Houston PBS Passport FAQs | Houston Public Media (2024)

Passport is a member benefit that gives eligible supporters extended access to the PBS Video streaming app, an on-demand library of quality public television programming online. The PBS library currently offers more than 1,000 episodes, with new PBS programs being added weekly. For more information about Passport, please visit the PBS website. For technical assistance, please visit PBS Passport Support.

Passport is a benefit for members who contribute a minimum of $60 per year. Here are a few ways to join:

• Become a sustaining member by making monthly donations of at least $5 on an ongoing basis.
• Make a one-time donation of at least $60.
• Donate a vehicle

Once your donation is processed, you will receive an activation email.

Yes! As a member benefit, Passport is not considered a tangible good or service that would affect the tax-deductibility of your qualified charitable contributions.

If you qualify for Passport and have never activated it, please read the Activation FAQs below.

For general information about Passport, visit the PBS website. For technical assistance, visit PBS Passport Support. If you have other questions or require further assistance, email the Houston PBS Passport Team.

Passport is a member benefit that is linked to your qualifying donations to Houston Public Media.

• One-time donations are nonrefundable.
• Monthly sustaining donations may be stopped via written request when such requests are received at least 5 days prior to the charge date.
• Please note that cancellations of sustaining donations are subject to review pending fulfillment of pledges with thank-you gifts.

To cancel your membership, email the Houston PBS Passport Team. Please note that, if you set up your pledge through Fire TV, you should cancel your monthly donations directly through Amazon Pay.

Yes. Gift memberships are a great way to share your support for public broadcasting. When you give a one-time donation of $60 or more, your recipient will receive a Houston Public Media membership, which includes one year of access to Passport. For more information or to donate, please visit our Gift Membership page.

Visit the Passport Lookup Tool and enter the email address you provided to Houston Public Media. If your information is on file, you will receive an activation email. If you do not receive an email from PBS and it is not in your junk folder, then there is no Passport benefit associated with the email address you entered. In that event:

• Try another email address.
• Email the Houston PBS Passport Team.

When you receive your activation email, click on the link and follow the prompts. A brief video tutorial is also available on our YouTube page. If you don't have access to the activation email but do have a four-word activation code, visit http://www.pbs.org/passport/ and enter the activation code in its entirety. When the activation code is accepted, you will be taken to the PBS website. There, you will create a PBS account by entering an email address and password. Once your Passport is activated and your PBS account is created, you may begin streaming programming on the PBS website. If you would like to watch Passport on your television, please visit PBS Passport Support to learn how to install the free PBS Video app on your streaming devices and/or compatible smart TVs.

Once you've activated your Passport, you will be directed to create a PBS account by entering an email address and password.

• If that email address is already associated with a PBS account, you will be prompted to select Sign in with PBS account and use your existing login credentials.
• If your PBS account is associated with a social media login, you may need to reset your access by following the onscreen prompts or visiting the Passport Member Lookup Tool.

Your activation instructions will be emailed to you within 24 to 48 hours. If you don't receive an activation email, check your junk folder and/or visit the Passport Lookup Tool.

Email the Houston PBS Passport Team. They will be able to provide your activation instructions once your vehicle donation is processed.

The confirmation code indicates your donation went through and is being processed, but it is NOT an activation code. Activation codes consist of four words separated by hyphens (example: four-word-activation-code). Please be on the lookout for an email that contains an activation code and/or an activation link. Don't forget to check your junk folder!

Try again from a different device, such as a desktop computer. Please note that your activation code is not the password for your PBS account, and vice versa.

If you are currently making a sustaining donation of at least $5 per month or you've made a one-time gift of at least $60 this year, you qualify for Passport! Please visit the Passport Member Lookup Tool and enter your email address. If that information is on file, PBS will email your activation instructions.

Use the email address you provided when you activated your Passport.

Go to the PBS website and sign in. If your account is activated, you will see a small blue-and-white compass rose next to your name. That symbol is the Passport icon. Its presence indicates you can view anything that is currently available in the PBS library. You can also check your Passport status by using the Passport Member Lookup Tool.

Use the PBS Passport Reset Tool to reset your access.

