How to watch local channels on samsung smart tv without antenna

Adam Birney / Android Authority

Cable television operators have been slowly losing customers for years. Many have cut the cord and are now relying on streaming services for their TV news, sports, and entertainment needs. However, some people are still reluctant to get rid of their cable TV because they want easy access to their local television stations without using an antenna. However, there are still ways to watch or stream local TV channels without cable.

Read more: Best streaming TV apps and services

We will look at what options are available for cord-cutters to watch or stream their local TV channels. We will also look at the good old-fashioned TV antenna as well. People who may have resisted getting one may not be aware of the number of free channels they can now get. There are even ways to stream over-the-air free TV on your mobile device or smart TV.

Four ways to get local channels without cable

HDTV antennas

The easiest way to get your local TV stations without a cable is to purchase a digital HDTV antenna. Think again if you think you will be buying an old piece of “rabbit ears” hardware for this feature. You can get an antenna that can attach to a nearby window, so you don’t have to climb on the roof to install one. One of the best is the Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna which has a range of 250 miles.

Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna

The indoor Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna offers a huge 250-mile range to pick up over-the-air digital TV stations.

Of course, there are also options for people who want to put up a more powerful antenna outside of their house for better reception and range. One of them is the Tonristic HDTV Antenna, which also has an option to set the antenna inside. Best of all, it has a mind-blowing 400-mile range at an affordable price.

Tonristic HDTV Antenna

The Tonristic HDTV Antenna can be installed inside or outside your home, and has an insane 400 mile range.

While the number of channels you can receive clearly with a digital HDTV will vary depending on where you live, the good news is that you should be able to get as many as 80 channels or more. That’s because local TV stations have been adding to their translators with extra channels. That includes networks that offer reruns of old TV shows, such as MeTV, CoziTV, Comet, Heroes and Icons, and many more.

The future: 4K over-the-air TV channels

Not only can you get your local broadcast channels in full 1080p HD quality right now with these new antennas, but the best is yet to come. Slowly but surely, some US cities have already adopted the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV standard. Once it’s fully operational, you will be able to purchase a new digital antenna that will receive over-the-air TV in full 4K resolution, with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X audio support. Newer LG, Sony, and Samsung smart TVs are already putting in ATSC 3.0 tuners in their current televisions in anticipation of the full roll-out. Hisense is doing the same, starting with its 2022 smart TVs.

Stream over-the-air channels to your mobile device or smart TV

There’s also a way to stream local channels from your over-the-air antenna to your mobile device or smart TV. The Plex Pass subscription, combined with digital television and a compatible TV tuner, will allow you to receive your local channels and stream them to your smartphone, tablet, PC desktop or laptop, or Roku-based smart TV. You can also record and store any over-the-air shows on a compatible DVR, cast your shows to a Chromecast-based TV, or pause and then fast-forward live shows. It takes a little bit of time to set up, but the results may be worth it for watching your local channels the way you want to do it.

A Plex Pass subscription costs $4.99 a month, and there’s a $39.99 annual subscription. You can even get a lifetime subscription for $119.99.

Stream local TV channels with internet-based services

If you don’t want to mess with extra hardware like antennas or TV tuners to get your local television stations, the easiest way is to sign up for an internet-based live TV service. Several of them offer live access to all or most of your local TV stations. Most also offer cloud DVR for storing live shows on your account. You can stream them to your PC, mobile device, or smart TV.

Read more: Live streaming TV services

The biggest issue with going this quick-and-simple route is that the monthly bills for these services can be expensive. They include Hulu Plus Live TV, which costs $70 a month, with unlimited cloud DVR.

Hulu

Hulu offers not only thousands of movies and TV shows to stream, it also has original shows and films like The Handmaid's Tale. You can upgrade to Hulu Plus Live TV to get live channels, including your local stations.

Another option is YouTube TV, which costs $65 a month, and includes unlimited cloud DVR space (but the recordings disappear after nine months).

YouTube TV

Tap into live TV powered by YouTube. You can choose your own channels and binge without the large cable companies.

FuboTV starts at $70 a month and offers 1,000 hours of cloud DVR. However, not all of the local channels are available in all markets.

FuboTV

FuboTV is an internet based live television service, with tons of channels to stream. It's especially good for sports fans who want to watch events like international soccer matches and mixed martial arts.

Stream live CBS, NBC, and PBS local channels directly

You can also livestream CBS and NBC local channels by subscribing to Paramount Plus and Peacock. If you pay $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year for Paramount Plus, you can get a livestream from your local CBS channel. You can sign up for the service, with a seven-day free trial, at the link below.

Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus includes thousands of movies and TV shows from CBS, Showtime, and Paramount Pictures. It also includes new and original movies like The Good Fight, Infinite, and more.

Similarly, you can get your live NBC station via a Peacock subscription. You can get it for $4.99 a month with ads for its on-demand content or $9.99 a month without ads for on-demand (the live NBC stream will have ads no matter what).

Peacock

NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service offers a lot of great movies and TV shows to stream on demand, along with live news and sports. Best of all, you can watch lots of its content for free, or watch all of it with a paid subscription starting at just $4.99 a month.

The PBS.org website allows users to livestream their local PBS stations. Best of all, this feature is 100% free to access.

FAQs

Unfortunately, those networks currently don’t offer direct ways to livestream their local channel affiliates like CBS, NBC, or PBS does. You can wait until the next day to access some of their programming on-demand via Hulu (for ABC and Fox) or on the free CW app or website.

Most smart TVs do have their own tuners, but you will still need to hook up an HDTV digital antenna to access your local over-the-air channels on your television.

Currently, in the US, the ATSC 3.0  is available in about 50 TV markets, covering about 55% of the total US population. If the standard is not available in your area, it may take a few more years before it shows up

That’s our look at the options to watch or stream local TV channels on your various media devices. We will update this article if more services launch or existing ones make any changes.

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