PBS Masterpiece without Prime

[cyclonefence]

Is there any way I can subscribe to PBS Masterpiece (and get *all* Masterpiece shows) without going through Amazon Prime? I'm trying to free myself from Amazon, and this is the final hurdle.

[Bumbles]

1. I joined PBS with a yearly membership and can get all shows, no Amazon involved.

See link below for joining PBS and be able to watch shows, while supporting local affiliates. The horror is planning on cutting funds for PBS, so joining will also help keep it viable.

https://help.pbs.org/support/solutions/articles/12000056932-getting-started-with-pbs-passport

[S/V Loner]

2. I think if you subscribe...

to PBS you can.

[AltairIV]

10. yes you can subscibe...

...i believe you must donate $100-$120 ayear but this can be spread out over the 12 months and it includes all Masterpeace shows and several imported ones that are quite good.

[S/V Loner]

11. I subscribe and it is reasonable.

I just wan’t sure if you got all the Masterpiece shows.

[IL Dem]

14. I'm paying $5 per month.

[cilla4progress]

3. I subscribe to PBS directly -

don't know if you can only do Masterpiece

[1WorldHope]

4. Passport is what you could access it if you are a member.

I think to get it you only have to give them $60 a year. But you will need a streaming device to get it on your TV. At least I do as TV is a 2018 half smart model.

[rzemanfl]

5. I don't think subscribing to Passport gets "all" Masterpiece shows.

There was a Masterpiece series based on Winston Graham's Poldark novels from 1975-77, and another that started in 2014 and ran five seasons. I only found the more recent series on Passport. From the little I have seen of the 1975-77 series; it looks quite dated technically, but worth watching. The recent series has fabulous cinematography.

[cyclonefence]

6. I just talked to a lady at our local PBS station

and she was unclear. It seems like I'm going to have to subscribe to *some* kind of streaming service to get any Masterpiece shows. Made a donation anyway.

[rzemanfl]

7. If you donate $60 a year you get PBS Passport.

It is a huge bargain, even if you can't stream 50-year-old TV shows. I trust you have the equipment you need to stream. Most library cards will get you access to Hoopla and Kanopy.

[cyclonefence]

8. Ah--Hoopla and Kanopy

Thanks--yes, I made a contribution and got Passport. As soon as we finish Astrid, I'm going to quit Amazon totally. Thanks for the tip.

[rzemanfl]

9. We are watching Poldark now.

Also, Wolf Hall.

[1WorldHope]

12. Or you can watch on your computer.

[yellowdogintexas]

15. I set it up directly on my Roku. There is already a logo for it, I just activated it

I could have gotten it through one of the streaming services but just used the Roku
I assume you can also do this with Firestick

[Highway61]

13. We subscribed to PBS Passport...

and we get everything. $5 a month is all they ask for. It's the best deal because the shows they offer are quality.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. PBS Passport and other options for streaming

because other companies may hold the rights to them.

For example, a Passport subscription will get you most of the shows that have been on Masterpiece for the past few years, but it will not get you the OPTIONAL British and other foreign shows that individual stations can choose to carry or not. This includes favorites such as Midsomer Murders, Vera, and Shetland. (Midsomer is on Acorn, while the other two are on BritBox.) I , Claudius and the old version of Poldark are both on Acorn.

Passport has one huge advantage over the Amazon add-ons. if you subscribe through Amazon, the dramas are one channel (PBS Masterpiece), the documentaries are on another (PBS Documentaries), and the lifestyle and practical shows are on another (PBS LIving). With Passport, you get all three genres for as little as $5 a month. In addition, you can access whichever shows your local channel produces. Twin Cities Public Television makes a lot of documentaries with a local focus, so that's a big perk for me.

I would absolutely love it if there were one-stop shopping for all the British and other foreign shows, but no such channel exists. Your best sources are

BritBox (all British with one or two exceptions)
Acorn (English-speaking countries outside the U.S., plus a couple of foreign language programs)
MHz Choice (mostly European programming, with a few ventures into other regions, in the original languages with subtitles)
ViaPlay (Scandinavian content)
Criterion (classic, foreign, and art house feature films)
Walter Presents (also European content, but most of it is already included in Passport)
Netflix (a lot of foreign shows, with the option of watching in the original language with original-language subtitles in addition to versions with English subtitles)

We live in a golden age of access to the best TV in the world. It's good we're in a golden age of SOMETHING, even if everything else seems to be deteriorating.