As the global sporting phenomena only comes round once every four years, it’s vital your home is match fit for the occasion. We can’t promise football is coming home, but here are some top tips to get the most out of this year’s international extravaganza and the myriads of sporting events throughout the calendar…
- The beautiful game never looked so beautiful
In 2022, it’s no surprise that watching the footie action transpire in HD doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Fortunately, the world of 4K TVs has come a long way and are becoming more affordable.
Tech titans LG, Sony, and Samsung all offer a diverse range of ultra-high definition (UHD) screens with many supporting high-end features like HDR (high dynamic range), and smart functionality such as built-in streaming services.
With the BBC now streaming UHD sports coverage and Showmax Pro covering all 64 matches in 4K, the beautiful game has never looked so beautiful.
Want to upgrade to 4K but don’t know where to look? Check out this handy guide.
2. Do your homework
Maybe the football pitch is new territory for you? Had enough of feeling offside?
One of the best ways to dive in headfirst ahead of the World Cup is to indulge in the myriads of footie flicks and binge-fests available online.
From Ryan Reynold’s real-life escapades in Welcome to Wrexham, the cultural classic that is Bend It Like Beckham, or, more recently, the charming misadventures of Ted Lasso (a show so profound it saw the titular manager make it to 2023’s FIFA video game!).
So, if you’ve yet to distinguish your Ronaldinho’s from your Ronaldo’s, then now is the time to settle on the sofa and get revising.
3. There’s no party like a watch party
Post-pandemic, the way we watch TV drama unfold has undoubtedly changed. Crowding round the tiny TV at your local pub may remain the humble favourite but streaming parties in the comfort of your own living room (where the snacks are a little less expensive) are now becoming the norm.
With services like Now TV and Amazon Prime adding to the growing list of streaming sites housing what FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggests will be the most watched event in history, it’s never been easier to bring your family and friends around, put the England flags up and tune-in.
At least, this way, football is guaranteed to ‘come home’ to some extent.
4. Footie-fit Full-Fibre
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The way we consume TV has changed, with many of us now watching our favourite channels through the internet, live streamed through the respective platform, or catch-up service. So, no matter if you’re watching in HD, 4K, if you’re a footie newbie or a fanatic, ensuring your broadband is match fit is more important than ever for the upcoming games.
To ensure your streaming experience is smooth and uninterrupted, switching to full-fibre is the best way to guarantee you’re not battling with buffering or settling for low-quality streaming outputs.
So what is full-fibre exactly? The current infrastructure most people use to access the internet is Superfast broadband or ‘Fibre-To-The-Cabinet’. These networks rely on Victorian copper cables which aren’t suited to deliver fast speeds suitable for today’s data demands.
Full-fibre, as the name suggests, is free of copper with fibre cables delivered straight to your door. This means you can enjoy speeds 11x faster, reaching up to 1,000 Mbps, and doing so with superior reliability. A full-fibre connection is the best way to digitally future-proof your home.
That’s why we’re rolling out our full-fibre networks across the East of England following a combined £146m private investment. We’re well underway and connecting more rural villages and hard-to-reach areas every single day.
Find out if our network is already available in your area or find out if we’re planning to connect your village.
