How To Watch Pbs Local Channels Without Cable

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 1:48 AM

how to watch pbs local channels without cable

You can watch hundreds of episodes of your favorite PBS programs at our official website, PBS.org. Stream videos of PBS NewsHour, Nature, NOVA, Antiques Roadshow, American Experience, and more, straight from your computer - no account required! Our site supports the latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge web browsers. You must have a device that connects to the internet with a stable network connection in order to stream videos online. You can find all the videos on PBS.org on the PBS App, available for download on supported devices. These devices connect to your television and use your television as the screen for watching videos.

We currently support Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Android TV, Samsung TV (2017 and newer), and VIZIO SmartCast TV. We also support Apple iPhone and iPad, and Android mobile devices. You must have a device that connects to the internet with a stable network connection in order to stream videos online. To use the PBS App, you must create an account with PBS or sign in through Google, Facebook, or Apple ID. To download the PBS App, please follow the download instructions for your specific device: PBS is a local broadcast channel that is available free as an over-the-air TV channel, and through a number of free and subscription-based streaming services.

“Masterpiece”, “PBS NewsHour”, and the latest Ken Burns documentaries are among the PBS programs that you can watch for free. You can use the PBS Video app (with or without PBS Passport), and Local Now to stream local PBS stations for free across most of the U.S. A subscription to DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV includes local PBS and PBS Kids stations. There is also on-demand PBS content offered through PBS Passport, Amazon Prime and Netflix. PBS has been maximizing options for its viewers in recent years, especially cord-cutters who no longer pay for a cable TV subscription. You can now watch thousands of local and national PBS shows without a pay TV provider.

I watch and record my PBS station using a TV antenna and OTA DVR. It’s a dependable way for me to save my favorite episodes of “Austin City Limits” and “Front and Center.” If you have an internet connection, you can also use a number of streaming apps... Help. We cut our $155 DirecTV TV bill with a ClearStream 4MAX extreme range outdoor HD antenna. We installed, connected, scanned, but when we go to watch the signal breaks up after about 10 minutes and we get a message that says “weak or no signal go to broadcast and scan... What am I doing wrong?

We have a piece that could be useful in your situation: How to Get Clear TV Antenna Reception: Essential Tips and Troubleshooting Techniques. You need to find the direction of where the signals are broadcast from. You’re dealing with towers not satellite. Here’s how it works. When you have a reciever dish for satellite the station sends the signal to a dish to satellite, the satellite has transponders it chose the strongest signal and redirects that to your dish reciever... On a cellphone the signal goes to a tower the tower to the satellite then to a tower then to your cellphone.

If the phone notes a weak signal the phone Powers up a stronger signal. In you’re situation you dealing with obstacles as towers don’t release or emit a straight signal. I emits a circular wave pattern like a pebble in a smooth pond. Any obstacles prohibit the signal from being recieved fully and distance, mountains,buildings,trees and bad weather will interfere. If your using a digital reciever your issues will be as above AND auto traffic with digital handsfree phone systems, aircraft, weather, smartphones and or anything running close to you’re reciever. You need to place the device to the highest location in you’re home and with no obstacles like in a window on the side of the home where the towers are located.

Example, in Vineland N.J. you have cities northwest, northeast, and Southwest. Now you antennae will only pickup a good signal from about 40 to 65 miles. So pick the closest large city and direct your antennae there. Your major cities run repeaters and boosters so you should pick up your major and a few minor stations. To avoid all of the above, which I felt by explaining it would better assist you in knowing how electronics function and to what capacity .

Go to an electronics store purchase a signal booster that will boost and filter your channels and that should take care of you’re situation. What I do is I’m on unlimited data on my cell, I can tether or go WiFi, so then I go to my computer accept the wifi change it to mobile hotspot 146 miles... That way for 70.00 a month I have hundreds of channels and music, unlimited calls, text and data . I’m located in a valley, my regular towers are Northwest, and everything affects it. Oh, and the computer I use is 14 years old, and I have to run a cable to the largescreen monitor but hey, I get better TV and more tv in HD than all... Very good!

