University Computer Help Desk

Overview of television at Illinois State University

Illinois State University offers standard cable television services, as well as IPTV, which allows you to watch TV online.

Illinois State offers two types of television services on campus:

  • Cable TV - Cable television services are available in all residence halls, as well as other locations on campus.
  • IPTV - Watch television online at http://tv.ilstu.edu/.

Cable TV

Cable television services are available in all campus residence hall rooms, as well as in other locations, like dining centers, Milner Library, and the Bone Student Center.

On-Going Cable TV Problem - Audio/Video Synchronization Issues

According to Telecommunications & Networking, the campus cable television service has been experiencing an ongoing problem with audio/video synchronization. Some channels may not have audio and video in sync with one another. The Telecommunications & Networking staff is working with the campus cable TV provider to implement workarounds to this issue.

IPTV

Members of Illinois State can also watch television online by visiting http://tv.ilstu.edu/. This IPTV service is only available to computers that are on campus and are connected to the campus network.

Movies and Television Online

The Internet offers a number of websites where you can watch movies and television online on demand. Many websites, such as Hulu.com, offer content for free. Others, like Netflix.com, require payment of some kind.

The University's Birdtrax website provides a comprehensive list of websites that offer free and paid movies and television online.

How to Get Help

If you experience problems with the television services offered, help is available.

  • Cable TV in Residence Halls - Students living in the campus residence halls can report problems with their cable television service by visiting the Help Desk's Support & Requests web page. Click the link to Report Residence Hall Cable TV Problems located under Residence Hall Requests.  
  • Cable TV in Other Locations - To report a problem with cable television in any other location, first contact your department's technical support staff. If necessary, a technical support staff member can send an Incident to Telecommunications & Networking. These issues can also be reported to the Help Desk.  
  • IPTV - Anyone may report problems with the campus IPTV service by contacting the Help Desk. You can also go to the Support & Requests web page and click on Contact the Help Desk located under General Requests at the top of the page.

Depending on the nature of the issue, the Help Desk may be able to assist you over the phone. Other issues will be escalated to the appropriate staff.

Students who report programming problems (fuzzy channels, assistance needed programming televisions, etc.) will have their issues sent to ResNet so that a ResNet Computer Consultant (RCC) can assist in person.

Cases of physical damage to cable outlets will be escalated to Telecommunications & Networking. In those cases, a wiring specialist will be sent to the location to fix the damage.