Follow the same procedure as above for activating Passport, but instead of creating a new PBS account when the activation code is accepted, select Sign in with PBS account and use your existing login credentials. If you don't remember your password, just reset it.

Send a detailed email to the Houston PBS Passport Team.

You may need to reset your access. Please visit the PBS Passport Reset Tool.

Once you've activated your Passport and created a PBS account, you are welcome to install the free PBS Video app and activate Passport on your compatible streaming devices. A brief video tutorial is also available on our YouTube page. Please visit PBS Passport Support for more information and detailed instructions.

Passport is a benefit PBS allows its member stations to offer to their members. PBS Masterpiece is a completely separate on-demand streaming subscription service offered by Amazon. Although the two platforms share some of the same content, subscribing to Amazon Masterpiece channel does not grant access to Passport-exclusive videos on PBS.org or the PBS Video app. For more information, visit the PBS Help website.

The following is an evolving list of smart TVs and streaming devices with operating systems that support Passport on the PBS Video app:

• Roku devices, including Smart Roku TVs
• Apple TV devices
• VIZIO SmartCast TVs
• Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick devices, including "Fire TV Edition" TV sets
• Android TV devices, including Android-based Smart TVs
• Samsung Smart TVs (2017 models and newer)
• Chromecast devices, including TVs with Chromecast built-in

Please note that the PBS Video app is not currently available on LG TVs. PBS is looking at ways to add more devices and support LG TVs in the future. For the most up-to-date information about supported devices, visit the PBS Help website.

Use the PBS Passport Reset Tool to reset your access.

It's possible you either didn't sign in or signed in with a social media account login. Look for a blue-and-white compass rose next to your name. If the Passport icon isn't there, you're not signed in with a PBS account. Sign out and sign in again. If you still don't see the Passport icon and you keep getting the message, it might mean you need to reset your access. In that event, use the PBS Passport Reset Tool to reset your access.

Yes! Regardless of whether you have Passport, if you have an internet connection and are located within our broadcast area, you may live stream KUHT TV 8 online as follows:

• Go to the Houston Public Media website and select Watch.
• Go to the PBS website and select LIVE TV.
• Find out whether YouTube TV is available in your area.

If you want to use a mobile device, download the free PBS app and select LIVE TV.

Please note that access to our live stream depends on geographic location, connection speeds, permissions, and whether PBS supports the streaming device's operating system. For more information, visit PBS Support.

For technical assistance with the PBS Video app, visit PBS Passport Support. To report problems, send a message to the PBS Help Desk. If you have membership-level questions or need further assistance, send a detailed email to the Houston PBS Passport Team.

No. However, Passport grants extended access to members-only programming that's not available to the general public.

The PBS Video library features episodes from popular programs like American Experience, American Masters, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, and NOVA. In addition to these signature series, the PBS Video library showcases public television's most acclaimed arts, science, history, and lifestyle programs. For more information, visit the PBSwebsite.

Once you’ve activated your Passport benefit, you can watch videos online at any time by visiting PBS.org. There is no separate Passport website. If you have a smartphone or tablet, download the PBS Video app for an even better viewing experience. To watch Passport on your television, install the free PBS Video app on your supported TVs and streaming devices. For more information about streaming the PBS Video app on a smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, VIZIO SmartCast TV, Samsung TV, or Chromecast device, please visit PBS Passport Support.

Here are two convenient ways to find videos:

• Shows—filter by title, genre, popular, A-Z, and more
• Search—use magnifying glass icon to enter search term

For more information, visit the PBS Help website.

There are a few possible reasons:

• PBS may be unable to offer the video for online streaming until the date of its broadcast premiere.
• The video may be listed under a different title.
• Your search term may contain spelling errors, special characters, or too many words.
• PBS may not own the rights to offer the video for online streaming.

For more information, visit PBS Pass`port Support.

No.

No. The PBS KIDS Video app is free to use.

Visit the PBS Help website for information on how to improve streaming performance. If the issue pertains to closed captioning, visit PBS Help's Closed Captioning page. If you can't find a solution or the problem persists, send a message to the PBS Help Desk.