For many football fans who can't be at the stadiums in the United States, Canada or Mexico for the football World Cup (June 11 to July 19), a projector or a giant television is the next best thing.
To make sure that time delays, buffering and a blurry image don't ruin the fun for everyone who is watching, now is the time to consider these five tips.
1. Avoiding time delays
Because TV signals are transmitted with sometimes considerable delays (latency), you may have to wait half a minute for the goal to appear on screen after your neighbours have already started cheering — unless you opt for the fastest method.
That is usually satellite or cable TV. Terrestrial television falls behind, with recent measurements in Germany putting it around two seconds behind the satellite signal - enough to tell if a goal is coming before a shot is even taken.
Online streams (IPTV) are the slowest of all. Here, delays vary greatly depending on equipment and streaming provider, and can be anywhere between 2 and 20 seconds behind satellite. Some internet providers are also prone to buffering - when the stream pauses to load more footage due to a poor connection.
2. Projector and screen
Depending on the timing of the match and what country you're in, it might not get dark until late during much of the World Cup. That means the screen should be deliberately positioned in the shade for any kick-off before 9:30 pm, so that the projector can produce clearly visible images outdoors in any case — for example under a carport or in a garden shelter.
Most important of all is that no sunlight falls directly on the screen. It should also be shaded from the sides and from above. If you're setting up a gazebo with light-coloured fabric, consider hanging some dark blankets over it to darken the space.
Any tightly stretched piece of fabric that is not too thin will serve as a screen — at least if there is no high-contrast surface behind it. But pre-made fabric panels with eyelets for string are relatively cheap online. You can also improve image quality with framed screen stands or opaque screens. These cost several times more, however, and — unlike stretched fabric — need to be secured against the wind.
3. TV and outdoors
There is currently a massive price war in the TV market, with 75-inch and 85-inch models reaching new low prices while still offering decent features. This makes it a good time for anyone who was already planning to buy a new set and prefers a large television to a projector.
The advantage of a large TV over a projector is that it offers a high-contrast image even in brighter surroundings, because dark areas in the picture are rendered almost black. A projector, on the other hand, can't make the screen any darker.
Buying a giant television just for the World Cup can be pain in the long term, however, especially if you are limited in space. You should think carefully about whether you'll still need the set and where you'll put it after the final on July 19. When switched off, a 75-, 85- or even 98-inch screen is a big black mirror.
Anyone placing a television outdoors for a private viewing should at least protect it from moisture. Plastic covers can be ordered online exactly for minimizing the risk of water damage from unexpected rain showers.
4. Sound and speakers
Anyone familiar with projectors knows the often tinny sound produced by the built-in speaker. And even if the sound quality is acceptable, the volume will in all likelihood not be sufficient when fans start cheering and shouting — and certainly not outdoors. Even though televisions are better equipped with speakers, much the same applies.
To improve the sound — and above all to achieve adequate volume outdoors — you'll need to hook up some external speakers to the projector or TV. These can be anything from larger Bluetooth speakers to active or Wi-Fi speakers or a soundbar. Just be considerate of your neighbours.
5. Watching and recording
Watching live is always best — but not always possible. Football fans who miss matches, or who want to watch them in full later for other reasons, can often rely on their television. Almost all better-equipped sets now offer a recording function via USB (USB recording), which can be used to record the output of the built-in digital TV tuners — meaning digital cable (DVB-C), satellite (DVB-S) or terrestrial television (DVB-T2 HD).
To use the function, an external storage device is generally required — usually a USB hard drive (ideally an SSD), though larger USB sticks also work in some cases. The hard drive or stick is then simply plugged into the USB port of the television. For reference: a 90-minute recording in HD resolution requires around six to eight GB of storage space, depending on the broadcaster and transmission method.
Recordings are most easily scheduled via the electronic programme guide (EPG) of the television: simply select the match from the list and adjust the start and end times if necessary. On some devices, recording times cannot be changed directly during EPG scheduling but only afterwards in the corresponding entry in the timer list.
Note: on most TVs, recordings can only be played back on the exact same device on which they were made, according to German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest. And for encrypted programmes, the broadcaster may instruct the television that it is not permitted to record a particular programme.
