Retailers have Black Friday. Nightclub and lounge owners have Thanksgiving Eve. But one of the biggest days of the year for New Jersey and NYC sports bar owners is coming up: Superbowl Sunday.

We’re going to assume you have enough beer on tap and buffalo wings ready to go in the fryer to cater to hordes of fans ready to watch football’s biggest event of the year. But are your AV systems ready?

You probably use your sound and video systems every day, so you know if they’re functioning properly, but you may (or may not) have every flat screen in your bar on every single night. It also doesn’t hurt to check the settings on your control system the night before to make sure everything is as it should be, and every TV will be tuned to FOX-TV for the big game.

Here are a few things you can look over yourself. We recommend checking these a few days before the game so you have plenty of time to call an AV installation and service professional if there’s a problem.

Audio Video Equipment Functioning Properly?

Take a quick look in your control room or equipment closet just to make sure nothing has come unplugged and everything is functioning properly. Make sure you didn’t blow an amp that you didn’t notice and that your back-up cable or DirectTV boxes are functioning. Look for frayed or damaged wires that could become a problem without warning.

Audio Levels in Each Zone

Acoustics function differently in a packed house versus a room with empty seats. You’re expecting a crowd for Super Bowl Sunday. You’ll want to raise the volume to proper levels to account for more sound absorption from bodies in the seats and also a higher level of ambient noise in your venue. Make sure the manager-on-duty or the bartender — whoever will be operating your control system — knows how to change sound levels as the size of the crowd grows.

Sound Mixing

Are you planning a live DJ or emcee for your Super Bowl Sunday events? Check the emcee’s mic and the DJ inputs. If you have a separate house system for the deejay, check that, too.

Flat Screens and DirectTV / Cable Boxes Functioning Properly?

Check every screen in the place on the Friday or Saturday morning before the game. Have a problem? It’s not too late to get it fixed with a phone call to your full-service audio visual dealer. JD Systems provides emergency service 24/7 in the New York / New Jersey metro area, so if you run into a problem Saturday night or Sunday morning, we can still help you out!

For emergency audio video repairs before the Super Bowl (or any time), just call 877-778-5388 and dial 9, as in 911, to reach us directly.