通过切换到Netflix(Netflix)或Amazon Prime等流媒体服务来“(Amazon Prime)切断电源(cut the cord)”并节省资金的感觉很好。但是，有线电视公司仍会提供某些类型的内容，您在使用点播服务时是找不到的。
好消息是您不必重新支付高级或基本电缆的费用。事实上，有几种方法可以获得免费的有线电视频道或接近它的东西，同时仍然可以安全地切断电源线，并且您的有线电视费用为零。
免费电缆(Free Cable)需要什么硬件(Hardware)？
大多数免费有线解决方案都需要互联网服务和兼容设备。如果您的设备具有现代浏览器或明确支持我们在下面介绍的应用程序之一，那么您就可以开始了。
这意味着智能电视、Roku、Amazon Fire TV、Chromecast、Playstation、Xbox、Android或 iOS 智能手机、平板电脑和许多其他设备已经准备好接受免费有线电视服务。当然，并非每个选项都需要互联网连接。
在您的设置中添加免费的高清电视天线(HDTV Antenna)
当我们说“有线电视”时，我们指的是传统的网络电视。它不必使用电缆来计数！您可以使用其他媒体添加广播电视，包括通过空中自由传输的无线电波 ( OTA )。
是的，很容易忘记电视仍然有调谐器，最近的型号配备了数字调谐器。您所要做的就是连接合适的电视天线，您就可以在屏幕上接收广播。如果您的电视没有数字调谐器，您可以随时购买数字接收器盒将信号转换为HDMI并与任何兼容的电视一起使用。
天线并不太贵，而且是一次性成本。但是您可以接收哪些频道取决于您住在哪里以及哪些广播在天线的范围内。不同(Different)的天线适用于不同的范围。使用室内或室外天线会显着影响信号强度，以及您是否会获得本地频道或来自更远的广播塔的频道。
好消息是，您可以在网上找到大量站点来确定您所在地区的广播。FCC托管了一个数字电视广播地图站点(Digital TV broadcast map site)，只需输入您的位置，您就会看到可用的内容。ABC等网络在部分地区仍在播出OTA。你需要输入你的地址，看看有什么。
直接在线流式传输有线电视
有线电视提供商知道人们正在转向流媒体。大多数流媒体平台都是付费的。例如，Paramount+需要付费订阅，但并非对所有平台都适用。NBC 的流媒体服务Peacock(Peacock)有一个包含大量有线电视内容的免费套餐。
寻找类似电缆的流媒体(Cable-like Streaming)选项
您无需流式传输有线频道即可获得有线内容或类似有线的体验。一些网站提供实时流媒体频道以及点播有线内容。其中许多是广告支持的，不需要付费订阅，除非您想摆脱广告。这些免费的流媒体网站和服务有多种选择。这里有一些脱颖而出。
图比电视(Tubi TV)
Tubi TV(TVoffers)提供直播电视和点播流媒体内容。该服务受广告支持，但声称其广告少于有线电视。直播内容包括一长串新闻频道(news channels)和体育直播(live sports)，仅限于美国(United) 。(States)但是，如果您居住在美国以外的地区，Tubi的点播部分仍有大量内容，因此仍然值得一试。
丛(Plex)
Plexis可能以其家庭媒体服务器(media server)技术而闻名。但近年来，它已开始通过其服务器提供免费的直播和点播内容。
如果您前往该网站的直播电视部分（或通过其中一个Plex应用程序），您会发现大量直播电视选项。包括彭博(Bloomberg)电视、今日美国(USA Today)和各种体育流媒体频道。
Pluto TV(Pluto TVis)是类似有线电视的流媒体服务中的另一个大牌。同时，它仅在美国提供，(USA)澳大利亚(Australia)、欧洲(Europe)、英国和加拿大(Canada)的观众可以观看缩减版。
超过 250 个直播电视频道，但值得注意的包括CBS 新闻(CBS News)、NFL频道和星际迷航(Star Trek)，因为星际迷航(Star Trek)很棒。
裂纹(Crackle)
Crackle已经存在了很长时间，并且已经易手几次，属于索尼(Sony)几年，但现在归灵魂娱乐(Soul Entertainment)的鸡汤(Chicken Soup)所有。
您会在这里找到大量免费内容，包括来自CBS、索尼影业(Sony Pictures)、环球(Universal)、华纳(Warner) 兄弟(Brothers)等有线电视提供商的内容。但是，广告可能有点过分，尤其是与Tubi相比。
如果您想知道谁在您最喜欢的电视节目中或演员出演过哪些电影，大多数人认为IMDb是一个去处。(IMDb)令人惊讶(Surprisingly)的是，IMDb也是一个以IMDB TV形式获取免费视频流的地方。这仍然是一项亚马逊 Prime 视频(Amazon Prime Video)服务，但IMDB 电视(IMDB TV)过滤器意味着您看到的所有内容都是免费的。
