Get ready, New York. The Super Bowl is coming to MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Complex in February, in case you hadn’t heard. (That’s good old-fashioned New York sarcasm… if you’re reading this, of course you know our neighbors in Jersey are hosting the 2014 Super Bowl.) 
For New York sports bar, restaurant and nightclub owners across the five boroughs, and of course, venues in New Jersey, too, this means you’ll be competing for a piece of that action. With Super Bowl tickets in the $3,000 and up range, not everyone can afford a seat on the 40-yard-line. But everyone wants to enjoy the game with hot food, cold beer and friends. That’s where the top local sports bars come in. And, besides the beer and the food, what’s the factor that sets an average sports bar apart from the place that you talk about with all your friends?
The technology. The screens. The sounds. The atmosphere it all creates. And, of course, the customer service. When your staff knows your audiovisual systems are firing on all cylinders, that you’re not going to blow an amp or lose your video feed in the middle of the big game, when they know they can raise or lower volume or change a channel on a screen in seconds, they can focus on providing exemplary service to customers.
Let’s take a look at each of these elements, audio and video design as well as the control systems to see if your venue is ready for Super Bowl Sunday, or if you’re due for a technology upgrade before the big game. (And trust us, they don’t get any bigger than this one for New Yorkers.)
Video Design in Sports Bars
Video design is an art and a science. Some bar owners tell us they never want a customer to have to turn their head to see the game they want to see. Size matters, as does the number of screens, but the most important elements are the quality and the reliability. Don’t skimp with consumer grade HDTVs in your commercial venue; they may not stand up to the nightly abuse or long hours.
And, of course, don’t hang the screens yourself. It’s not worth the risk. A professional audio visual integrator will design systems to fit your space, and hang them neatly, with no wires showing. A video matrix puts all the head-end components in an equipment rack, so you won’t have ugly boxes hanging from your walls. This all contributes to the professional, high-tech ambiance in your venue, and sends the signal that you value your guests and want to give them the best experience possible.
Audio Systems
The focus in most sports bars is on the video technology. After all, the HDTV and projection screens are the first things people see. But audio can make or break the experience. High quality audio systems that can be driven loud and hard without feedback, providing crystal clear audio and even dispersion at every sound level, give bar and restaurant owners the flexibility they need.
Not sure where to start with sound design? Talk to a professional AV integrator to design a system within your budget.
Control Systems
We already mentioned that a video matrix eliminates the need for messy boxes hanging from your walls and distracting from the video screens. A video matrix is an easy way to send any source to any screen. (Easy as far as using the equipment. You’ll need a professional to install and program your matrix.)
Sport bar owners have many options when it comes to control systems, all the way up to a state-of-the-art Crestron system that provides iPad control, so your staff can change channels or volume levels on any screen from anywhere in your venue.
Putting It All Together Before the Super Bowl
Are any of these important elements missing in your sports bar? Do your speakers and amps need an upgrade? Are you still using old, box-like plasma monitors in heavy cases? Or do you have the audio visual systems you need, but would like a better way to control it?
Now’s the time to get started for a big Super Bowl Sunday roll out that will really set your New York venue apart. Call JD Systems now to see what we can do for you.