Back To School Cord Cutter Essentials For 2018

Yes, it’s that time. Summer is nearly over and it’s time to go Back to School. Get ready with these back to school Cord Cutter essentials for 2018! Whether you are living at home or are off to the college dorms, these are the Cord Cutting essentials you’ll need at school.

Back To School Cord Cutter Essentials For 2018

Cord Cutting devices are having a bigger impact at school. And students have more tech than just TVs. Here is your guide to the tech desired most by students – and the Cord Cutter essentials for school 2018.

• Smart TV or Streaming Stick
• Headphones
• Alexa Devices
• Cloud Camera
• Battery Pack

Related… Amazon Has Back to School Deals for Cord Cutters.

Smart TV

When you are in school you want everything to be simple to use. You want everything to be hassle-free and foolproof. Let’s face it, the last thing you want to be messing with or stressing-out over during school is your TV. When you want to relax… when you need to relax… your TV just needs to work!

So, 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 is simple. Everything is built into the TV. And a Smart TV can be a great value.

The best Smart TVs are the Roku TV and the Amazon Fire TV Edition. Both have great pictures, are easy to use, and have a wide choice of sizes. Plus… they are just a great value.

Here are some great Smart TV models to choose from…

TCL 32S305 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model) – Currently on Sale! Save $70!

TCL 43S517 43-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2018 Model) – Currently on Sale! Save $150!

Toshiba 43-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV with HDR – Fire TV Edition  

Streaming Stick

If you already have a TV, you can just get a Roku or Amazon Fire TV streaming stick. Streaming sticks are simple to setup. Just plug them into the HDMI port on your TV and connect them to the Internet. Streaming sticks tuck nicely behind your TV for a clean, uncluttered look.

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote – Streaming Stick

Roku Stick with Voice Remote and with TV Power and Volume – Streaming Stick – Currently on Sale! Save $10.99!

Roku Stick+ 4K HDR HD with Voice Remote and with TV Power and Volume – 4K Streaming Stick

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

Headphones

Headphones are essential in the dorms. Listen to what YOU want to listen to. Drown out the sounds of your roommates. Yeah, you’ll need these.

When selecting headphones there are three things to consider… size, sound quality, and noise cancelling.

If size is important, go with in-ear headphones like the BeatsX Wireless In-Ear Headphones.

If sound quality is important, go with over-the-ear headphones like the Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones or the Beats By Dre Solo 2 Luxe Edition On-Ear Headphones – (WIRED, Not Wireless).

If noise cancelling is important, go with noise cancelling over-the-ear headphones like the Beats Studio 2.0 Wireless Over-Ear Noise Reduction Headphones or the Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones Noise Cancelling. 

Alexa Devices

Alexa devices and Alexa skills are great to have. Use Alexa devices to ask questions or play party games like Jeopardy or Twenty Questions.

Echo Dot (2nd Generation) – Smart speaker with Alexa – Currently on Sale! Save $10!

Echo (2nd Generation) – Smart speaker with Alexa – The Echo is more expensive, but sounds better when playing music – Currently on Sale! Save $15! 

Cloud Camera

What do I need a Cloud Camera for at school? Well, a Cloud Camera can help keep an eye on your things while you are away. And they can help capture special moments with your friends. (Just be sure to not use videos without the right permissions. And check your the policies of your college for Camera usage! Colleges are cracking down on the use of Cameras in the dorms.)

Amazon Cloud Cam Security Camera, Works with Alexa – Watch, download, and share the last 24 hours of motion alert video clips for free.

Arlo Q by NETGEAR – 1080p HD Security Camera – No base station required (VMC3040), Works with Alexa – 7 Days of Free Cloud Recordings 

Battery Pack

Don’t get caught without power! Get a lipstick sized battery pack for your smartphone like the Anker PowerCore+ mini – 3350mAh. Or get a larger battery pack to power your tablet like the Anker PowerCore 13000 – Compact 13000mAh.