Engadget HD helps you prep for Super Bowl XLII

Just in case you've been living under a rock (or mounds of year-end spreadsheets -- same difference), we reckoned you should know that you've but four days left before Super Bowl XLII kicks off from Arizona. Besides the obvious necessities -- an HDTV, lots of seating space, a truckload of junk food and an HD DVR attached to a battery backup system -- you may also need to cross a few unnoticed "t"s to ensure the best game day experience possible. Of course, Engadget HD is lookin' out for you and yours, and we're here to make sure you aren't scrambling for an HD signal from your local FOX affiliate three minutes after kickoff. Hit up the checklist here while you still have time.

Further Super Bowl XL II reading:

• Poll: Did you (or will you) buy a new HDTV for the Super Bowl?
• CEA expects Super Bowl to drive over two million HDTV sales
• HD DVD ad to air during Super Bowl XLII, BDA sez it's futile
• Check for HD before RSVP-ing that Superbowl party
• How to get geared up for Super Bowl XLII

[Oneonone Sportsrule @ Jan 30th 2008 1:08PM]

What's the super bowl? Holds a lot of popcorn or nachos?

[Tommy Crashwreck @ Jan 30th 2008 1:08PM]

Football, in my coveted opinion, is close to the worst.

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 30th 2008 1:38PM]

Yeah, when I'm trying to enjoy a nice quiet evening at the stadium, it's totally the worst.

[Fred @ Jan 30th 2008 1:07PM]

How much did you have to pay to actually say super bowl?

[Andy M @ Jan 30th 2008 1:33PM]

That's the same exact thing that hit me when I first read the headline.

I sincerely hope Engadget got explicit permission to use the tagline and logo else they're about to get jail raped.

Thanks, btw, for the tips!

[PaulPaul @ Jan 30th 2008 2:04PM]

"Engadget HD helps you prep for Awesome Tupperware XLII" just wouldn't have the same impact.

[Yellow Texan @ Jan 30th 2008 5:22PM]

Ummmm...your reference only is meant for commercials and advertisements. News stories and free speech are not part of it.

[Fred @ Jan 30th 2008 5:45PM]

Arguable, considering that they are "advertising" a feature on their site. It was meant as a funny comment, but since we're being all serious suddenly. Engadget makes their money in essentially the same way as all other forms of media, right? Advertising. So, when they mention "The Big Game" in something that is meant to drive continued traffic to their site, and expose viewers to advertising, isn't that the same thing?

[JAmerican @ Jan 30th 2008 8:12PM]

What's a Super Bowl?

Does it make me eat my cereal faster? :)

[Dirk @ Jan 30th 2008 1:12PM]

Go Giants!

[LongshotX @ Jan 30th 2008 1:13PM]

As a Jaguar fan, I believe the Patriots will win in a hard fought battle in the trenches 24-20. No it will not be a blow out. And yes football is better than soccer. F- what the world thinks!

[SteveMB @ Jan 30th 2008 1:53PM]

I would like the Giants to win. I know my Packers didn't get in, but I hate the Patriots. They're a bunch of cheaters.

[Joe @ Jan 30th 2008 7:11PM]

Hey SteveMB - do you know what the difference is between the Patriots and every other pro football team? The Patriots got caught. Go Giants.

[Carl @ Jan 30th 2008 1:17PM]

Living under a rock? You could just live in the UK...

thanks for the reminder though, I watched for the first time last year and although I didn't really know what was going on (or why on earth you have an offense and a defense team) I was mildy entertained and it's a great excuse to get DRUNK with friends.

[Josh L @ Jan 30th 2008 1:44PM]

Maybe it's a metaphor for living under the rock of an inferior sport? ;)

*ducks*

[Onetruebill @ Jan 30th 2008 3:52PM]

They had a Superbowl in France once...
But both teams surrendered at the coin toss.

[Sam @ Jan 30th 2008 1:30PM]

Does Engadget HD offer snack recipes?

[Geoff @ Jan 30th 2008 1:53PM]

Alright, Super Bowl checklist ... let's see ...

1. Local FOX affiliate broadcasting in HD. What? No?

DANG.

