If you are contemplating cutting the cord but concerned about losing access to the local channels, note that you don’t have to pay for a cable. Many cord-cutters know numerous approaches to watching your favorite television shows and movies without using a line.
Hulu and Netflix have made it simple to enjoy watching Hollywood films, and services such as HBO Max liberated TV binge-watchers from the cable providers’ clutches. For the local content, most cord-cutters are not aware that they can watch their local channels even without cable, yet it’s possible.
The 9 Best Ways To Get Local Channels Without Cable
The truth is, there are numerous methods of watching local channels both on-air and online. Herein is a comprehensive guide on watching local stations without relying on traditional pay-tv providers such as satellite and cable providers.
1) Purchase an Antenna
Using an antenna requires some funds and knowledge. It is critical to position your antenna correctly. Purchasing and installing a TV HD antenna gives you a chance to watch your best TV shows on local channels for free.
There are great sites that help one search the address of their country to see the number of channels they can get if they hook up the antenna; some can even watch up to 52 local channels without the cable.
Furthermore, if you install your antenna around thirty feet off the ground, you can receive more local channels from watching. Besides the cost, the key concern in the remote community is the quality of reception.
It would help to look out the possible signal interruptions induced by the interfering signals and surrounding terrain from the other towers.
2) Get Sling TV
Sling TV works similarly to Hulu or Netflix. You can access the streaming service through an Internet connection. And unlike other streaming services, it focuses more on live shows than on-demand shows. In regards to that, it is analogous to satellite or cable TV companies. Though some local channels are accessible in both blue and orange packages, others are only viewable in one or the other.
Sling TV is an excellent alternative to high satellite or cable TV costs, though it might not provide you with access to all the local channels, such as the antenna.
3) Channel App
It is yet another option for watching your local shows cordless. All you need is to subscribe to some channel’s app. Usually, it costs about $10 each month, but occasionally they are free, and one can easily access all your popular local channels in your app store.
There is, for instance, Paramount, which provides movies, live TV shows, on-demand TV channels, and original content. You will not only be able to stream Star Trek: Survivor, Picard, and The Brady Bunch, but also have access to the local CBSN, CBS station, ET Live, and CBS Sports HQ 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Battlestar Galactica, Saved by the Bell, Saturday Night Live, the Harry Potter series, and the Fast and Furious Tv series are just a few of the movies and shows available on Peacock’s on-demand library.
Fox Now, ABC, PBS, and The CW Video all have apps available in your app store. They are apps that you can view from the smartphone while on the move or even on a computer, tablet, laptop, or smart TV.
4) YouTube
Then there’s YouTube, an online video-sharing tool, where you can watch the local stations without cable. Many major television networks use their own YouTube page, where they post clips of their news segments each day.
Users will easily access the most recent clips through searching by keyword to watch the most viewed videos they’ve uploaded. If a user prefers to watch headlines on the station’s site or YouTube, one can use a free entertainment channel known as Pluto TV.
It’s a free live streaming TV service offering more than 250 channels, From CNN, FS1, NBC News, Nickelodeon, History Channel to Comedy Central, which are just some available channels.
5) Freebie Services Like NewsON and Amazon News
If you’re looking for local news, you might be in a position to get through with a few of the available programming on free new streaming services.
For example, Amazon News is among the most recent service providers to offer the free local latest news regarding U.S. markets.
You will require an Amazon News app available on the Fire TV Streaming machines to use the feature. After opening the app, you can select the local channel feeds you intend to listen to from the menu. Generally, the service provider will offer the media nearest to your area.
However, note that it’s not the live stream of your channel’s telecast over the air; it’s clips and highlights from the news broadcasts and other local programming.
If you have a Roku device, there is a comparable interesting choice known as NewsON, which claims to have access to over 275 local sources throughout the country. Access Content through Website and Individual Network.
6) Applications
Here is another excellent suggestion for getting local news material without using the cable; you go directly to the internet source. Have a look at the list below that has links to the local channels’ network-level apps:
- CBS
- FOX NEWS NOW
- PBS
- NBC
You can frequently enjoy watching free, though ad-supported, on-demand shows of your preferred network shows. Local network associates might also have their sites or apps with clips, articles, streams, and highlights from the locally made programming.
So, in conjunction with the regional apps, you might be in a position to put together a usable free content mash-up from the local station without spending any money.
7) Watch Locast
It’s a non-profit organization that broadcasts free local stations via the internet. What you need to do is verify that you reside within the market location of your chosen city. Then, use your online connection to watch your free local stations.
Users can donate Locast to help cover expenses, though it’s not necessary. You will, however, receive daily donations requests if you fail to contribute a lower limit of $5 every month.
Furthermore, Locust only serves around 25 major U.S. towns and their environs, but the services encompass almost half of the nation. You should visit their website to check if you stay in a Locust service location.
8) Get Hulu
With as low as $5 each month, you can watch the local channels on this popular streaming service; Hulu. Users can easily access movies, local media, and much more on Hulu. A day after airing, the local channel’s live television shows and other episodes will be available for streaming. Adverts are added with Hulu, though one can upgrade to ad-free for an extra $6 every month.
With $54.99 each month, users could indeed upgrade to Hulu TV Live and enjoy watching more episodes on air. Keep in mind that thousands of TV episodes and movies are available on Hulu. All subscriptions include a free 30-day trial period, and there are no hidden charges or equipment rentals. Also, one can cancel or change a subscription at any time.
9) Live TV Streaming App
Subscribing to the live TV streaming platform is a common way of cutting the cord. For instance, Sling TV is a streaming service that understands how to provide you with your local channels cheaply. Why would you pay more than $50 per month for local media, yet you can pay only $30?
Local channels are not available in some Sling packages, but some include the NBC, NBC national sports, and local FOX channels and 30 more popular channels such as CNN, FOX News Channel, Food Network, and MSNBC. However, it’s recommended to use YouTube TV if you are ready to pay $65 per month to have live TV streaming.
YouTube TV gives you access to 85 channels, such as CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and PBS stations in your area. Food Network, Disney Channel, and ESPN are also available to both you and the family. With all those options, live streaming services and apps are beneficial to the entire family, and others are also great for news enthusiasts.
Final Thoughts
With that said, note that there is no need for a cable package to watch your local content. With the several options for cord-cutters, you can buy an antenna, download an app for a particular channel, sign up for a live streaming service, watch your favorite local channel via YouTube, or stream the local station’s newscast on the website.
For most people, signing up for any streaming service seems to be the only path to fully replicate the local tv experience they get when using a cable. An antenna, on the other hand, is by far the most affordable way to accomplish this. If you only care about the content but don’t mind how or when to get it, you might save cash and stress if you stick to freebie content available on apps. You can avoid paying $50 to $100 every month by spending $30 or less, or nothing at all, to acquire the local channels at home.