8 Ways to Get the Most out of Your TV Binge-Watching Experience

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Article written by Scott MuskaSometimes after a long day or week, nothing sounds more exciting than an idle day or relaxing night spent binge-watching television and movies—whether you’re alone or with company. And it’s no secret that binge-watching has definitely been on the rise over the past few months, as people have been spending more time at home (and on the couch) than usual, with fewer sports and live events to watch.Even if you’re just hanging out and have fully committed to hours in front of the tube, you still want to make it a day or night worth remembering—and you still want to get the most out of your time spent streaming.Here are a few ways to do just that.Pick your spot and get comfortable. A big part of a successful binge-watch is ensuring you’re in the right environment.Before you take to your couch or favorite seat and commit to nest for hours, make sure you have a proper setup. You’ll want to have some blankets to cover up with and some pillows to clutch during the more intense or belly laugh-inducing moments of the show or movie you’re watching. You may even want to make sure you’re getting your lighting just right, to set an ambiance and mood and prevent unwanted screen glare.Have your food and beverages ready, with reinforcements within reach.Nobody likes the person who is constantly pausing what’s on to go and get another snack or drink. So make sure you have enough of your favorites on-hand to make it through a few episodes, and go from there. You can always get up for a bathroom break and ever-important refill between episodes—because, after all, it’s good to get up and stretch your legs every once in a while.Upgrade your TV to get the best possible picture.What’s a good binge without a great picture? The more time you spend in front of your TV, the more sense it makes to make sure that TV is delivering the best possible viewing experience—and OLED TVs really can’t be beat. They use millions of self-lit pixels that emit their own light and turn completely off to create perfect black, intense color, and infinite contrast.And one of the best OLED TVs is the LG GX 77 inch Class with Gallery Design 4K Smart OLED TV. It makes the most of all its OLED pixels, and at 77 inches, it’s at a size that helps make your viewing experiences more immersive than what you’ve previously gotten with smaller screens.So no matter what you’re watching, it will be even more captivating than ever before.Have a plan, unless your plan is to not have a plan.We’ve all found ourselves in a scenario where we sit down and have absolutely no idea what to watch. It’s harrowing, to be honest. But it can be avoided. If you and whoever you’re planning to watch with agree on a series or film before you come to the couch, you’ll avoid that sometimes annoying phase of flipping through channels or offerings from a streaming service. It becomes all too easy to get caught up in all the choices at your fingertips, rendering you indecisive. Before you know it, the amount of time it’d take to watch an episode of something has passed while you try to figure out what you even want to watch.However, surfing your streaming services and channels can be fun, too, because it’s always great to find something new. At the end of the day (or night), you’re in control of your binge-watching session, and that can be an empowering thing.Be sure to have your second screen ready.

It’s important to pay ample attention to what you’re watching—because just like the person who’s constantly standing up to hit the kitchen, nobody likes the person who’s constantly hitting pause to ask what they missed because they had their nose in their phone or tablet.But you may want to text some friends about what you’re watching, or share your experiences and thoughts on social media. Sometimes it can really add to the experience. And, additionally, you’ll want to have a device on-hand in case the snacks and drinks run out and it’s time for you to order reinforcements from takeout or delivery.If you’re in it together, be in it together.You might get an hour or two of pleasure and maybe even a little bit of a thrill from watching a few episodes of something you’re supposed to be watching with a partner or friend. But don’t do it. It’s not worth the consequences. And if you think you can rewatch the episodes without them noticing that you’ve already seen them, don’t fool yourself. They’ll know. They always know.The best binge-watching experiences come when you’re not binging behind a loved one’s back. Get yourself a solid connection. Buffering is the enemy of any successful and enjoyable binge-watching adventure. Make sure your wireless connection has the proper bandwidth to accommodate your epic streaming session. Don’t be afraid to commit.The prompts from streaming services and cable providers that ask if you’re still watching can and should be viewed as something of a challenge. Play on. And hey, if you fall asleep mid-binge, you can always retrace your steps the next day to the point where you dozed off.