topic Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport in Electronics

Frustrated with PBS Passport

Isobel Archer — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:21:12 GMT

I have supported PBS forever. So I thought I should take advantage of Passport. I don't have a smart TV so I bought Chromecast - for both upstairs and downstairs tvs. This works great with other apps - YouTube, Netlix, Amazon Prime, etc. But it is off and on with Passport.

So I emailed my local station WETA and was told - oh Passport doesn't work well with Chromecast (although their ads for Passport say it does) - so sorry.

WTH

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

Sooner — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:23:59 GMT

@Isobel Archer So sorry this happened to you.

I fell out of love with PBS several years for reasons too complicated to explain here. But I'll say I don't think they care much about anything but making a buck.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

Isobel Archer — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:33:52 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
@Isobel Archer So sorry this happened to you.

I fell out of love with PBS several years for reasons too complicated to explain here. But I'll say I don't think they care much about anything but making a buck.

Yes I admit it is also frustrating to see how much they must spend on fundraising. I get at least two or three solicitations a month asking for more.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

Cookie2025 — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 15:37:09 GMT

I love WETA2 but there are issues. I have 3 TV's but only ONE TV will carry channel 265 (Comcast).

I had a routine where I would watch East Enders Saturday morning. I even set my alarm to go off at 8:45 am so I would not miss it.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

jackthebear — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 15:37:21 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
@Isobel Archer So sorry this happened to you.

I fell out of love with PBS several years for reasons too complicated to explain here. But I'll say I don't think they care much about anything but making a buck.

totally agree

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

jackthebear — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 15:38:25 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
I have supported PBS forever. So I thought I should take advantage of Passport. I don't have a smart TV so I bought Chromecast - for both upstairs and downstairs tvs. This works great with other apps - YouTube, Netlix, Amazon Prime, etc. But it is off and on with Passport.

So I emailed my local station WETA and was told - oh Passport doesn't work well with Chromecast (although their ads for Passport say it does) - so sorry.

WTH

this could help prime day is coming up and you could score a deal on a firestick, have 2 and love them

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

Isobel Archer — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 18:48:58 GMT

@jackthebear wrote:
@Isobel Archer wrote:
I have supported PBS forever. So I thought I should take advantage of Passport. I don't have a smart TV so I bought Chromecast - for both upstairs and downstairs tvs. This works great with other apps - YouTube, Netlix, Amazon Prime, etc. But it is off and on with Passport.

So I emailed my local station WETA and was told - oh Passport doesn't work well with Chromecast (although their ads for Passport say it does) - so sorry.

WTH
this could help prime day is coming up and you could score a deal on a firestick, have 2 and love them

OK - do they work wih Passport - or will I have similar problems. Because Chromecast works just fine with other apps - no problems at all.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

KaySD — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:51:17 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
I have supported PBS forever. So I thought I should take advantage of Passport. I don't have a smart TV so I bought Chromecast - for both upstairs and downstairs tvs. This works great with other apps - YouTube, Netlix, Amazon Prime, etc. But it is off and on with Passport.

So I emailed my local station WETA and was told - oh Passport doesn't work well with Chromecast (although their ads for Passport say it does) - so sorry.

WTH

@Isobel Archer

My experience is totally different. Anyone I call at my local station is generous with their time and help. It's a big city, so that isn't because they don't have a zillion subscribers.

I rely on my computer for Passport and never have problems. I have an apple tv that I attached to my television, so if i can see on my computer, I can it send over to the television, no app needed. Which is good, because I don't get any tv reception off the air or by cable at all.

PBS funding has been under serious threat this year. They're doing their best.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

Isobel Archer — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 11:57:09 GMT

@KaySD wrote:
@Isobel Archer wrote:
I have supported PBS forever. So I thought I should take advantage of Passport. I don't have a smart TV so I bought Chromecast - for both upstairs and downstairs tvs. This works great with other apps - YouTube, Netlix, Amazon Prime, etc. But it is off and on with Passport.

So I emailed my local station WETA and was told - oh Passport doesn't work well with Chromecast (although their ads for Passport say it does) - so sorry.

WTH
@Isobel Archer
My experience is totally different. Anyone I call at my local station is generous with their time and help. It's a big city, so that isn't because they don't have a zillion subscribers.

I rely on my computer for Passport and never have problems. I have an apple tv that I attached to my television, so if i can see on my computer, I can it send over to the television, no app needed. Which is good, because I don't get any tv reception off the air or by cable at all.

PBS funding has been under serious threat this year. They're doing their best.

Here is the email exchange:

My email to them:

Most passport programs work on TV using Chromecast, but several don't. For example Line of Separation works fine on my phone, but won't cast to the TV - get error message "something went wrong." Trying to watch some of the Ken Burns shows required trying multiple times before it would work also. I don't have this problem with any other apps that cast to the TV. What am I doing wrong? Can you help? Thanks.

Resonse:

Unfortunately, Chromecast doesn't work well with our PBS app. Sorry

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

tobes — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 19:39:23 GMT

@Isobel Archer I enjoy most of the PBS mystery series and don't pay much attention to the feel good, tell you how to live segments. like the travel and food segments. I confess I really don't know what a smart is or does that makes my life better, but I must find out because the family room TV has seen better days. My cable supplier provides an app to watch all its TV offerings on the computer so I usually use my 17 inch computer to watch TV safe and sound in my bed at night.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

Isobel Archer — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 23:09:18 GMT

Yes I can watch everything on my laptop or tablet - and I can even DVR programs to watch later on the TV.

The problem with the latter - and one reason I was happy to hear about Passport - is that our station WETA, doesn't always run the shows in any sort of order. Oh they do when the shows are first released, but if you didn't record or watch it then, or if you want to see a previous season before watching this season, you don't have much chance of seeing it in sequence.

What is frustrating is that sometimes it works. I was able to watch the new seasons of Endeavor and Van der Valk and Grantchester, and Beecham House - all with no problem.

I watched Ken Burns The War also without a hitch. But I had to try over and over to watch his Empire of the Air and, as noted, other series just will not cast - despite being available online. This just makes no sense to me.

Re: Frustrated with PBS Passport

ritasNo1Fan — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 07:35:01 GMT

I got the PBS APP from Amazon Prime for $5 or so a month. I use Roku. I think ths APP offers almost every series PBS has come up with (Masterpiece and Masterpiece Mystery, Antiques Road Show and lots more). LOVE IT! And Grantchester is there, and Midsommer. Beautiful!