有线电视(FREECABLE TV)
这项服务的名称让您毫无疑问会得到什么。这里的主要限制是您只能通过Google Play或App Store应用程序使用该服务。尽管如此，它可能是您在美国(USA)可以获得的最直接的免费电缆更换，但仅限于此。
包含来自FOX、NBC、TLC、NBC和更多三字母公司的内容，我们无法在此处列出，如果您在(NBC)美国(USA)，值得一看。
(Find Full Episodes)在网络网站上(Network Website)查找完整剧集
假设(Suppose)您正在寻找免费的有线电视内容而无需支付有线电视费用。在这种情况下，您应该访问该网络的网站以获取流媒体，甚至访问您想要观看的特定节目的网站。令人惊讶(Surprisingly)的是，许多有线电视网站都提供已播出的完整免费电视剧集。例如，如果您访问成人游泳(Adult Swim)网站，您会发现《瑞克(Rick)和莫蒂(Morty)》的完整剧集以及其他标题。
此类服务的运作情况存在很大差异。例如，一些官方网站仅提供最新剧集或锁定有线电视订阅后的特定剧集。尽管如此，只需几秒钟即可使用关键字“完整剧集”搜索您最喜欢的节目，看看是否有任何合法的节目可用。
使用共享电缆帐户
许多有线电视提供商现在捆绑了流媒体服务，以便订阅者也可以在手机和其他联网设备上获取他们的大部分内容。
这导致与朋友和家人共享密码，以便他们可以通过登录有线电视应用程序来欣赏有线电视内容。(password-sharing)这是“免费的”，因为您不直接为此付费。例如，订阅HBO有线电视的人通常可以免费访问HBO Max。
可以想象，一些有线电视提供商不赞成这种做法，而另一些则将其作为一种福利提供。您甚至可能有资格获得具有流媒体访问权限的家庭共享计划。您必须查看有线电视提供商的共享政策，以了解是否允许这样做。
免费试用
如果您只需要通过电缆访问仅会在短时间内播放的特定内容，请考虑使用免费试用版。
- YouTube TV 免费试用(YouTube TV Free Trial)（7 天），包括云 DVR。
- Apple TV +（7 天，如果您购买了PS5或Apple设备，则更多）现在包括MLB流媒体。
- Roku 所有者获得ESPN 的 7 天免费试用(7-day free trial of ESPN)。
- Sling TV提供 3 天试用期。
- DirecTV（5 天试用）要求最低 8Mbps 的高速互联网。
- PBS（通过Amazon Prime 试用版(Amazon Prime Trial)或YouTube TV 试用版免费试用(YouTube TV Trial)）。
如果没有免费试用，您可能可以利用特价、优惠券代码或其他不太直接的方式在一段时间内访问这些服务，而无需支付月费。
您当前(Current)的订阅可能包括直播(Might Include Live)电视
人们主要订阅Hulu等服务来获取点播内容。不过，您可能已经为包含一些类似有线电视的直播电视的订阅付费。如果没有，这些频道可能会以较低的附加费提供，但由于我们在这里寻找免费选项，因此不在菜单中。
在网上搜索免费更换有线电视之前，请检查您当前订阅的服务，看看它们是否隐藏了有线电视内容，例如免费直播新闻频道。一个典型的例子是HGTV，它包含在众多流媒体服务中，其中一个几乎肯定已经在您的订阅列表中。
使用 VPN（可能）是不合法的
许多免费的有线流媒体资源仅被许可在美国(USA)或其运营的任何地区展示该内容。虽然使用绕过这种地理封锁做法的VPN非常简单，但它通常是不合法的。(VPN)
那是因为内容要么没有在您居住的地方获得许可，要么当地提供商已支付了在您所在地区展示该内容的权利。这意味着使用VPN观看出于您自己以外的原因获得许可的内容实际上是一种盗版形式。
毕竟，付费在流中出现的广告商并不是在向您推销自己。您所在地区的内容许可持有人被拒绝获得这些权利应提供的广告收入或订阅费。
我们说“可能”使用VPN是不合法的，因为内容许可法因国家或州而异。因此(Hence)，世界上可能有一些地方是灰色地带或不被禁止，但没有办法在本文的范围内进行全球法律审查。
How to Get Free Cable TV Channels Legally
It feels good to “cut the cord” and save money by switching to streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime. However, cable companies still offer certain types of content you won’t find using an on-demand service.
