The biggest event on the cricket calendar is almost here – the eagerly awaited 2019 Cricket World Cup. It’s the time when the best teams from all around the world come together in an epic contest over six action-packed weeks of fierce one-day cricket, to see who will hold the coveted Cup for the next four years.
And with cricket being one of the most popular sports on the planet, it’s no surprise that you’ll be able to watch every single game, no matter where you are, thanks to the comprehensive coverage that’s going to be offered by groundbreaking sports streaming service Kayo. Whether you’re on the train to work, eating lunch or relaxing at home, the 2019 Cricket World Cup is right there on your screen when you need it.
But as we all know, cricket is best watched on a nice big screen – especially the big screen on your TV at home, where you can relax on the couch and watch the games unfold in comfort. But there’s one problem that many will run into – exactly how do you get those live and on-demand streams of the matches onto your big screen when your TV isn’t “smart”? While most brand-name TVs sold these days come with some sort of “smart” functionality – letting them run streaming apps without the need for an external device – there are hundreds of thousands of incredible-looking big screen TVs out there which are great TVs, but can’t run streaming apps. You don’t want to waste money on a new smart TV – and after all, your current one’s fine – but you want to stream live Cricket World Cup matches on the big screen. And don’t worry – you can! Here’s some of the best ways to stream the 2019 Cricket World Cup to your big screen TV, without the need to go “smart”.
The HDMI Cable
Never underestimate the power of the humble HDMI cable. Though the days of them costing big money are thankfully long gone – you can pick up quality cables for under ten dollars – the usefulness of them hasn’t changed. If you’ve got a device with a HDMI output socket on it, you can plug it into your TV. And that means easy big screen streaming just by using the web browser on your laptop or desktop computer. You’ll just need a HDMI cable that’s comfortably long enough to reach from the computer to a spare input on the TV – though try to avoid cables longer than 5 metres, as above that length you may need to spend big on a more robust cable. But that’s all you’ll need to get started if you’ve got access to Kayo in your computer’s web browser. Just plug in the cable, set your web browser to full-screen, sit back and enjoy (and with a laptop computer, you’ve got the biggest and best remote control in your lap so you can enjoy all of Kayo’s advanced special features, such as Split View!)
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Apple TV
Now in its fifth generation with the mighty Apple TV 4K, this inconspicuous little black box is one of the world’s most popular streaming devices for a very good reason – it’s incredibly powerful versatile and user-friendly. Kayo is arguably at its best on the Apple TV, where the more demanding advanced features of the service (such as the ability to watch multiple streams of Cricket World Cup games at the same time) are easily handled thanks to the sheer power of the processor under the hood (it’s as powerful as many laptop computers). You’ve got a choice between the older 4th-generation version for about $209, or the latest version with support for 4K TVs for around $249. While it’s one of the more expensive streaming boxes on the market, it’s also arguably the best, and it’s much better for streaming to your big screen than any “smart” TV can be.
Telstra TV 3
Telstra’s hugely popular streaming box – now in its third version, with more features than ever – is developed and made by the US company Roku. While it isn’t so familiar to us in Australia, in the US Roku is one of the biggest names in streaming, with their streaming boxes and smart TVs in millions of homes. The Telstra TV 3 is custom-designed for Australia and offers comprehensive support for all the streaming services under the sun – including Kayo, which you can also subscribe to directly from the app on the Telstra TV itself, and Foxtel Now. You can buy the Telstra TV 3 outright for $216 (you’ll need a Telstra account to use it, but any account will do – even a prepaid mobile account). But the best way to get one is as part of a Telstra Home Broadband bundle, where the Telstra TV and $125 of Box Office movie credit comes with the package.
Foxtel Now Box
This clever little device has been around for a while now and is still a great option for lower-cost streaming to your big screen TV. Running a customised version of the Android TV operating system, the Foxtel Now box will let you stream the Cricket World Cup in a couple of ways – either via Kayo using the recently-launched Android TV app, or via Foxtel Now. The latter is this box’s real strength, as its entire interface is built around the Foxtel Now look and feel, making it a seamless and streamlined way to watch the games via a Foxtel Now subscription. Priced at an immensely reasonable $99, this little powerhouse of a device is worth checking out for everyone, but almost a must-have for Foxtel Now customers. It also includes a built-in Chromecast Ultra, letting you stream Chromecast-enabled apps like Kayo direct from your phone or tablet to your screen.
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Google Chromecast
Taking a very different approach to getting streaming video onto your big screen, Google’s massively popular Chromecast devices keep things simple by eliminating the need for a remote and an interface completely. Instead, you use your phone, tablet or even your laptop or desktop computer as the “remote control”, sending video to the Chromecast that’s plugged into your TV direct from the many apps that support it, or from your web browser (Chrome, of course!) For the streaming of cricket, that means you can browse Kayo and Foxtel Now on your device or computer and seamlessly send high definition video to your TV and the touch of a button. For use with Kayo in HD, you’ll need the most recent 3rd generation Chromecast, available for under $50. A 4K-enabled option is also available (the Chromecast Ultra, around $89) but you won’t need that for the World Cup.
Game Consoles
While there’s the promise of Kayo apps around the corner for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, at the moment the easiest way to watch the Cricket World Cup on your big screen TV through your game console is via Foxtel Now. Playstation 4 owners can download the latest Foxtel Now app and enjoy all the action from the World Cup streaming in high definition, while Xbox One users should grab the legacy Foxtel Play app, which still works with the upgraded Foxtel Now service. The advantage of using a game console is that if you’ve already got one, it’s probably already connected to your TV – there’s nothing more to buy, just run an app and enjoy the games! Once Kayo arrives on the consoles, they’ll become an even more excellent option.
Is It Better Than Buying a New TV?
It’s true that TV prices have come down to all-time lows – there’s never been a better time to grab a new smart TV, if you’ve been thinking of doing so. But just that “smart” functionality alone isn’t a reason to replace your TV if the one you already have is still delivering an excellent picture. All of the streaming options we’ve mentioned above are at least as good as streaming on a smart TV, and in most cases, even better. They’re more versatile, much cheaper, more powerful and most importantly, these devices will continue to get updated versions of streaming apps long after TV makers have abandoned the updates to focus on the next year’s model.
Even at the higher end of pricing for a streaming device, you’re going to get much more use out of one of these devices for a lot longer – and they’ll continue to work even if you do end up buying a new TV down the track. Smart TVs have their place, but you won’t need one to stream the 2019 Cricket World Cup on your big screen TV – just pick your device, plug in, sit back on the couch and enjoy the games!
