Streaming TV Services

Streaming TV Services for Morningside and Manhattanville campuses, residence halls, and administrative buildings.

CUIT provides the University with TV service via the SpectrumU Streaming Service.

SpectrumU (streaming cable TV)
  • Watch live TV on your computer via the Spectrum website at https://www.spectrum.net/tv (select Sign in to SpectrumU at bottom) or on your mobile device with the SpectrumU streaming app (Apple Store or Google Play). See full setup instructions for details and Roku/AppleTV options.
  • Immediately available at no cost to all undergraduate students living within the CU Undergraduate Housing locations.
  • Available to new subscribers in administrative and academic spaces on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses. Columbia staff should submit a ticket to request SpectrumU.
  • Not available in Columbia Residential, with an exception for undergraduate students who reside in Columbia Residential-managed apartments.
Legacy CUtv (wired cable TV)
  • Also known as CATV, Cable, CUtv
  • Provided in undergraduate housing common spaces, and in academic and administrative buildings on Columbia's Morningside campus.
  • This legacy service will be decommissioned in the near future. No new subscriptions to this service are available. CUIT will assist current administrative and academic subscribers with the migration to the SpectrumU streaming service.

Supported locations

SpectrumU is available via paid subscription in administrative and academic spaces on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses. Columbia staff can submit a ticket to request SpectrumU.

Pricing

SpectrumU 

  • Streaming cable service subscription: $36.90/month
  • Network Support Services labor charges for installation may apply: $131.30/hour

 

SpectrumU setup and channels

  1. Download SpectrumU (not simply Spectrum!) from the Apple Store or Google Play.
  2. Open the app and enter columbia.edu and click Submit.
  3. Sign in using your UNI and UNI password, and authenticate with Duo to complete your login.
  4. Select Watch TV to open SpectrumU and see current offerings.
    If you are not connected to Columbia wifi, you may see a Connect to Campus Wifi for More Channels banner; when you are off-campus, you will only have access to a subset of the full channels available on the Columbia network.
  1. Navigate to https://watch.spectrum.net/.
  2. Do not fill your username and password here. Scroll the bottom of the Sign In to Get Started window, and select on Sign In to SpectrumU.
  3. Enter columbia.edu in the school domain field, and select Submit.
  4. Log in using your UNI and UNI password, and authenticate with Duo to complete your login.

  5. After login, you’ll be redirected back to https://watch.spectrum.net/. Select Continue to open SpectrumU.
    If you are not connected to Columbia wifi, you may see a Connect to Campus Wifi for More Channels banner; when you are off-campus, you will only have access to a subset of the full channels available on the Columbia network.

There is only one Roku app for Spectrum TV, which is used for both Residential Spectrum and SpectrumU.

  1. Go to the Roku Channel Store and download the Spectrum TV app (there will not be a specific SpectrumU app).
  2. Open the app and you will see the Let's Get Started activation screen. From a computer or smartphone, visit https://watch.spectrum.net/activate, enter the activation code that’s displayed on the Roku and select Submit.
  3. Enter columbia.edu in the school domain field, and select Submit.

  4. If you're on campus (using the Columbia campus internet network), it will automatically allow you to sign in to Spectrum U using your UNI credentials and Duo.

    If you're off-campus (not connected to a Columbia-approved network), select Help Signing In, then choose Sign In With SpectrumU and login with your UNI credentials and Duo.

  5. After login, you’ll be redirected back to the activation page. Select Accept to open SpectrumU.
    If you are not connected to Columbia wifi, you may see a Connect to Campus Wifi for More Channels banner; when you are off-campus, you will only have access to a subset of the full channels available on the Columbia network.

SpectrumU can be installed on all fourth and fifth-generation devices and tvOS version 12.0 or newer.
  1. Go to the Apple TV App Store and download the SpectrumU TV app (not simply Spectrum!).
  2. Open the app and you will see the Let's Get Started activation screen. From a computer or smartphone, visit watch.spectrum.net/activate, enter the activation code that’s displayed on the Apple TV and select Submit.
  3. Enter columbia.edu in the school domain field, and select Submit.

  4. If you're on campus (using the Columbia campus internet network), it will automatically allow you to sign in to Spectrum U using your UNI credentials and Duo.

    If you're off-campus (not connected to a Columbia-approved network), select Help Signing In, then choose Sign In With SpectrumU and login with your UNI credentials and Duo.

  5. After login, you’ll be redirected back to the activation page. Select Accept to open SpectrumU.
    If you are not connected to Columbia wifi, you may see a Connect to Campus Wifi for More Channels banner; when you are off-campus, you will only have access to a subset of the full channels available on the Columbia network.

FAQ

SpectrumU: DVR service is not available to subscribers.