The good news is that you don’t have to go back to paying for premium or basic cable. In fact, there are a few ways to get free cable TV channels or something close to it while still leaving that cord safely cut and your cable bill at zero dollars.
What Hardware Do You Need for Free Cable?
Most of the free cable solutions require internet service and a compatible device. If your device has a modern browser or explicitly supports one of the apps we’re covering below, you’re good to go.
That means a smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox, Android or iOS smartphone, tablet, and many other devices are already primed for free cable services. Of course, not every option requires an internet connection.
Add a Free-To-Air HDTV Antenna to Your Setup
When we say “cable,” we mean traditional network television. It doesn’t have to use a cable to count! You can add broadcast television using other mediums, including radio waves transmitted freely over the air (OTA).
Yes, it’s easy to forget that televisions still have tuners, with more recent models equipped with digital tuners. All you have to do is connect a suitable TV antenna, and you can receive broadcasts to your screen. If your TV doesn’t have a digital tuner, you can always buy a digital receiver box to convert the signal into HDMI and use it with any compatible TV.
The antennas aren’t too expensive and represent a once-off cost. But which channels you can receive depends on where you live and which broadcasts are within range of the antenna. Different antennas are rated for different ranges. Using an indoor or outdoor antenna significantly impacts the strength of the signal and whether you’ll get local channels or ones from broadcast towers further afield.
The good news is that you can find plenty of sites on the net to figure out which broadcasts are in your area. The FCC hosts a Digital TV broadcast map site, just enter your location, and you’ll see what’s available. Networks such as ABC still broadcast OTA in some regions. You need to put in your address and see what’s on.
Stream Cable TV Online Directly
Cable TV providers know that people are moving to streaming. Most streaming platforms are paid. For example, Paramount+ requires a paid subscription, but that’s not universally true for all platforms. Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, has a free tier with a heap of cable content.
Look for Cable-like Streaming Options
You don’t need to stream a cable channel to get cable content or cable-like experiences. Several websites offer live streaming channels as well as on-demand cable content. Many of these are ad-supported and don’t require a paid subscription unless you want to get rid of the advertising. There is a wide selection of these free streaming sites and services. Here are a few that stand out.
Tubi TVoffers both live TV and on-demand streaming content. The service is ad-supported but claims to have fewer ads than cable TV. The live content includes a long list of news channels and live sports, which are limited to the United States. However, if you live outside of the US, there’s still a ton of content on Tubi in the on-demand section, so it’s still worth checking out.
Plexis perhaps best known for its in-home media server technology. But it has started offering free live and on-demand content from its servers in recent years.
If you head over to the live TV segment of the site (or through one of the Plex apps), you’ll find a wealth of live TV options. Including Bloomberg TV, USA Today, and various sports streaming channels.
Pluto TVis another big name in cable-like streaming services. At the same time, it’s only available in the USA, with a cut-down version available to viewers in Australia, Europe, the UK, and Canada.
