
The Antenna
So you've got your HDTV and want to catch the broadcast but you don't get hi-def through your cable or satellite provider (more on this later). Well friend, the Zenith Silver Sensor indoor antenna may be the one for you. The stylish antenna (and for an antenna it is pretty darn stylish) can receive over-the-air high definition transmissions from your local HD-compatible affiliate, and from our experience putting it to use, it locks onto the signal very well—after you aim the antenna old school style, of course. The Silver Sensor is available for around $25 if you look hard enough, just don't forget that an HD receiver ($150 and up) is necessary if you want to watch the HDTV transmissions it can receive.
NFL Films Super Bowl Collection DVD 3-Pack
If the pre-game show doesn't start early enough for ya you can get ready for the big game with this massive 15-disc DVD set covering the first 30 Super Bowl games. Each disc also comes loaded with special features sure to provide you with lots of trivia to impress your friends at the Super Bowl party. Well, the sober ones at least.
Your weapon of last resort — Text alerts
Can't park yourself in front of a TV on Super Bowl Sunday or listen to game the radio or check scores online? Ok, you can still keep tabs on the game. Yahoo offers free SMS text message alerts that will let you know every time the score changes.
And, of course...
How-to record the Super Bowl in hi-def, by HDTV-guru Stephen Speicher
Your low-fat chips are on the table (ironically placed next to the heaping bowl of guacamole). Your cooler is
overflowing with bottles of Rolling Rock and Sierra Nevada and your brand-new HDTV is ready to proudly beam Fox's 720p
signal. Basically, you've got all the trappings of a great Super Bowl party. Yet, you're alone; everyone went to your
neighbor's shindig. "Why? Why? Why?" you ask yourself. The answer is simple: they had HDTV with DVR (digital video
recorder), and you only had HDTV.
We here at Engadget know how tough it is trying to keep up with the Joneses, and we're here to help. Together we can avoid a DVR-less Super Bowl disaster—afterall, you never know what'll pop up!
First thing's first—we need to determine your chances of receiving an OTA (Over-The-Air) signal. While it isn't a perfect gauge, the folks at AntennaWeb.org have provided a nice tool to determine your likelihood of receiving an acceptable signal. The results are color-coded based on which type of antenna is required. While the tool doesn't account for terrain, it should give you a feel for where you stand.
If you can receive an OTA signal, you're in good shape. Along with a variety of niche computer-based programs and hardware, complete packages such as Microsoft's Media Center Edition provide a fairly seamless transition into the HDTV DVR world.
Yet an even easier addition might be DirecTV's HD Receiver/Digital Video Recorder with TiVo, the Hughes HR10-250. If you currently subscribe to DirecTV, receive an OTA signal, and have $999 to plunk down, this is the no-brainer option. I know what you're thinking "Isn't DirecTV satellite?" Yes, it is. However, the DirecTV DVR records its HD content from both OTA (for the local channels) and the satellite (for channels such as ESPNHD). Unfortunately DirecTV requires service to record even the OTA content, so if you go this route, be prepared to sign up for DirecTV service.
At this point many of you may be thinking "I've tried before. I can't get an OTA signal." Fret not, we still have options—cable and satellite. We'll start with sat, but here's where it starts to get a little more complicated.
Currently satellite companies do not offer local HD stations via satellite as it would require too much bandwidth (DirecTV's working on it, though). However, for those of you lucky enough to be in one of Fox's 26 network owned and operated markets (see list below) it doesn't matter. In these markets Fox has determined that as long as you're watching a Fox station they don't care which one—Fox has worked with DirecTV to offer customers in these markets a signal from another market. You might not get your local news, but you'll get all the national programming such as the Super Bowl. If you're in one of those markets, it's time for you to pick up that aforementioned Hughes HR10-250. This time you'll get Fox via the satellite feed and not the OTA signal.
Not in one of those markets? There's still cable. In late 2004 most of the cable companies began large-scale rollouts of HD DVRs. Cox, Time Warner, and Comcast are all now offering some flavor of DVR. While the software will vary from company to company (and region to region in the case of Comcast), each will give you the basics. Don't expect the cable-company boxes to offer the polish or functionality of a TiVo or MCE, but, for now, it will hold you over.
For most of these options, it's not too late. An in-house installation may now be out of the question (depending on your local company), but many cable companies stock these boxes in their stores. Most electronics stores stock computers running Windows Media Center Edition, and if you're willing to point your own satellite dish, you can be up and running in just a few hours with an HD TIVO. Good luck and save some guac for us, yeah?
