Friends, it’s coming. The Super Bowl. Are you already getting excited? I know who I am. I look forward to this every year, so let’s talk about everything you need to know about how to watch Super Bowl 2024, to make sure the big game looks its absolute best on your TV.

Since Fox Sports welcomed me to Miami and took me behind the scenes of the television production of Super Bowl LIV in 2020, it has become my mission to make sure you are fully connected to watch the most compelling football you will see all year . . Time is ticking, so let’s get into it.

We’ll cover how to choose the best signal or stream for the game and talk about how to make sure there isn’t too much delay in your stream. Then, we’ll look at some TV setups to make the game look better and talk about some of the audio setups that will bring the excitement of the stadium right into your own home.

Best Super Bowl TV deal

Super quality

First, I am beyond excited that the game will be streaming in 4K HDR and 1080p HDR this year. It’s not the first time for the Super Bowl, but it is the first time CBS has broadcast the event in that higher resolution.

Someday, that will be the norm for all major sporting events (and we see more of it every year). But after seeing Fox Sports do it in real time in 2020, we didn’t get 4K or HDR again until Fox got the streaming rights in 2023. So, until the CBS announcement, we didn’t know if we would get super high video quality this year. I’m so happy that so many of us can do it.

Where To Get The Best Quality Streaming

Which brings us to the first thing we need to talk about: How should you watch the game this year if you have options? If you don’t have broadband Internet, you’ll probably be watching via cable, satellite, or perhaps over the air with an antenna. (And we’ll look at how to make sure you get the same experience.)

But if broadband Internet is available, you have more options. So let’s look at how you should look at priority.

The commercial grade upscalers used by CBS will generate a very clear 4K signal for your 4K TV. But if you have a premium 4K or even 8K TV, its built-in upscaler will make the 1080P signal look amazing. And honestly, it’s the HDR signal that will really make the image pop.

So don’t be also obsessed with getting the 4K version. The 1080p Full HD version, especially with HDR, will look better than the non-HDR 1080i version coming to your local CBS affiliate, whether you get it over-the-air with an antenna or through your cable or satellite operator.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

For streaming, I’ll suggest YouTube TV as the best 4K HDR option because it’s probably stable and widely available on most smart TVs and streaming devices. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to pay more for 4K on YouTube TV. You can also use DirecTV Stream or potentially Hulu with Live TV, but I’m less confident in the experience and consistency of picture quality from those services across different TVs and streaming devices. Fubo has also confirmed that it will have 4K streaming.

You would think that Paramount+, which is owned and operated by CBS, would get the 4K HDR stream, but it will apparently show the 1080P HDR stream. Strange. Not that I care: that feed will still look amazing.

Outside of streaming, 4K HDR streaming will be available through select cable and satellite providers, such as Comcast Xfinity, Dish Network, and DirecTV, if they offer a special 4K channel.

And you must have the 4K converter box for those providers to get it too. So check with your cable or satellite operator, make sure you have access to the 4K channel (you may have to pay extra for that), and make sure you have the right converter box to connect it to your TV.

So to conclude this part, if streaming the game is an option for you, I recommend you do it. I think it’s worth even a trial or one-month subscription to see the best video quality for this game. You can always cancel later. If you’re using cable or satellite, try to get the premium 4K or 1080p HDR version of the game through the special channel available and make sure you have the right converter box to receive it. Do it now, so you don’t have to fight days before the game.

Reduce delay to Get Super Bowl 

What if your priority is the shortest? delay time? I mean, I think many of us have experienced listening to our neighbors cheer and scream loudly for up to 30 or 40 seconds before seeing the same big action, and that’s because the broadcast we’re watching is so far behind the neighbors across the street.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have the magic formula for which feed will have the least delay. I suspect that the over-the-air transmission you would get with an antenna will be the least delayed; At least, that has been the case in my experience. Therefore, it is not the best image quality, but it is the one that usually has the least delay.

AND YouTube TV now has a setting that allows you to reduce latency; just make sure you have a good internet connection before trying it.

This is what I suggest. If you have cable or satellite and have streaming options, I would consider loading the streaming option on a laptop or phone and then loading the game on the TV using your cable or satellite box. See which one is ahead and choose that one on your TV. If the streaming version on your phone is ahead, open that streaming service on your TV and don’t look back.

Super Bowl Tv Setup

Ok, now that we’ve done a little work to ensure you’re getting the best signal source, let’s talk about your TV setup. In most cases, using the built-in streaming app on your TV will give you the easiest path to ensuring HDR works. So if you stream, consider using the app built into your TV. If you are using a streaming box, or if you are using a cable or satellite box, there is one critical setting you want to check.

Some TVs are great at recognizing a 4K HDR signal and automatically changing these settings for you. But other TVs don’t, and it’s always best to check to be sure. Therefore, you want to find the settings area that talks about the HDMI input signal or the enhanced HDMI options. Make sure this is enabled for any HDMI port your box is connected to so you know you’re enabling HDR.

Next, you may want to adjust your TV’s backlight or OLED light intensity to get the most vivid image. Many TVs have a sports mode that does this automatically, but I like the movie or cinema mode to get the most accurate color, with the brightness turned up a little.

From there, you might want to turn on some motion smoothing for the game. You may already use it, but if you normally don’t like motion smoothing, you may want to turn it on and reduce it to get the perfect combination of smooth motion and natural-looking image.

Keep in mind that each brand of TV calls their motion smoothing something different. If you want to learn more about it, Watch our video on how to turn motion smoothing on or off.

Super Bowl  Audio settings

Next, let’s talk about audio. Whether you have a surround sound system or are using your TV’s built-in speakers, sometimes a problem arises when watching big games like this.

Surround sound processing often adds a lot of excitement to the game, which can be fantastic. But depending on your equipment, sometimes surround sound effects can drown out sports announcers. If you encounter that, try playing with the different surround modes on your TV or audio system.

In some cases, you may want to try disabling it. Or, if you have the ability, you may want to turn the surround channels down a bit or, better yet, raise the level of the center channel so you can hear the announcers more clearly and still get all that awesome stadium surround effect.

 

Super Bowl  Buying Tips

Now I want to share some tips that I always give this time of year. You may be thinking about getting a new TV before the game. That’s a great idea: TV prices this time of year are generally the best they’ve ever been. Now is a good time to get a bigger screen for less money. I want to remind you that you will be living with this TV for many years, so remember that this is an investment in years of enjoyment and memories. Absolutely look for a good deal, but I suggest you look for a good deal on the most premium TV you can afford. You’ll thank yourself so much after you’ve swept up the confetti.

Also, remember that I typically encourage people to go for the largest, highest-quality screen they can afford. It’s a balancing act, of course. But I have discovered that even though people think that a large television will seem like too much in your home, once it is in their house, they often wonder how they could make it smaller. I rarely hear anyone say that they wish they had bought a smaller TV. So keep that in mind when purchasing.

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