Tips for watching high school sports streams

So your grandchild moved to another state and now you’d like to watch the game? You’ll need a few relatively simple solutions to watch the game just like you watch professional or college games. We’ll go over the absolute essentials first. Then we’ll show you how you can step up the game and put it on the big screen.

Internet

You don’t need the best internet in the world, but it has to be decent. You shouldn’t rely on your cell phone internet for this part unless it’s a last resort. Odds are you won’t be happy. My internet is 15 megabits per second (Mbps) which is, honestly, pretty low, but I got a great deal when I worked for the service provider and it hasn’t gone up so we keep it around. I wouldn’t recommend it for most.

Most internet service providers (ISPs) these days in densely populated areas offer 100 Mbps for $50 or $60. Spectrum is one example here. Pay attention to contracts and price increases here, but this speed will be plenty sufficient for you. If you live in a rural area, you’ll likely have to rely on a satellite provider such as Hughesnet to get speeds fast enough to stream live events.

Wifi

Personally, when I’m streaming live events, I like to have a wired connection, but I understand that most people are going to stream over Wifi. This is the place where you can’t skimp on the equipment. Cheap Wifi routers are the culprit for most streaming issues.

Personally, I recommend a mesh system of routers such as the Google System. This system says it will cover 4500 square feet. As with all things, take this with a grain of salt, but it covers a lot. If you have a really big house or trying to cover the pool house or something, the Nest system upgrades the claim to 6600 sq ft or you can add access points to either of them, and they’ll connect to each other. Going through walls and floors will dramatically decrease the coverage claims so play around with the locations to maximize their coverage.

Smart Device

Obviously, you’ll need a screen to watch on. Will your phone work? Absolutely. Will you be able to see the number on Johnny’s jersey? Absolutely not. So let’s go bigger. iPad? Sure. Laptop? That’ll work too. But we want the Hornets and the Billy Goats on the big screen, right? There are so many options here that it’s impossible to cover them all. It will also depend somewhat on how your school is streaming the game. Our school uses the wonderful folks at Blue Frame Tech. They use a streaming solution that integrates everything. Team1Prep has a website, an app, and most importantly, Apple TV, Roku, Android TV & Fire TV. This is where it shines because it makes it easy to stream on any TV.

Of course, there’s a wide variety of smart TVs that will connect to the internet. If you’re going to buy one for this, you want to make sure you get one that is Roku or Apple TV branded so that you’ll get access to all the apps necessary.

If you use iPhone, iPad, etc., Apple TV is probably the easiest thing to learn. It will connect to Wifi or an Ethernet cable and then directly to your TV via HDMI cable.

If you’re used to Android or you’re on a budget, Roku might be the best bet. I love mine. There are a ton of options here from the super budget Roku Express to Streambar which includes a soundbar that you can play your favorite tunes on and everything in between. The Roku Ultra is the only one that offers Ethernet connectivity.

Apps

This is where it gets tricky. If your school is using a service that provides an app, then it’s pretty easy. Just like any other app, download & use. Like I said previously, this is where Blue Frame shines. Their app, Team1Prep is extremely easy to use & will let you stream any game from anywhere. Apple TV, Roku, Android, iDevice – it works on them all. If your school isn’t using Blue Frame, tell them to call today. It’s free to offer games to your parents & they can start streaming today with an iPhone or iPad. You can send them to our other articles for tips. This one to get started & this one to get serious.

Some schools are using Facebook Live or YouTube Live to stream as well. YouTube is probably the best bet here as the app is easier to access on smart devices.

Conclusion

Our school started streaming in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We’re learning right along with everyone else, but I’m here to share everything that I’ve learned with all of you. If you have any questions, please reach out via Twitter @streamhssports.