Atlanta/WAGA
Austin/KTBC
Birmingham/WBRC
Boston (Manchester, NH)/WFXT
Chicago/WFLD
Cleveland/WJW
Dallas/KDFW
Denver/KDVR
Detroit/WJBK
Gainesville/WOGX
Greensboro/WGHP
Houston/KRIV
Kansas City/WDAF
Los Angeles/KTTV
Memphis/WHBQ
Milwaukee/WITI
Minneapolis/KMSP
New York/WNYW
Orlando/WOFL
Philadelphia/WTXF
Phoenix/KSAZ
Salt Lake City/KSTU
St. Louis/KTVI
Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota)/WTVT
Washington/WTTG
Rather than the Onyx plasma (which is teriffic) why not consider the Panasonic TH-50PHD7UY - a commercial model, which has the exact same glass as the Onyx and is a ton cheaper. Also, since the Super Bowl is being broadcast in 720p (not 1080i), the resolution of these plasmas is ideal!
Why watch the game with a DVR? So you can have your own instant replays? Do that enough and by the 2nd quarter there will be a 5 minute delay from when your neighbors are cheering to when your team scores. Plus, they will wonder why you are cheering at a Cialis ad.
dthree, do you have a DVR? maybe then yould understand.
From what I understand the game isnt going to be broadcast in HD - at least thats what I'm hearing in Syracuse, NY.
The first time the Eagles have gone to the Superbowl in 24 years, and you don't think it's going to be awesome? In the Philadelpiha area (or currently Jacksonville), them's fightin' words, son.
The game will most CERTAINLY be broadcast in High-Def. Your local carrier in Syracuse doesn't have their antenna up, though, which is why YOU won't get it in HD, unless you can pick it up OTA from Rochester.
Read here:
http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-8/1106055350256430.xml?syrenent
If you live in the Pittsburgh area, be prepared to get it with an antenna. In a move of complete stupidity, Sinclair Broadcasting, the company that controls WPGH, our local FOX station, will not be giving any cable providers their HD signal, unless the cable companies (Comcast, Adelphia, and Armstrong) pay up, which none of them will. I called up Comcast and they gave me the news. You can read all about it here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05006/437979.stm
So in 2005, I won't be watching in HD. I live at least 75 miles away from Pittsburgh, they're my local FOX, and there's no way I can afford the hardware and antenna required to even attempt to pick that signal up.
Anyone know if Fox broadcasts HD OTA in the San Jose or San Francisco areas? My impression is that they don't but I'm hoping to be proven wrong. It's not available via DirecTV. I applied for the DirecTV waiver from my local affiliates but was turned down (of course).
Fox HD is indeed available in the SF Bay Area. OTA from Sutro Tower in SF as well as over cable from Comcast (and other) cable companies.
Instead of acting elitist, why don't you answer the question?
And, yes, I've had a DVR for years. I just upgraded it to 250gig.
Go Iggles!
//That is all.
Man.. I have Dish Network... So that means that if I want to record HDTV, I have to buy the DISH Player-DVR 921? (http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/product_brochures/RETAIL_1293_DISH921_UPDATE.pdf) Even then, I can only record Off-Air since only Direct TV is offering this. I have two questions I was hoping someone could help me out with. 1) Can I move my recordings off onto a PC or something so I can record to DVD? If not, do I have any other hi-def dvr options that will let me do that? and 2) If I get this equipment, Dish is gonna charge me an extra $10 a month for ESPN HD, Discovery HD, etc. I dont' need those channels, I just care about off air channels. That being said, is there a way for me to get and use this dual tuner receiver with them not charging me an extra $10 a month? Thanks in advance.
i've got the best superbowl gadget ever and it cost me less than $20 . . .check it out:
http://www.tvbgone.com
Why TiVo it? So you can replay any wardrobe malfunctions. Oh, and ANY play you want. Rather than look at a picture of a guy staring into a hood when there's a coaches challenge, have a look for yourself, frame by frame. And then you zoom through the ads to come back to real-time....
First I want to send a HUGE thanks to Stephen Speicher for putting this article together and Peter for posting it. Until yesterday I thought I was going to have to watch the game in LoDef. I had tried the Turk TV55 antenna for OTA HD before and got nothing. I tracked down a Silver Sensor antenna last night and hooked it up. WOW. 40 to 60% data rate and I am 27 miles from the transmitter with the following things blocking my line of sight:
1. My house (indoor), Barbecue Grill, Lot's of Trees, 2 more houses, and a 400' Hill. Every LA HD channel comes in perfectly. I just pointed the Silver Sensor in vaguely the right direction. Antennaweb.org lets you type in your address and it shows you where to point the antenna for HD. I was able to watch NYPD Blue, Leno, PBS, and Fox11 all in HD. Fox comes in perfect so HD Superbowl Here I come!!!
Thanks guys, I have been reading this site since you launched and will continue for a very long time.
For the record, "Gainesville/WOGX" (which also services Ocala and most of north central Florida) will NOT be broadcasting the SuperBowl in HD. They do not have the capability for HD at the moment. I spoke with an engineer there just now and he basically said that the demand is not there and that they still get calls of the "What the hell is HD?" variety. *sigh* I need to move to a bigger city.
W00t!!!! Comcast JUST ADDED FOX HD!!!!! Supah Bowl will look awesome on my 46 incher!!!