Back To School Cord Cutter Essentials

Going back to school? Be sure you are ready with some back to school cord cutter essentials.

Back To School Cord Cutter Essentials

Cord cutters only need a few things to get all their favorite shows at school.

• Smart TV
• Internet
• Apps

Smart TV

When you are away at school you want everything to be simple to use, easy to move from your car to your dorm, and have great functionality. But most of all, you want everything to just be hassle-free and foolproof. Let’s face it, the last thing you want to be messing with or stressing-out over during finals week is your TV. When you want to relax… when you need to relax… your TV just needs to work!

For all of those reasons, I recommend getting a smart TV. A smart TV is a TV that can play shows and movies from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

A smart TV has several advantages. First and foremost is simplicity. Everything is built into the TV. Also, smart TVs are a great value. But maybe the best advantage is a good smart TV has a remote that is designed for streaming. All smart TV remotes are NOT created equal!

One of the best smart TV platforms is the TCL with Roku TV. TCL Roku TV’s have great pictures, are easy to use, and have a wide choice of sizes.

Top of the Line Choices

If you have access to 4K content, you probably want a top of the line 4K Model. For 4K content, I recommend the following smart TVs:
TCL 55C807 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model)

“#1 New Release in LED & LCD TVs” and “Amazon’s Choice”
TCL 55S405 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model)

Value Choice

If you are looking for a great value, consider this model.
TCL 43S305 43-Inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model)

Budget Choice

This TCL is an Amazon “#1 Best Seller in LED & LCD TVs.” This TV is a great choice if you want a smaller TV for your dorm, but a great TV at a great price.
TCL 32S305 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model)

PRO-TIP: Check out this article by Roku on: How to use dorm connect to connect to the Internet.

Internet

Of course you are going to need wireless Internet for your smart TV.

Good News – Many universities now offer FREE wireless Internet to their students.

Bad News – Some universities LIMIT the amount of Internet time, LIMIT the speed, or have DATA CAPS for students in their dorm room. And some universities may even block some sites or apps.

PRO-TIP: Be sure to check with your university about their Internet speed, availability, and usage policies!

Apps

TV shows and movies will come from streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, YouTube, Crackle, TubiTV, Newsy, Vudu, Google Play, and others.

I recommend that college students start with the following:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• CBS All Access (optional, but you’ll want this if you watch any CBS shows)
• CW (Free)
• YouTube (Free)
• Pandora (Free)

Let’s take a brief look at why I’ve selected each of these.

Netflix

When it comes to TV content and value, it is very hard to beat Netflix. Netflix has highly rated original shows and many popular TV shows from TV broadcast channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, AMC, etc.

Netflix is a great value.

Hulu

Hulu’s strength is in delivering current TV shows from major local TV broadcast stations such as ABC, NBC, and FOX (but not CBS) within a few days of showing on live TV. Hulu allows you to watch these shows when you want (“on demand”) without needing a DVR or TV antenna. This is a great option for those who don’t want to own a DVR or can’t get Live TV broadcasts through a TV antenna.

CBS All Access

CBS All Access is like Hulu, but a different streaming service. If you don’t watch any shows on CBS, you probably don’t need CBS All Access. I only recommend CBS All Access for those who watch Live TV shows on CBS.

CBS All Access costs $5.99/month with limited commercials and $9.99/month for commercial free.

CW

The CW app provides FREE shows 1-3 days after they run on Live TV. This is only for current shows. This is one of the easiest and certainly the cheapest way to watch popular CW shows.

YouTube

YouTube has been around for so long, it is simply part of everyday life. Everyone uses YouTube for general information, learning, quick “how-tos”, funny vines, fail vines, “unboxings”, and all types of video entertainment.

Pandora

Pandora is where you can get free music streamed over the Internet to play through your TV or phone. You can create custom Pandora music “channels” with the artists and genres you like.

Conclusion

It’s time to get ready for college. Don’t forget your cord cutter essentials!