Super Bowl 2013 ticket prices have, predictably, gone through the roof of the New Orleans Superdome, costing more than $3,000 on average. That means the next best seat to watch the Baltimore Ravens vs. the San Francisco 49ers game is in your living room with friends and family.
Luckily, there's no better day to show off your latest tech than Super Bowl Sunday. It's the most watched broadcast every year and the second biggest day for Americans to consume food.
Because finding the right sports-essential tech and innovative decor isn't always an easy call, we put together a comprehensive playbook for throwing a successful Super Bowl party. Best of all, it doesn't require a budget the size of most linebackers.
Samsung UN46ES8000
When Samsung isn't busy battling Apple in court and skewering its chief rival in Super Bowl ads, it's making brilliant-looking televisions like the Samsung UN46ES8000, also known as the Samsung UE46E8000 in the U.K.
This 46-inch LED TV has particularly noteworthy sharpness, just in case you want to count the blades of faux grass on the field, yet it remains ultra-slim. In fact, this TV's silver bezel design hardly fits Samsung's name at the bottom. Below its logo that resembles Jay Leno's chin is a unique arch-flow cradle that puts the stand in "stand out."
The Samsung UN46ES8000 comes in three Super Bowl-worthy sizes: 55-inch, 60-inch, and 65-inch, though we had to bring out the chains to be sure that buying one of these monster sets was cheaper than an actual game day ticket.
None of their prices, however, will compare to the real object of our desire, the upcoming 85-inch Samsung S9 Ultra HDTV. That late 2013-bound UHDTV will have to wait until Super Bowl parties to come.
Optoma HD33 1080p 3D Projector
Upgrading to a projector is one way to make every bit of "4th and inches" count. The Optoma HD33 in particular will help you see your team to the goal for just $1,300.
It can project up to 300 party-pleasing inches, meaning that you'll know when a player is out of bounds the same time the referees do. With brightness set at a default 1800 ANSI and a contrast ratio of 4000:1, the Ravens and 49ers will stand out in their mismatched colors.
Super Bowl 47 won't broadcast in 3D, but the Optoma HD33 has that capability, just in case you want to watch a post-game movie in the third dimension.
Projectors are often overlooked, but can offer double the screen size of a television for half the price. You can't go wrong with some of the best HD projectors on the market right now if you have a home theater environment that's dark enough to support one.
- Read more: the best HD projectors
Elite Screen 125-inch Electric Projector Screen
The best way to analyze every inch of the gridiron is to opt for a quality projector screen like the Elite Screens ELECTRIC125H. It's 125-inch MaxWhite screen material achieves up to 1.1 gain and a 160-degree wide view angle so everyone at the party can take in the game.
All of that is great, but the best moment for an owner of this screen is right before kickoff. Greet your guests, let them gather around the guacamole and grow nervous as they notice there's no TV in the room. Eventually they'll ask, "Where are we watching this? It's almost game time!" You may reply with a press of your infrared remote, deploying the motorized drop down screen. It'll take double OT to wow your guests as much as this pre-game stunner.
Toshiba SBX 4250 Sound Bar
Just as important as seeing the Super Bowl clearly on an LED TV is hearing the action in all of its glory. The Toshiba SBX 4250 Sound Bar can pump in the helmet-to-helmet hits, the roar of the crowd, and the booming voices of CBS Super Bowl announcers Jim Nantz and Phil Simms.
