Is Your TV Setup Ready for March Madness?

Whether You’re a Cord-Cutter or Cable User, Here’s How to Make the Most of March Madness 

Before the calendar turns to March, college basketball fans are excitedly making their predictions and picks for their top teams. Here in Hypoluxo, FL, we’re rooting for the Miami Hurricanes, and as a media room designer, we know our clients will be watching the season in style. 

Are you equipped with the channels and features you need for March Madness? Any sports fan can deck out their media room with a high-end screen and speakers, but you’ll need easy access to the games, too. 

In this article, we weigh the pros and cons of different TV provider options to help you find the best solution for all your sports seasons. Good luck on your bracket! 

SEE ALSO: High-End Audio for the Big Game: Surround Sound & Multi-Room Speakers

On Cable 

If you have cable TV in your home, you can catch March Madness on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. But the best place to watch all 67 tournament games is on the new ACC Network. The ACC Network is a partnership between the Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN, and it broadcasts 40 football games, 150 men’s and women’s basketball games, and 250 Olympic sports events. It’s available with most network providers—besides Comcast. 

Streaming 

Maybe you cut the cord or are a Comcast user, and you aren’t sure how to access the ACC Network. A common disadvantage to streaming is the loss of sports coverage, as services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime offer no way to view live sports. But luckily, you can stream ACC Network on YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, PlayStation Vue, and Sling. 

Streaming certainly has its advantages, as you can take it anywhere with you and find what you’re looking for immediately. But you may find you need stronger internet coverage to stream over multiple TVs, and if you’re subscribed to several streaming platforms, it can add up to a price comparable to cable.  

DISH Network

The ACC Network is also available on DISH satellite network, and itsspecial features were made for sports fans. The Score Overlay app provides a small square that sits on your screen, overlaying any game you’re watching. At the push of a button, the box can pop up and update any score from around the world. The data refreshes every 30 seconds on its own, so you’ll always be in-the-know. 

Another way to keep tabs on multiple games is DISH’s Sports Bar Mode, also known as MultiView. Like a sports bar’s wall of screens, you can split your 4K orHD television  into quadrants, displaying multiple games simultaneously. If you don’t need four screens, you can divide the screen in two or overlay a second channel in a small box in the corner. 

Multi-Room Video 

Want to take March Madness across your property? Maybe you want to turn on the game outside by the grill while your friends or family catch it in the den and kitchen. A distributed video  system means you can bring cable or DISH to multiple screens without needing another box. Just turn on the TV and pick up from where you left off. Multi-room speakers can fill your home with the sports broadcast, too, so even as you walk away from the game, you’ll still be within earshot. 

Are you interested in a new media room design, multi-room AV, or another entertainment installation? First Priority Audio is your destination for all high-end audio video solutions in South Florida. 

Contact our team here or chat with us below to get started on your new system. We look forward to assisting you!