Contract for Cable TV in the Residence Halls
Check Your Cable TV Connection Status
Contract for Cable TV in the Residence Halls
You must have activated your UVa computing account and know your residence hall address before contracting for cable television and submitting the cable TV form. Sign up for cable TV starting July 26, 2008. Questions about the form should be directed to ITC's Communication Services by phone at (434) 924-6879 or by visiting their offices in Carruthers Hall (across from Barracks Road Shopping Center), Monday-Friday, between 8AM and 5PM. After the school year begins, service will be activated in 5 working days after receipt of the contract.
NOTE: There is only one cable connection per room so only one roommate should sign up for service; that person will be the one billed. Also note that there are several residence halls where cable TV is included in your Housing fees and no cable TV service request form is needed. These residence halls are Bice House, Copeley 3 and 4, Faulkner, French House, Lambeth, and the Russian/Slavic House.
Billing is done on a monthly basis and sent to the permanent address. A detailed statement of charges is also e-mailed monthly to the student.
Check Your Cable TV Connection Status
To access the status of your cable TV connection, log in to the Communications Services Student Account Information page.
Where is Cable TV Available on-Grounds?
Cable TV is available and included in your Housing fees if you live in Bice House, Copeley 3 and 4, Faulkner, French House, Lambeth, and the Russian/Slavic House.
In the following residence halls cable TV is available but not included in your Housing fees. The fee of $16.50/month is charged separately if you live in:
|
Alderman Road Balz |
Brown College Davis |
Hereford College Johnson |
Jefferson Park Ave. Spanish
House |
|
Lawn and Range Cracker
Box |
McCormick Road Bonnycastle |
Monroe Lane Sprigg Lane |
Stadium Road Dillard |
Cable TV Basics
Students will need to provide the cable that runs from the wall outlet to the TV. This is a standard 75-ohm part with plug-type F connectors on each end. If the television set has only a dual screw-type antenna connector labeled 300 ohms, a matching transformer will also be needed. These parts are available at all electronics shops and most department stores. The 75-ohm cable can also be purchased from Cavalier Computers in the University Bookstore.
Your television must be cable-ready. "Cable-ready" means your TV is capable of receiving the channels that are typically available on a cable TV system. While channels 2-13 can be received by all TV sets, the channels above those aren't as standardized. Having a cable-ready TV means that you should be able to receive the additional channels that are available on the UVa-Adelphia cable system. Cable-ready does not imply that the TV is capable of receiving premium channels like HBO and Cinemax. (In fact, premium channels are not available on the UVa system.)
The easiest way to check if your TV is cable-ready is to check your owner's manual. Older TVs that are not cable-ready generally (but not always) have two different tuners, one for VHF (channels 2-13) and one for UHF (channels 14-83). Cable television also has channel designations that include 2-73, 98, and others, but the UHF and VHF tuners operate in a different band and will not receive the additional channels properly.
Assuming your TV is cable-ready, you need to make sure it is set to enable that feature. Some older TVs may have a switch on the outside of the set; look for markings such as Cable-Air or Cable-Broadcast. Newer TVs make use of the remote control along with on-screen menus to make the adjustment. Again, check your owner's manual.
If your TV is not cable-ready you can use a VCR to tune in the additional channels, assuming the VCR is cable-ready, of course. Just connect the UVa cable to it and then connect it to your television. Leaving the TV tuned to channel 3 (or 4) and using the VCR's remote control to change channels, you may well be able to get all the available channels.
Connect your television to the CATV outlet on your wall by following these instructions:
Figure 1
Most newer televisions have one antenna input. The input (Figure 1) looks like a small threaded nipple about 5/16" in diameter. The CATV outlet on your wall will have a matching connector. To connect your TV you will need a 75-ohmcoaxial cable with male "F" type connectors on both ends (Figures 2 and 3). Cavalier Computers, located in the University Bookstore on Emmet Street, sells cables in various lengths; Cavalier Computers will be open on move-in Saturday, August 19. Please look carefully at your wall outlet before buying a cable; some outlets, such as those in Gooch-Dillard, have the threaded nipple in a recess on the wall plate that makes it difficult to attach a standard screw-on connector. In those cases, we suggest that you buy a push-on connector.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Figure 2 | Figure 3 | Figure 4 | Figure 5 |
TVs with screw terminals only, probably labeled "antenna input," require an adapter called a "matching transformer" in addition to the 75-ohm coaxial cable. Otherwise you'll only receive channels 2-12. (See Figures 4 and 5 for examples of matching transformers.) If your television has such screw terminals, by the way, that's another clue that it may not be cable-ready. You can buy both the cable and matching transformer from local electronics stores and most department stores. Make sure you buy a cable that is long enough to reach the TV without lying where people could trip over it (we suggest running the cable around the room or taping it down).
Connect one end of the cable to the wall outlet and, using the transformer if necessary, connect the other end to your TV. To check and see if your cable TV outlet has been connected, please go to http://www.itc.virginia.edu/netops/catv-connect.html. If you suspect your cable TV outlet isn't working, please call the ITC Help Desk at 4-3731 for help.
Current Cable TV Channels
A listing of current on-Grounds student cable television stations is available at http://www.itc.virginia.edu/commserv/television/ongrounds.html.
Cable TV Billing Information
The following information should help you understand the cable TV billing process:
- Each customer subscribing to cable TV service will receive, via his/her e-mail address, a monthly charge for cable service. The invoice for these charges will be mailed monthly to the customer's billing address for payment. The University's student account billing system uses the permanent address recorded by the Student Financial Services Office as the address to which bills are mailed. Therefore, it is the student's responsibility to maintain current and valid addresses with the Student Financial Services and the Registrar's office. If the student wishes the bill sent to a specific address, other than permanent as on file with Student Financial Services, the student should contact the Student Financial Services Office. Once this billing address is added, it will override the permanent address for billing purposes for all University billing until it is changed or deleted at the student's written request. The bill cannot be sent to a residence hall address.
- Bills are due upon receipt.
- Any account not paid within 45 days will be deactivated. Full payment of the account balance, plus a reactivation fee of $42, will be charged to have the account reinstated.
- At 60 days past due an account is considered delinquent. A "hold" notice will be forwarded to the Student Financial Services Office preventing the customer's class registration, receipt of diploma, release of transcripts, etc., pending full restitution of the past due account. The entire account balance must be paid before a "hold" can be released.
Problems with Cable TV
Cable television malfunctions should be reported to the ITC Help Desk at 924-3731; billing and any other questions should be addressed to ITC Communication Services at 924-6879.