TV setup in dorms

[Minnie824]

So DD is going to college soon, her dorm does not provide cable service anymore. We did buy her a smart tv. I'm wondering if the apps will work on the smart tv without cable service? What would we need just an hdmi cable? Would it go to the wall, or would she need to stream something from her computer? She just needs to be able to watch something on her tv, and I'm hoping to not have to leave her computer on all the time while doing so, but not sure if that would work?

 

[firefly_ris]

She needs a WiFi connection. Which apps?

 

[Minnie824]

They won't allow smart tvs on wifi i've heard. They have a college streaming service and was hoping to run netflix.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

She only needs WiFi. Then she can connect to all of the apps on her tv. You do have to connect the tv to the WiFi service.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

They won't allow smart tvs on wifi i've heard. They have a college streaming service and was hoping to run netflix.

oh that sucks then!! We got my son a regular tv and gave him a firestick. He used that to watch Netflix, Hulu, etc. He may not take the tv this year since he says he barely used it and ended up watching Netflix on his laptop most of the time.

 

[Brett Wyman]

If she uses the college WiFi and they block streaming services you'll need to get her a hotspot or mobile wifi device. Most likely with an unlimited plan if she's streaming shows. If her iphone/samsung device has unlimited data she can connect to that as well.

 

[kymom99]

She can run it off her laptop with an hdmi. Is there a reason you don’t want her laptop running all the time?

For the record, my sons school does not allow smart TVs to connect to WiFi either. But they do have cable. He doesn’t take his tv half the time. He just watches on his laptop.

 

[firefly_ris]

They won't allow smart tvs on wifi i've heard. They have a college streaming service and was hoping to run netflix.

Oh well that's a bummer. I didn't realize that was a thing. Mobile hotspot would work but that would be a lot of data usage...

 

[GreatLakes]

Many, if not all, smart TVs also have an RJ45 port. If they don't allow streaming on WiFi they might block it on the network as a whole but it is an option if they have a network drop in the room that allows for streaming.

Otherwise it will need to be a hotspot which could just be tethering to her phone if your service plan allows that.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Have you checked to see if you can sign her up for cable yourselves? Just because they don't offer it, doesn't mean it's not available. There might even still be wiring in the buildings for it, but you would have to pay for the hook up, equipment and fees. Otherwise, look for some deals on unlimited wifi of her own (that you can secure, so no one else uses it). Again, you'd pay for it, but it could be the answer.

 

[MikeNamez]

Stream on the computer and cast it to the TV

Or

If they have an iPhone get one of these. Stream over the cell network and connect it to the TV.
https://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Com...t=&hvlocphy=9002253&hvtargid=pla-788903569100

 

[JimMIA]

So DD is going to college soon, her dorm does not provide cable service anymore. We did buy her a smart tv. I'm wondering if the apps will work on the smart tv without cable service? What would we need just an hdmi cable? Would it go to the wall, or would she need to stream something from her computer? She just needs to be able to watch something on her tv, and I'm hoping to not have to leave her computer on all the time while doing so, but not sure if that would work?

Where is she going to school? The school should tell her what kind of connection she will need to have a functioning TV.

At my DD's school they don't have commercial cable, but they have the school's cable system and you need an ethernet cable to connect. For other stuff, as others have said, you can connect another device to the smart TV by hdmi.

 

[sam_gordon]

Where is she going to school? The school should tell her what kind of connection she will need to have a functioning TV.

At my DD's school they don't have commercial cable, but they have the school's cable system and you need an ethernet cable to connect. For other stuff, as others have said, you can connect another device to the smart TV by hdmi.

This. Surely the school has an answer on what tv service is available. The smart TV functions should be able to be used over a wifi or a hardwired connection (the connection on the back of the TV will look like a large telephone connection). Without one of those two connections, the smart TV features won't work.

Other options:
* College provided cable system (you pay the college for it, not the cable company). This might require an external box or it might not.
* Antenna (depending on where the dorm is and where the local transmitters are)
* 3rd party device (Roku, Firestick, laptop). Presumably these would all function over wifi.

 

[kdonnel]

They won't allow smart tvs on wifi i've heard. They have a college streaming service and was hoping to run netflix.

At my daughters freshman dorm there was a web page to register MAC addresses of devices that could not respond to the web based authentication needed to get on the college wifi. It was primarily used to connect gaming consoles and smart TVs. Perhaps a similar option exists?

