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.

2016 U.S. Olympic Track amp Field Team Trials Day 10

Featured in this article

The bezelfree KS9500 isn039t just a looker. It backs up its aesthetics with quantumdot color enhancement a superbright...

This image may contain Weapon Weaponry Blade and Sword

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.

Comments

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

AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life

The developers of Pixel Societies are using AI agents to simulate social interactions. It's an attempt optimize the process of choosing new colleagues, friends, and even romantic partners.

Joel Khalili

The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For

AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.

Miles Klee

A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why

Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.

Stephanie Pearson

It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend

Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.

Luke Larsen

There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home

Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.

Jeremy White

The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones

As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.

Miles Klee

Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good

This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.

Christopher Null

The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App

The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.

Matthew Korfhage