[rv @ Jan 30th 2008 1:54PM]

Wont be able to watch on my hd set :(

[Jay @ Jan 30th 2008 1:56PM]

Packers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Any other team >>>>>>>>> Bears >>>>>>>>>> Patriots and Giants

I have no desire at all to watch a team that shouldn't have been in the postseason with a quarterback who's the brother of the most overrated player in the NFL get their ass kicked by a team that cheated their way to an undefeated season with a quarterback who is the 2nd most overrated player in the NFL.

[Jack Storm @ Jan 30th 2008 2:28PM]

hater or sore loser?

haha which one are you? i say a little of both.

[Fred @ Jan 30th 2008 5:04PM]

In Jay's defense the Patriots are cheaters. Whether you are willing to accept their cheating or not they cheated, and got busted for it. I wasn't a football fan in the first place so this is all irrelevant, but truth is truth.

[Skeezle @ Jan 30th 2008 5:09PM]

Awwww, sour grapes!

Yeah, Tom Brady is overrated. 50 TD passes this year... Wicked overrated!
And that cheating bs? That was the first game of the season, and they never even got to use the video footage (something all teams do, btw) but they were being scrutinized for it all season, therefore had less opportunity to cheat that every other team. They did it all with skill, ya jealous baby!

[Fred @ Jan 30th 2008 5:50PM]

Again, not a football fan. They cheated! This demonstrates a willingness to win a game (A GAME) in a way that is not fair to the other team. And it's not just one instance, I recall hearing about some convenient radio malfunctions at their stadium in which the opposing coach was unable to communicate with his player whenever they were playing offense. Nothing solid, but still, awfully convenient. What is it about football that makes people forgive things that they would not allow other people to do.

[priapism pogostick @ Jan 30th 2008 7:07PM]

Yep - and when NBC was broadcasting the game, you could hear Tom Brady even over the announcers. So is that cheating too? The whole 'spygate' thing was blown so far out of proportion. It was all bs brought on by a lousy, crybaby team looking pathetically for any little excuse, and followed along by all the fans of teams that just can't cut it, and people who just plain don't know what they are talking about. Your worried about football teams cheating & spying, yet George W Bush has been doing just that to all the US citizens - but that is fine, right? Go find a bigger cause to rally around already. Pats did it on their own merit - period.

[mattydread @ Jan 30th 2008 2:03PM]

IIRC, Mediacom doesn't offer Fox in HD.

[David @ Jan 30th 2008 2:59PM]

I'm guessing 'Super Bowl' is like the World Cup for the rest of the world.... except with added consumerism?

[mattydread @ Jan 30th 2008 5:11PM]

Yep. With a LOT of consumerism. American Football is a huge business.

[David @ Jan 30th 2008 2:59PM]

Football... Blahhh, Boring...Let espn cover this crap....
My HDTV will be turned off.

[Holger @ Jan 31st 2008 3:37AM]

So there is no consumerism in the World Cup?

I guess hell froze over too then?
--

So anyway, from a Danish pats fan! Go Go Pats! :P It's gonna be a great team, the team everybody wanted to beat (but couldn't) vs. the team that beat teams noone thought it could. Lovely! As long as it's as good as the final regular season game between Giants & Pats it's gonna be a damn fine game.

[Larry @ Jan 30th 2008 3:19PM]

I'm looking forward to the list of how many cameras, how many miles of cable, how many trailers, etc etc the Super Bowl will have. I always enjoy reading it.

[Andy M @ Jan 30th 2008 3:17PM]

Spent thousands on a brand new 52" 1080p HDTV and a kick-@ss surround sound system. I then upgraded to Dish Network HD with local channels- big $$. But for the LIFE of me I can't get an answer on how to go about watching the Superbowl on the Fox in HD. I know what the SD channel is but not the HD version?? No one seems to know and after calling DISH, they said to watch the NFL channel in HD which I get, but which says 'Redzone' which as far as I can tell just shows stats while the game is in progress. NO help there...

wtf!!!

Off air antenna? Will that work? Seems incredulous after dropping $8k and all the programming upgrades that I'd have to do that, but no one seems to know how I'd go about doing that with a Vip 722 HD DVR receiver either.