I wish I was as smart as you , idk how to tether and have too many people in the house using TVs anyways like 5 . Thinking about Roku but I’m not sure how to stream channels? Where is the reference to LOCAST. It replaces ugly outdoor antennas which do not work well in the Pacific Nortwest, in addition to indoor antennas which do not work either. Local tv stations should be happy with LOCAST as it improves picture quality including advertising. PBS has always been an accessible educational resource for TV viewers of all ages, and that hasn't changed in the streaming age.

The free-to-air service's broadcasts and local live streams are available almost everywhere, including on their website, PBS.org. But when it comes to streaming services, the best way to watch PBS local channels is through live TV platforms like DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV. They might be on the pricier side, but their solid interface and extensive lineup of both live and on-demand content justify the price. Meanwhile, the cheapest way to watch local channels is via PBS' free and downloadable app. You can watch it on major streaming devices, and if you want to extend your selection to include exclusive films and TV shows like the award-winning series Finding Your Roots, then you can purchase... If you enjoy using the DVR option, Youtube TV is arguably the best option in the market for you: it gives you unlimited DVR storage on the Cloud (accessible from any of your devices),...

Also, you can share Youtube TV with up to six accounts, so if you have a big family, this is a much better option than getting a bunch of cheaper Live TV subscriptions. Youtube TV allows up to three accounts of the six to watch at the same time. Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Sharp, Vizio, Xbox DirecTV is a Live TV streaming platform with a twist: you can download the app on any of your existing devices, or for a $120, you can get a box with a custom remote... But without the box, DirecTV functions like a Netflix or Hulu, allowing you to stream Live TV from anywhere by downloading the app. Within your home, you can stream on up to 20 devices (!), and from outside your home you can stream on up to three devices.

Do you love PBS but can’t get it with an antenna? Or do you just wish you could stream it? Good news: you can now do just that for free. For a long time, PBS was not cord cutting friendly: there were limited options to stream its channels live for free or even if you wanted to pay. A lot of that was caused by old TV contracts and the way local PBS stations are owned. Now PBS channels can be streamed for free on multiple services.

Your first option is the official PBS app. In most areas the local PBS app will still stream your local PBS channel for free. You can even watch it for free through the PBS website. Want PBS Kids? Good news: it also streams for free through the PBS Kids app on most popular streaming devices. Don’t want to use the PBS app?

Good news: Local Now offers PBS streaming for free in most areas. Over the last year, PBS stations have been slowly added to Local Now giving you access to your local PBS station. PBS is a TV channel that you can watch with a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV for most viewers.You'll be able to watch PBS and 31 of the Top 35 Cable channels. If you’d like to remove ads from Hulu’s on demand library, the subscription is $95.99/month. Start streaming DIRECTV & save $40 off your first month of service.

Learn how. You can stream PBS with a live TV streaming service. No cable or satellite subscription needed. Start watching with a free trial. Streaming your local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC stations without cable is still one of the biggest and most expensive challenges for cord cutters. In this article and the featured video below, I review the latest options to help you decide if they’re worth it.

You can now stream three of the four major networks 24/7 through standalone apps: That leaves ABC. The new ESPN Unlimited app includes live ESPN on ABC content, but not a 24/7 feed of your local ABC station. Hulu still streams ABC shows the next day. Free standalone apps worth mentioning: The CW and PBS. Only PBS includes a live stream of your local station.

Many viewers are choosing to cut ties with traditional cable subscriptions as various new ways to watch local channels on cable become popular. This shift, known as “cord-cutting,” often raises a crucial question: How can you watch local channels without a cable subscription? This guide explores practical methods for cord-cutters to continue enjoying local news and shows. You’ll find step-by-step instructions for setting up your streaming devices and exploring various ways to access local content without a cable subscription in 2025. Whether you want to save money or simply modernize your viewing experience, this guide covers you. Let’s get to it!

How To Watch Pbs Local Channels Without Cable

People Also Search

You Can Watch Hundreds Of Episodes Of Your Favorite PBS

We Currently Support Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast,

“Masterpiece”, “PBS NewsHour”, And The Latest Ken Burns Documentaries Are

I Watch And Record My PBS Station Using A TV

We Have A Piece That Could Be Useful In Your