Aug 5, 2016 7:37 PM

The Ultimate Gear for Watching the Olympics

Whether you're at home on the couch, in a bar, or at a coffee shop, here's all the gear you need for an optimal Olympics viewing experience.

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The 2016 Summer Olympics will be the hardest Olympics not to watch. This has nothing to do with the quality of the competition or your overall interest in the hammer throw, which hopefully is extremely high. No, this summer's Games will be hard to avoid because they'll be available on practically every device you own. Here’s all the best gear for tuning in.

01
Free and paid options abound for watching the Olympics on your phone, tablet, set-top box, and game console. NBCOlympics.com puts it all in your browser. The NBC Sports app works on [iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nbc-sports-live-extra/id542511686?mt=8&sports-mobile-apps), [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.nbcuni.com.nbcsports.liveextra&hl=en&sports-mobile-apps), [Windows Phones](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/nbc-sports/9wzdncrfjcl3), [Roku](https://blog.roku.com/blog/2015/04/27/nbc-sports-live-extra-score-it-now-in-the-roku-channel-store/?sports-mobile-apps), Amazon Fire TV, and Xbox. If you want to get spendy, [SlingTV](https://www.sling.com/) ($25/month) and [PlayStation Vue](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/) ($30/month) provide cable-like coverage.
Samsung
02
Watch it in 4K HDR
You can watch the Olympics in the best televised experience available today: [4K high-dynamic range (HDR) video](http://www.nbcolympics.com/4khdr). Unfortunately, it’s a chore to figure out [if your TV and plan are compatible](http://www.consumerreports.org/tv-services/how-to-watch-the-rio-olympics-in-4k/). Comcast will stream 4K HDR footage via its Xfinity app for Samsung’s latest SUHD TVs. Dish delivers it on channel 146, DirectTV uses channel 106, and you’ll need extra hardware for both of those options. And while they'll all look stunning, none of them will be live broadcasts.

Samsung
03
A Dolby Atmos Soundbar
Video isn’t the only great thing about those feeds. In many cases, the [audio will be compatible with Dolby Atmos](http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/4K/Ultra_HD/hdr/NBC/Dolby_Atmos/Olympics/rio-olympics/olympic-broadcasting-services/Comcast/DISH/DIRECTV/epb/nbc-readies-2016-rio-olympics-coverage-in-4k-hdr-with-dolby-atmos-through-comcast-directv-dish-and-epb/33886) speakers---those sound systems in movie theaters that provide realistic 3-D effects. You’ll need a compatible soundbar to make those immersive effects work, and there are a couple of pricey options on the market: [Yamaha’s $1,600 YSP-5600](http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hometheater-systems/digital-sound-projector/ysp-5600_u/) and [Samsung’s $1,500 HW-K950](http://www.samsung.com/us/televisions-home-theater/home-theater/sound-bars/hw-k950-za-hw-k950-za/).
Samsung
04
Samsung Gear VR
If you’ve got the NBC Sports app, a Samsung Galaxy phone, and a [Samsung Gear VR headset](http://www.wired.com/2015/11/review-samsung-gear-vr/), you can also [watch some events in VR](http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/olympics-vr-nbc-virtual-reality-samsung-1201806593/). These won’t be live broadcasts, but the NBC Sports app should recognize if it’s installed on a compatible phone. If so, it’ll give viewers the option to witness some events in 360-degree video.

Getty Images
05
An HD antenna
If you’re OK with watching the games in HD, an antenna can pull in a top-notch signal without having to use a cable box. Plug in your antenna, run a channel scan, and then tune into NBC or Telemundo. Buying the right antenna can be tricky. It’s hard to recommend one for everybody, because your home’s surroundings and distance from a broadcast tower are important factors. Your TV has to have a built-in tuner, too, and you may need to invest in an amplified or directional antenna if you’re [dozens of miles from a tower](//www.antennapoint.com/”).
Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg/Getty Images
06
Keep Your Data Plan in Check
When it comes to streaming the Olympics on your phone or tablet, your viewing appetite may be larger than your data plan. You could always use Wi-Fi, but [T-Mobile’s “Binge On” plan](http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/binge-on-streaming-video.html) lets you stream without using any of your monthly data. NBC Sports, Playstation Vue, and Sling TV are all covered under the Binge On plan.

Panasonic
07
Ultimate Mobile Viewing
Phones are big nowadays, but if you want to really show off at the coffee shop, you need something along the lines of a portable wireless television. [Panasonic’s ginormous 4K tablet](http://shop.panasonic.com/home-and-office/computing-tablets-fax-machines/tablets/UT-MB5025.html), for example. The Toughpad UT-MB5025 has a 20-inch screen and weighs more than five pounds. Don’t worry about cracking that screen, because it’s built to withstand drops of up to six feet.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
08
Radio? Radio!
You haven’t experienced an Olympic javelin competition until you’ve listened to it on the radio. [TuneIn will stream Olympics audio](http://tunein.com/radio/Olympics-g2863/) coverage from two NBC stations and four Westwood One stations. It’s the best way to enjoy the games while sipping lemonade on the porch.

Getty Images
09
Damn the Mosquitoes
You’ve spoiled yourself with the sights of the games in VR and the sounds in Dolby Atmos. If you really want to feel like you’re *right there* in Rio, how about a little bug spray? This [Sawyer Picaridin](https://sawyer.com/products/picaridin-insect-repellent/) spray is [Consumer Reports’ top-rated mosquito repellent](http://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellents/mosquito-repellents-that-best-protect-against-zika/). Bonus: It has a “mild corn-chip aroma mixed with citrus,” so you'll also smell like a bag of [Fritos Sal y Limon](https://munchpak.com/fritos-sal-y-limon-flavor.html).
10
Olympic track-and-field events don’t start for about a week. Patience is for suckers. Scratch that non-mosquito itch right now by buying a refurbished arcade version of [Konami’s Track & Field on eBay](http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/191792939885?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true). It costs around 2 grand and includes several games in the series. If you don’t have that kind of cash or space, just [watch this YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLeNExXflkc) while smashing two buttons on your keyboard.

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Tim Moynihan covers hardware for Gadget Lab, with a concentration on cameras, TVs, Ultra HD video, virtual reality, and the weirdest things he can find. He has 17 years of tech journalism experience, serving as senior editor at PCWorld, homepage editor at CNET, and an online producer at TechTV prior ... Read More

Contributing Writer

Topicsolympics