MAN... they sure don't make it easy! grrrr

[Allen @ Jan 30th 2008 4:23PM]

This is why I always recommend to customers to purchase an antenna with any HDTV, or keep one they have when they swap out their old tv for an HD setup.

And you really should have a cable box for every high-def TV anyway, because Coax to some random lowest bidders QAM unit that doesn't have to meet all specs is no way to get HD cable.

[Cash @ Jan 30th 2008 4:27PM]

Where is the "Is the Superbowl offered in HD where you live?" poll? Although all the other local channels have gone HD by this point, for some reason our local Fox affiliate is still dragging their heels. Whats the point of ponying up for a new HD set for the Superbowl if it isn't even offered in HD in your market?

[Allen @ Jan 30th 2008 4:33PM]

@David: you obviously have no idea how much consumerism goes into the world cup. Participating teams sell oodles of shirts, collectors mugs (cups, whatever), bumper stickers and advertising sells into the millions of Euros (!). In Kenya last year one one minute spot was sold for a million dollars: this in a country that would view a million dollars as a welcome addition to GDP, not just a fluctuation in it.

There typically isn't this kind of coverage issue, because services are willing to pay required fees knowing that they will more than make their money back: whatever it costs them, they just ratchet up their prices on commercial time, which seemingly any company is glad to pay. Don't believe me? Just ask SIEMENs AG how much they spend on World Cup advertising. Its an easy way to get their product knowledge out to potential buyers: nearly everyone in Europe stays home from work during the world cup (or at least, enough of them for me to say that).

A ninth of the world watched last match of the world cup in 2006. A NINTH OF THE WORLD. Civil wars go on hold, elections will be held over, companies will close their doors (the bosses go home, and so do the workers) for the World Cup.

But you can bet that whomever is covering it is stuffing in as much advertising as they can, and whomever makes sports related merchandise stocks up as much as they can prior to the event for sales. In 06 I think Adidas paid one team nearly 8 figures to just wear their gear.

[Allen @ Jan 30th 2008 4:39PM]

@Cash:

It is, you just have to get an antenna on your TV.

I always recommend hooking an antenna to an HDTV. I know everyone thinks that once they've purchased that TV, they are in an era without the need for antenna thanks to cable or satellite, but cable and satellite still go out even with an HDTV. And neither of those should be connected to your TV via Coax cable, so use that coax port by adding an antenna to it. Wall mounted? So what, put the antenna in the wall (you can do this, I have, its not hard).

[Cash @ Jan 31st 2008 2:55AM]

Actually no, it isn't. I called them last week to see if they would have HD broadcasting in time for the Superbowl, and they said they don't plan on installing the required equipment until this summer at the earliest. They aren't legally required to have it until the beginning of next year, and apparently they aren't in any hurry to.

[Skeezle @ Jan 30th 2008 5:04PM]

Is that not the ugliest Super Bowl logo to date? WTF is with those colors? I've been staring at that daily for the last 6 weeks. I can say I truly hate it! Nothing goes with it!


Go Patriots! This is an awesome year for New England sports!

[Christian @ Jan 30th 2008 5:05PM]

Does anyone know if I can hook up 2 TVs to my Comcast Motorola HD Cable box?

I have a 52" LCD and my roommate has a 50" plasma, and I was wondering if one can be hooked up to the DVI while the other is hooked up to the Component? Will this work, or are the other inputs switched off when one is in use? If it is possible, will both be displayed in HD? We're having many people over and this would double the space where we can have people watching the game. I'm at work right now and can't check. Thanks!

[dbldave @ Jan 30th 2008 9:39PM]

You can't hook up more than one TV in HD to the receiver. You should just go to your local Comcast payment center and pick up another HD box for the game and then take it back after the game. I do this every year. You will need an cabee splitter and another piece of coaxial cable to hook up the other box.

https://www.comcast.com/Localization/Localize.ashx?Referer=/Customers/Contactus/Paymentcenter/LocatePaymentCenter.ashx&area=0

[uberfu @ Feb 7th 2008 11:25AM]

testing...