Channels & viewing

[kyoung21b]

Hi,

I just purchased and installed my Roku but when I went to look for the PBS Masterpiece channel it appears that it is no longer available. This is a huge disappointment as the primary reason for getting Roku was that I want to ditch Amazon Prime and getting Roku was described as the only other way to get a PBS Masterpiece subscription. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but can’t help wonder if Bezos figured out how to deter the potential Masterpiece watching Prime defectors re. “convincing” Roku to drop it...

[JWS9518]

PBS is available on Roku as I have it on mine.  As far as I am aware, you can watch Masterpiece through the PBS app.

[kyoung21b]

Thanks for the reply but PBS and PBS Masterpiece are different services as explained here:

https://www.allinthedifference.com/difference-between-pbs-passport-and-pbs-masterpiece/

Many shows (and different seasons of shows) are available on PBS Materpiece that are not available on PBS. The main inaccuracy on that website is that it says that PBS Masterpiece is available on Roku which no longer seems to be the case.

[JWS9518]

Gotcha, maybe reach out to PBS directly and see what the deal is with Roku's availability.

[kyoung21b]

Thanks, that does seem like the best approach.

[AvsGunnar · Accepted solution]

@kyoung21b 

I don't use it alot but I am able to access Masterpiece through the regular PBS app available in the Roku Channel Store.

From the description, also says new episodes of Masterpiece available and mentions that the Passport is an optional "add-on".

https://channelstore.roku.com/details/2926d0a0c976db9bfcc86d2364ff9dbc/pbs

Not sure what you are looking for exactly, but I am seeing the shows listed on Masterpiece as available in the PBS channel/app when searching for them through the app.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/#

https://www.pbs.org/

Just sign up for a free account at pbs.org and see if it has what you want re:Masterpiece or if I am missing something from your question.  Also read the description for PBS in the online Roku Channel Store to see if it includes what you want.

[kyoung21b]

Thanks for the reply but as described in the article I linked to above standard PBS and PBS Masterpiece have developed into different services with a significant amount of content on PBS Masterpiece (series, seasons of series) that is not available on PBS (or the corresponding PBS app on Roku).

[AvsGunnar]

@kyoung21b 

I read the article but it really is just a UK blog post.

I know of no other way to get more PBS content than what is available through the channels/apps that PBS develops for the Roku platform.

Was there something specific you were looking for that you didn't find on the PBS channel/app or that you would not be able to get if you installed the free PBS app and then added a Passport subscription?

I know there used to be a PBS Masterpiece channel/app awhile ago, but PBS removed it for what they offer now.

[JWS9518]

Yea, I couldn't find anything other than PBS with Masterpiece on that.  PBS might be the only ones that could answer that definitively.  

Maybe they are in the process of transferring all of those services/shows to one service.

[kyoung21b]

I have a PBS Masterpiece subscription on Prime and there are, e.g., a number of mystery series available that I couldn’t find on searches on the PBS app. Maybe I don’t know how to search properly but that article and a couple of others I found did seem to indicate that there’s different content on PBS Masterpiece and straight up PBS.