UFC 200 is scheduled to kick-off on 9 July and Dana White has lined up an all-star fight card. I have been of the UFC for about 20 years and they have always been more fun to watch in a crowd. When I was a kid, my parents would buy the fight and my friends would come over with snacks. I follow a similar pattern today, I buy the Pay-Per-View (PPV) my friends bring the food and drink. Even if you aren’t a UFC fan, these same tips coupled with the increase of internet streaming, will be useful for live events ranging from the Olympics to the Super Bowl.
WHY:
PPVs are expensive. If you are going to spend the money, why not ensure that as many people as possible can share in the experience? Like I said above, the fights are a lot more fun to watch with a group. Advertising for sporting events is still lucrative, because in the world of TIVO, sports are one of those things people want to see in real time, they are notable events. Commercial establishments have to pay by the SqFt to show the fights, around here a lot of bars require a cover charge just to get in the door. Hosting a backyard party can be a lot cheaper than meeting a few friends at the bar.
Movie on my Blackout Cloth Screen
HOW:
You have 2 ways to watch the fights:
1 – Order the fight from your cable provider and run an HDMI from your set top box to the projector.
PRO: Your cable provider makes it very easy to order PPVs and you will mostly have a very stable connection.
CON: This method provides a lot of logistical challenges for the backyard projectionist. You are limited by the set top box (STB), which requires either a long coaxial cable to reach back to a cable input, or a [easyazon_link identifier=”B006FKAZ36″ locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]very long HDMI cable[/easyazon_link] like this one, in order to keep the STB in place and reach the projector.
The sound will also be a challenge, you will have to run your sound through the projector.
2-Stream the fight via Playstations, XBOXs, Chromecast, Roku, laptop, etc.
PRO: The creation of streaming devices has made things a lot easier for moving the party to the backyard. So long as you have a decent wireless connection that will cover your yard, these devices will allow you to stream the fight to your projector. The streaming sticks, like the [easyazon_link identifier=”B01DA0YCNC” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]Roku Streaming Stick[/easyazon_link] are particularly affordable and portable.
For UFC events this method can also save you a little bit of money on the cost of the PPV. It has been my experience that streaming through Youtube can save you $10 on the price of the PPV compared to doing it through your Cable Provider. When you order through UFC.TV they often offer a promotion for discounted subscriptions to UFC.TV for a modest increase to the price of the fight. UFC.TV has a lot of content, to include smaller fights, if you are interested in UFC.
CON: You will still have to run the sound through the projector. Some devices like the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00UJ3IREE” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]Roku 2[/easyazon_link] allow you to connect a 3.5mm cable to the remote which gives you some increased flexibility for speaker placement.
You are limited by the strength and speed of your wifi connection, which may result in pixilation and buffering. Even with a good internet connection you might find that when compared with the cable provider option there is a little bit of lag. In Hawaii we are big UFC fans, our houses are close together, and we almost always have our windows open. My neighbors were watching the fight via cable, I was streaming it on our driveway, and the neighbors would be cheering ten seconds before the action hit our screen.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
TIMING: Be sure to check your times against sundown. Unlike movies, you can’t control when a live event is occurring. If your event takes place on the East Coast, it might not be dark enough where you are on the West Coast to use your projector outside. That is a big issue here in Hawaii, where our time zone is six hours earlier than that of the East Coast.
LEGAL: Remember PPVs are big money, don’t think that you can pay off your backyard theater by charging a few bucks a head. Cable companies and the UFC will inspect establishments to ensure that are paying for the right amount of square footage. Word will get out, it isn’t worth the risk.
BOTTOM LINE: Advances in technology have made showing live events in the backyard easier than ever before. For a relatively minor investment you can bring this capability to your own backyard. Sound will present a challenge no matter which set up you choose.
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