How to Get Local Channels on Samsung Smart TV?

If you’re wondering how to get local channels on Samsung Smart TV, then you should know that there are quite a few different ways.

Some of them are paid, other methods are completely free and in this guide, we’ll explore every single way to get local channels on your Samsung TV.

To get local channels on any Samsung TV, you could use an antenna, service cable television, or a (free) smart application from the TV’s content store.

The local channels that you will receive are always based on the location (with antenna) or service offerings.

Let’s continue to unwrap the most important!

Every Way to Get Local Channels on Samsung TV?

There are quite a few different ways to acquire local channels on a Samsung TV even without any “smart” TV capabilities.

To acquire the best understanding possible about how to get local channels on your Samsung TV, it’s best to take a look at the table below, describing everything!

Ways to Get Local Channels on Samsung TV
	Internet – Smart TV?	Purchases?	Information
Antenna	❌	✅	The antenna must be purchased separately.
Cable	❌	✅	A cable provider service or satellite dish is needed.
Streaming	✅	❌	Online streaming only requires an internet.
Apps	✅	✅/❌	Some local channel apps are paid and others are free.

These are all possible ways to get local channels on your Samsung TV, whereby one of them would definitely work, regardless of whether the TV is smart or not.

As the table shows, some methods do require an internet and others only require a purchase so let’s dig deeper!

Can you Get Local Channels for Free?

Yes, you can get free local channels on your Samsung TV. Well, this depends on whether you consider your internet connection as a purchase.

Hence, there is no possible way to acquire local channels without any purchases and without your TV being “smart”, thus having internet.

How to Get Local Channels on Samsung Smart TV Easily?

By now it’s clear that there are a few ways to get local channels on Samsung TV. The reason why you would have to select the correct way in your situation is the requirements.

Based on whether your Samsung is “smart” or not, proceed accordingly with the methods that apply!

1. Use an Over-the-Air (OTA) Antenna!

The OTA antenna is a simple device. They could be outdoor or indoor, but they both connect via Coaxial cable to the F-type connector port of your Samsung TV.

The connector is typically found on the back of the TV, and it’s labeled differently on different models.

If you’ve never installed an OTA antenna before, follow the steps below:

1. Install your OTA antenna as high as possible in the room.
2. For outdoor antennas, again, install them as high as possible.
3. If there is an amplifier, the antenna connects to the brick first.
4. Then the coaxial cable goes into the Samsung TV’s input port.
5. After the antenna is connected, go to the Settings of the TV.
6. Navigate to the “Source” option and select “Channel Scan”.
7. From there select the “Air” option, dedicated to OTA antennas.
8. The scanning should begin and last approximately 3 minutes.
9. Cycle between the newly added local channels on your TV.

Info: If you’re seeing only a “No Signal” message, then the antenna is not connected properly!

2. Use an Over-the-Air Satellite Dish

Another way to get local channels on your Samsung TV would be by using a satellite dish that can be connected directly to your TV for free, local channels.

However, the antenna can also be used in combination with a TV box, as well as a subscription to acquire the supplier’s channels.

Let’s unwrap both scenarios!

Satellite Dish Without a Service Provider:

When you have a standalone satellite dish, without being subscripted to a TV cable service, you can easily connect the antenna directly to the Samsung TV.

This way by going into Settings > Source > Channel Scan > Cable, you should be able to discover free OTA channels.

Satellite Dish With a Service Subscription:

In contrast, if you’ve got a satellite dish that was provided by a cable TV supplier, you will need a TV cable box that will provide you with the channels.

Scanning for channels from a connected satellite dish on a TV box remains different for all brands and models so consult the manual.

3. Stream Local Channels Online

If you’re wondering how to get local channels on Samsung Smart TV without antenna, then this is one of the methods you should consider.

Streaming online does require the Samsung TV to be “smart”, hence being able to connect to a WiFi or via ethernet cable.

There are many websites that are directly streaming local channels on the internet and can be easily accessed through the browser of your Samsung TV.

Feel free to use your smartphone or a computer to discover these websites, and only reach them using the browser on your TV.

Note: Streaming local channels from a TV browser might be a bit challenging, considering the huge amount of ads and commercials, which allow these channels to remain free.

4. Get Local Channels with an App

The final possible way of getting local channels on your Samsung TV would be by using an app that you can download from the TV content store.

These apps are referred to as streaming applications and some examples would be: Netflix, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and more…

Follow the steps below to access streaming apps on your Samsung TV:

1. Press the “Home” button on the Samsung remote.
2. Then select the “Apps” icon, to open the content store.
3. Next, use the search field to be able to find an app.
4. Tap on a streaming app of your choice and download it.
5. Upon the installation completion, you will need to sign in.
6. Info: Some streaming apps are paid, subscription-based.

Pro Tip: The national TV channels are likely to have a YouTube account, where the uploads come immediately after airing. 

This means that you watch instant replays of the top news channels in your area for free!

Why Am I Not Getting All Channels?

As we’ve previously mentioned, the number of channels that you would get is strictly based on the area you’re living in.

To provide you with a basic understanding of the number of channels you should expect, here are some specific areas and the number of available local channels:

• Houston (90+)
• San Jose (100+)
• New York (70+)
• Los Angeles (150+)
• Dallas (90+)
• Chicago (65+)
• Phoenix (75+)

The exact number of channels might again vary, based on your location. You might not be able to get all channels that are expected due to many involved factors.

However, not getting any of the local channels generally means a problem in your setup and not a locational restriction.

Troubleshooting OTA Channels – Not Found

Well, if you’ve got a satellite dish or an antenna directly connected to your Samsung TV and you’re unable to discover OTA channels, we’re here to help.

There are quite a few tips and tricks that you attempt in order to start scanning for channels and adding them to your TV guide.

1. Power cycle your Samsung TV equipment.
2. Tightly reconnect the Coax (service cable).
3. Check whether your OTA antenna is working.
4. Try to install the antenna as high as possible.
5. Re-align or reposition your satellite dish.

If you’re unable to discover the free channels as per the area you’re living in, then there is an issue with your setup.

In those cases, it’s likely that the antenna is not connected properly or the unit is not working, which can be addressed by reaching the supplier for a possible replacement.

Need an Antenna for Samsung TV?

When choosing an antenna for your Samsung TV, we’re often facing a dilemma – go cheap or invest more into an antenna.

Well, if you’re looking for a cheap alternative, we recommend the Nestetr TV Antenna HD Indoor, and in contrast, would be the OphirsTV Outdoor Antenna.

Pro Tip: Always check users’ reviews before buying!

Quick Recap:

Here we’ve learned how to get local channels on Samsung Smart TV as well as on TVs that cannot connect or receive internet.

We’ve learned that to watch local channels on a Samsung TV we either need to make a purchase or have access to the internet on the TV.

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