If not you could always get a travel router and setup your own wireless.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wire...WR802N/dp/B00TQEX8BO/?ots=1&tag=reviewgeek-20
Travel routers work by taking an existing wifi connection and creating a new wifi that you then control. They are very useful in places where an ethernet jack is not provided, only wifi.

 

[GreatLakes]

This. Surely the school has an answer on what tv service is available. The smart TV functions should be able to be used over a wifi or a hardwired connection (the connection on the back of the TV will look like a large telephone connection). Without one of those two connections, the smart TV features won't work.

Other options:
* College provided cable system (you pay the college for it, not the cable company). This might require an external box or it might not.
* Antenna (depending on where the dorm is and where the local transmitters are)
* 3rd party device (Roku, Firestick, laptop). Presumably these would all function over wifi.

If they are blocking streaming no device would work for streaming over WiFi.

 

[NotUrsula]

IME, most schools insist on hard-wired connections for recreational streaming. (They do it to manage the strain on wifi service, which is much higher than normal on campuses.) What she would need to do that is an ethernet connection.

One of the items that kids almost always overlook when packing for college is cables; they should take lots of them, because they are getting hard to find in brick and mortar stores. Bring the longest-cord high-joules surge protector you can find, plus at least 3 long ethernet cables, a printer cable (even if you are not initially buying a printer. You can buy a printer anywhere, but printer cables are not as plentiful) and a couple of hdmi cables, JIK. You can buy them affordably on Amazon; it is much better to have them and not use them than to need them and not be able to find one at 11 pm when it's needed to finish an assignment.)

 

[LittleMissMagic]

IME, most schools insist on hard-wired connections for recreational streaming. (They do it to manage the strain on wifi service, which is much higher than normal on campuses.) What she would need to do that is an ethernet connection.

One of the items that kids almost always overlook when packing for college is cables; they should take lots of them, because they are getting hard to find in brick and mortar stores. Bring the longest-cord high-joules surge protector you can find, plus at least 3 long ethernet cables, a printer cable (even if you are not initially buying a printer. You can buy a printer anywhere, but printer cables are not as plentiful) and a couple of hdmi cables, JIK. You can buy them affordably on Amazon; it is much better to have them and not use them than to need them and not be able to find one at 11 pm when it's needed to finish an assignment.)

Another tip on Ethernet cables - they are much less expensive when purchased from The Home Depot, Lowes, or other hardware stores as compared to Best Buy. Back when the pandemic began and I had to setup my home workstation, I needed a 50-ft Ethernet cable. Purchased it for $15 from Home Depot..... the same length was available from Best Buy for $65.

Also.... why are printer cables never included with the printer?! Absurdity!

 

[Colleen27]

If they are blocking streaming no device would work for streaming over WiFi.

If it is anything like DD's school, it isn't a matter of blocking streaming but rather of requiring that streaming devices like smart TVs and gaming systems use a wired connection to limit the traffic on the wifi. My daughter didn't take a TV to school. She doesn't watch much, and just didn't think it was worth it. She had no problem streaming from her laptop when she did want to watch something. But her friends who brought Xboxes couldn't connect to the wifi and had to get an ethernet cable to hook up to the in-room wired connection.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

They won't allow smart tvs on wifi i've heard.

Then the apps won't work. The apps talk to the Internet, and that requires a WiFi or wired connection.

 

[sam_gordon]

Another tip on Ethernet cables - they are much less expensive when purchased from The Home Depot, Lowes, or other hardware stores as compared to Best Buy. Back when the pandemic began and I had to setup my home workstation, I needed a 50-ft Ethernet cable. Purchased it for $15 from Home Depot..... the same length was available from Best Buy for $65.

Best Buy is about the worst place you can get that kind of stuff. Online (Amazon, Monoprice) would be even cheaper but you'd have to obviously wait on delivery.

Also.... why are printer cables never included with the printer?! Absurdity!

If they're wireless printers, you shouldn't "need" a cable. If it's not a wireless printer, are you sure it's not supposed to be included? It's possible someone purchased the printer, decided to return it, and not put the cable back. Yes, that should be checked. Or whoever packed the box forgot to the include the cable. Usually the manual will have a page that has a list of everything that should be in the box.