Football season is back, and for many Charlotte-area homeowners, that means weekends filled with friends, family, food, and plenty of time in front of the TV. But the perfect game-day experience takes more than buying a bigger television. Poor TV placement, weak WiFi, complicated remotes, bad sound, and harsh lighting can quickly take the fun out of watching the game.

The good news is that a few strategic home technology upgrades can turn your living room, media room, bonus room, or outdoor space into a game-day destination.

Here are seven smart home upgrades to consider this football season.

1. Get the TV Placement Right

A large television does not automatically create a great viewing experience. Where and how the TV is mounted can be equally as important.

A professionally mounted TV can provide a better viewing angle while helping keep cables and equipment organized. The ideal mounting height and location depend on factors such as the size of the television, room layout, seating position, windows, and potential glare. This becomes especially important when you have several people watching from different areas of the room.

Professional TV mounting can also give the room a cleaner, more finished appearance while helping ensure the television and mounting hardware are installed properly.

2. Upgrade the Sound, Not Just the Screen

Picture quality gets a lot of attention, but sound is a major part of the game-day experience. A properly designed audio system can make the roar of the crowd, commentary, music, and action on the field feel completely different.

Depending on your room and budget, options may include a soundbar, surround sound system, in-wall or in-ceiling speakers, or a complete home theater audio system. The right solution is not necessarily the one with the most speakers. It is the system designed around the size, shape, acoustics, and intended use of your room.

3. Make Sure Your WiFi Can Handle Game Day

Have you ever had the picture freeze right before an important play? Your internet service may not always be the problem. Sometimes the issue is how well your WiFi signal reaches the devices throughout your home.

Modern households may have smart TVs, phones, tablets, laptops, security cameras, gaming systems, speakers, thermostats, and other connected devices all using the home network.

For larger homes, multi-story properties, or homes with WiFi dead zones, a professionally designed network or mesh WiFi system may provide more consistent coverage throughout the house. A mesh system uses multiple access points that work together as one network, allowing devices to maintain connectivity as you move throughout the home.

If streaming problems occur only in certain rooms, it may be worth evaluating your home network before simply purchasing a faster internet plan.

4. Create a One-Touch Game-Day Setup

Imagine getting ready for kickoff and pressing one button that turns on the TV, selects the correct source, adjusts the sound, and changes the lighting. Smart home automation can bring different technologies together, so you do not have to manage every device separately.

A customized "Game Day" setting could potentially control the television and entertainment equipment, audio, lighting, motorized shades, and other compatible smart-home devices. Instead of looking for multiple remotes or changing settings individually, you can spend more time enjoying the game.

5. Simplify Your Remote Controls

If your coffee table is covered with remotes, your entertainment system may be more complicated than it needs to be.

When one remote controls the TV, another controls the sound, and a third one changes the streaming device, someone will inevitably press the wrong button, and suddenly nobody knows how to get the game back on. An integrated remote-control system can simplify how you operate compatible home entertainment equipment.

This is particularly helpful when guests or family members want to use the system without needing instructions every time they turn on the television. The best technology should make your home easier to enjoy, not harder to operate.

6. Use Smart Lighting to Set the Mood

Lighting can dramatically change the way a room looks and feels. Bright overhead lights may create glare on the television, while complete darkness may not always provide the most comfortable viewing environment. Lighting control systems can allow you to create preset scenes for different activities.

You might have one lighting scene for watching the game, another for entertaining, and another for everyday use. With compatible automation, adjusting the room can be as simple as pressing a button.

Smart lighting can also be incorporated throughout the home, making it useful long after football season ends.

7. Take Game Day Outside

Fall in the Carolinas can provide some great opportunities for outdoor entertainment. A patio, covered porch, pool area, or outdoor kitchen can become another place to watch the game with the right technology.

Outdoor entertainment requires more planning than simply taking an indoor television outside. TVs, speakers, wiring, mounting hardware, network coverage, and other equipment should be selected and installed with the environment in mind.

A professionally designed outdoor entertainment area can allow you to enjoy football, movies, music, and other entertainment throughout the year.

Is Your WiFi Fast Enough for Streaming Football?

This is an important question, but internet speed is only one part of the equation. Streaming performance can also be affected by the number of devices using your network, router location, distance from the router, walls and other physical obstructions, wireless interference, and the quality of your networking equipment.

If you pay for fast internet service but experience buffering or weak connections in certain parts of your home, the problem may be your home's WiFi coverage rather than the speed coming into the house.

Is Mesh WiFi Better for Streaming?

For some homes, yes.  A traditional router broadcasts WiFi from one primary location. A mesh network uses multiple access points working together to provide broader coverage.

Mesh WiFi can be particularly useful in larger or multi-story homes, homes with difficult layouts, and properties where certain rooms have weak WiFi signals. However, mesh WiFi is not automatically the best solution for every home. A professional network assessment can help determine whether you need a mesh system, improved router placement, upgraded networking equipment, wired access points, or another solution.

Build a Better Game-Day Experience With Connextec

Creating an incredible game-day setup does not mean filling your home with complicated technology. In fact, good home technology should do the opposite. It should be reliable, easy to use, and designed around the way you live.

Connextec provides professional home technology solutions for homeowners in Charlotte and surrounding communities. From TV mounting and home theater installation to WiFi networking, smart-home automation, lighting control, and integrated entertainment systems, our team can help you create a setup that works together.

Whether you want to improve one room or create a fully connected home entertainment experience, Connextec can help you find the right solution for your home and budget.

Ready to upgrade your home for football season? Contact Connextec to schedule an in-home installation service or estimate.