Over 250 live TV channels, but notable ones include CBS News, the NFL channel, and Star Trek, because Star Trek is awesome.
Crackle has been around for ages and has changed hands a few times, belonging to Sony for a few years but now owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.
You’ll find a heap of free content here, including content from cable providers like CBS, Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers, and more. However, the advertising can be a little excessive, especially compared to Tubi.
Most people think of IMDb as a place to go if you want to know who was in your favorite TV show or what movies actors have been in. Surprisingly, IMDb is also a place to get free video streaming in the form of IMDB TV. This is still an Amazon Prime Video service, but the IMDB TV filter means everything you see is free.
This service’s name leaves no doubt about what you’re getting. The main limitation here is that you can only use the service through the Google Play or App Store apps. Still, it’s probably the most direct free cable replacement you can get in the USA, which it’s limited to.
With content from FOX, NBC, TLC, NBC, and more three-letter companies than we can list here, it’s worth looking if you’re in the USA.
Find Full Episodes on the Network Website
Suppose you’re looking for free cable content without paying for cable. In that case, you should visit the network’s website for streams or even the website of the specific show you want to watch. Surprisingly, many cable sites offer full free episodes of TV shows already aired. For example, if you visit the Adult Swim website, you’ll find full episodes of Rick and Morty, among other titles.
There’s a lot of variability in how well this type of service works. For example, some official sites only offer the most recent episodes or lock specific episodes behind a cable subscription. Still, it only takes a few seconds to search for your favorite shows with the keyword “full episodes” to see if anything legal is available.
Use a Shared Cable Account
Many cable providers now bundle in a streaming service so that subscribers can also get much of their content on mobile phones and other internet-connected devices.
This has led to password-sharing with friends and family members so that they can enjoy cable content by logging in to the cable app. This is “free” because you’re not paying for it directly. For example, someone with an HBO cable subscription usually gets free access to the HBO Max.
As you can imagine, this practice is frowned upon by some cable providers, while others offer it as a perk. You may even be eligible for a family-sharing plan with streaming access. You’ll have to check the cable provider’s policy on sharing to know if this is allowed.
Free Trials
Consider using a free trial if you only need cable access for a particular piece of content that will only be on for a short time.
- YouTube TV Free Trial (7 days), including cloud DVR.
- Apple TV + (7 days, more if you bought a PS5 or Apple device) now includes MLB streaming.
- Roku owners get a 7-day free trial of ESPN.
- Sling TV offers a 3-day trial.
- DirecTV (5-day trial) requires 8Mbps minimum high-speed internet.
- PBS (Free trial through Amazon Prime Trial or YouTube TV Trial).
If there’s no free trial, you might be in a position to take advantage of specials, coupon codes, or other less direct ways to access those services for a while without paying monthly fees.
Your Current Subscription Might Include Live TV
People mainly subscribe to services like Hulu for their on-demand content. Still, you may already be paying for a subscription that includes some cable-like live TV. If not, those channels might be available for a low add-on fee, but since we’re looking for free options here, that’s off the menu.
Before trawling the net for free cable replacements, check the services you’ve currently subscribed to and see if they have cable content tucked away, such as free live news channels. One prime example is HGTV, which is included with numerous streaming services, of which one is almost certainly already on your subscription list.
Using a VPN (Probably) Isn’t Legal
Many free cable streaming sources are only licensed to show that content within the USA or whichever region they operate within. While it’s pretty simple to use a VPN that circumvents this geo-blocking practice, it’s usually not legal.
That’s because the content either isn’t licensed where you live, or a local provider has paid for the rights to show that content in your region. This means that using a VPN to watch content licensed for a reason other than your own is effectively a form of piracy.
After all, the advertisers who pay to be featured in the stream aren’t marketing themselves to you. The content license holder in your region is denied the ad revenue or subscription fee that those rights should provide.
We say using a VPN “probably” isn’t legal because content licensing laws differ from country to country or state to state. Hence, there are probably parts of the world where it’s a grey area or not prohibited, but there’s no way to do a global law review within the scope of this article.
