Streaming Local Channels
If you don’t want to bother with installing an antenna, and your only concern is getting your local channels, there is another option. Available in Denver and just a few other cities is an app called LOCAST. This is a non-profit organization that installs antennas in local cities and then streams the stations directly to any device that has the app.
Previous attempts to do this were overturned by the courts as copyright infringement, but since Locast is a non-profit, it is doing this under “fair use” and, so far, has not been challenged in the courts.
Locast only has your local broadcast channels. In Denver, this is ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS. You can only get them live, there is no ability to record these stations. When you launch Locast, there is a somewhat annoying start-up page that asks for a donation of $5, but when that is finished, a standard “grid” show up so you can select your channel.
Unless you have a “Smart” TV that has the ability to load the Locast app, you’ll need a hardware piece like a ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or similar product in order to get Locast into your TV. Obviously, you will also need an internet connection, although all of these devices work just fine with a wireless connection.
We’ll discuss other ways to get your local channels in an upcoming post.
If you have any questions about Cord Cutting, or any other Home Automation advance, feel free to give us a call at 303-665-2238.