Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is the US-based public broadcaster and the TV program distributor. They are the pioneer in providing educational programs to public Televisions. PBS offers series like American Experience, Clifford the Big Red Dog, America’s Test Kitchen, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Nova, etc. They also came up with their standalone application to watch the provided TV shows anywhere and anytime called PBS. And the app is available for various devices, including smartphones, smart TVs, and streaming devices like Amazon Firestick, Apple TV, Roku, and more. This article is limited to the methods to watch PBS on Apple TV.
PBS on Apple TV
You can download the PBS (PBS Video) app from the App Store on your Apple TV HD and 4K. With the app, you can get to watch all the PBS videos online anytime you want.
How to Install PBS on Apple TV
1). Go to the PBS site (www.pbs.org) and create your own account. If you have an existing account, then skip to the next step.
2). Turn on your Apple TV and connect it to the Wi-Fi network.
3). Go to the home screen and open the App Store to open it.
4). You can find the Search option. Hover over to it and type PBS.
5). Choose the PBS Video app from the list of suggestions.
6). On the app info page, click Install.
7). The PBS Video app will be downloaded and installed on your Apple TV.
How to Activate PBS on Apple TV
1). Open the PBS app on your TV.
2). Click Activate Now on the app welcome page.
3). The activation code will appear.
4). Go to the PBS Activation website on any of your web browsers.
5). Enter the activation code on the provided text box.
6). Click Continue.
7). Log in to your account if necessary.
8). Now the PBS app will start to load video contents.
How to Get PBS Passport on Apple TV
PBS passport is just an added member benefit to get extended services with an on-demand library of 1500 additional episodes of PBS. If you have got one, the app should be activated in a different way.
1). First, activate the PBS app on yourTV with the above-mentioned steps.
2). Open the PBS app and choose Settings on the top menu bar.
3). Click the Deactivate button on the screen.
4). Click on Activate on your Apple TV.
5). There will be an activation code that belongs to the PBS Passport account.
6). Go to the PBS Activation website on your web browsers. Enter the activation code and click continue. (This isn’t your passport activation code).
7). Sign in with the same user account that you used for the PBS Passport account.
PBS on Apple TV: Not Working
Sometimes we may face a few issues with the PBS app. The app may crash or freeze or hang or not respond. In such cases, use the following troubleshooting techniques.
- For starters, try closing the app and opening it again.
- Unplug the Apple TV from a power source, then plug it back in. In simple words, restart your Apple TV.
- If you are owning an Apple TV 4K, then uninstall the app and reinstall the application again. If there is any update for the PBS app, then you need to update the app.
- Make sure that your Apple TV firmware is up to date and it is on tvOS version 14.3.
- Try resetting your Wi-Fi network. Restart your router or mode because sometimes there may be network issues.
- Mostly the above methods will help. If nothing helps, you may need to Factory Reset Apple TV of ix all the issues and bugs.
Related: How to Install and Stream PBS Kids on Apple TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I watch PBS on Demand?
Yes, you can stream 4000+ PBS shows on-demand with this app.
2. What streaming service have got PBS?
With the YouTube TV app, you can stream the PBS channel.
Enjoy Streaming!