How to Stream Super Bowl XLVI

PC World - Super Bowl XLVI (46) kicks off on February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and no matter where you'll be that Sunday, you have plenty of ways to stream the big game to your PC, tablet, or smartphone so you can watch the Giants and the Patriots struggle for supremacy on your preferred device.

Watch the Big Game Online

For the first time ever, the NFL will stream the Super Bowl live on both nfl.com and nbcsports.com. Both streams will be available for free in high definition on February 5, and will offer fans the option to switch between different camera angles and feeds. The NBC Sports website has been streaming Sunday Night NFL games to fans for free since 2008 with additional features such as a chat room and pause/rewind options, and we expect its Super Bowl stream will offer similar features.

Remember that kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. EST, so make sure you're ready before the pregame show starts by updating your favorite Web browser and downloading the latest versions of both Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash.

If you still have problems streaming from NBC's website, confirm that your browser is set to allow Web plug-ins for streaming video: In Firefox, navigate to the Options menu, go to Content, and check the Enable Javascript option; in Chrome, choose Options, Under the Hood, Content Settings, Plug-Ins, and check Run Automatically (Recommended); in Safari, go to Preferences, Security, and check the Enable Plug-Ins radio button; in Internet Explorer 9, open the Internet Options control panel, select Privacy, and dial your Privacy Zone settings down to Medium or lower.

The only potential drawback of streaming Super Bowl XLVI online is missing out on the biggest commercial opportunity of the year, literally: The Super Bowl commercials broadcast on live TV will be different from those seen by Super Bowl viewers streaming the game online. But online viewers will still be able to catch the TV commercials shortly after they're broadcast.

Stream the Super Bowl to Your Smartphone

If you'll be away from your TV or PC on Super Bowl Sunday, don't lose hope: The NFL will also stream Super Bowl XLVI to your mobile device via its NFL Mobile app--but only if you're a Verizon customer. If you are, you can download the NFL app to your iPhone, Android tablet, or other mobile device, and stream the Super Bowl live no matter where you are (though for optimal viewing we recommend connecting to a high-speed wireless network). The NFL Mobile app also includes live feeds of player statistics and play-by-play updates from the field, making it an excellent alternative if you're not spending Sunday in front of the TV. If you aren't a Verizon customer, you may still be able to stream the game from the mobile version of the NFL website by pointing your smartphone's Web browser to m.nfl.com, but we won't know for sure until game day.