The first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967. No one thought the event would spawn billions in advertising dollars and 46 years later be the reason 100 million pounds of chicken wings are eaten in a single day. In fact, no one even bothered to keep a copy of this first Super Bowl broadcast. Nonetheless, over the past 46 years that we’ve been watching “The Big Game,” it grew in glamour and popularity as the most watched sporting event in America. Some of the appeal of Super Bowl Sunday is that it warrants a great opportunity to throw a party and hang out with friends and family. But if you’ve decided to host the Super Bowl at your house, just know that to impress friends you’ll likely have to either learn how to traverse a high wire, surpass the culinary expertise of Chef Mario Batali, or spend a little time sprucing up your entertainment system. Okay…so maybe the perfect risotto al tartufo is more impressive to some than the perfect picture, but we here at THX never claim to be masters of the kitchen and though we have a couple ambitious gymnasts in the office, for legal reasons we can’t recommend that you try any Cirque du Soleil-style party tricks. Therefore, our recommendation for a successful Super Bowl party is to make sure your television’s picture settings look good. Properly adjusting your TV yields a big improvement to the viewing experience and since the reason you’re having the party is to watch TV, you might as well take a few minutes. AVForums Picture Perfect Campaign For a great tutorial on why it’s important to have a properly adjusted TV and what you’re missing when your TV is not, check out AVForums.com and read up on their Picture Perfect campaign, in which many of the leading manufacturers (and THX) have participated to lend a hand in consumer education. Professional Calibration THX always recommends professional video calibration through a THX Certified Video Calibrator, but the next best thing is to purchase a THX Certified Display that comes pre-configured with THX viewing modes. If you don’t have a THX Certified TV, you can either be one of the 7.5 million viewers that is expected to buy a new television for the game – or you can check out our new THX tune-up™ app for iOS devices (download it here from the iTunes store for free through Feb. 4). THX tune-up™ app for iOS THX tune-up is an easy-to-use, interactive app that lets the general consumer use an iOS device to adjust their TVs, projectors and speakers, to get the best performance and enjoyment from their entertainment system – regardless of brand and price. THX tune-up features custom video test patterns, carefully selected photos and tutorials to help you adjust and confirm the best picture settings on your display based on your room lighting. Using special test sounds, THX tune-up also lets you check your external speakers to make sure they are working in phase and are connected properly for 2-channel stereo or 5.1 surround sound systems. But the app is not just about test patterns. The Extras section is loaded with all sorts of fun stuff. Tip: Hit the THX Deep Note button at opening kickoff to let your guests know they’re in for an exciting entertainment experience. With more than 200,000 downloads after three days of it’s launch, several amazing editorial reviews and even an Editor’s Choice Award from PC Mag, we hope even a handful of you will be able to better enjoy Super Bowl XLVII because of our app. Whether it’s the Big Game, the latest Hollywood blockbuster, or a re-run of your favorite sitcom, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t get the best performance out of your TV and sound system – you invested time and money into it, so why not make sure it’s “tuned-up?” For more information on THX tune-up click here.