CBS All Access has come to Roku, the first over-the-top TV streamer to offer the video service, replacing the previous CBS channel that aired only short clips. CBS All Access features free clips, and subscribers have access to more than 6,500 episodes of current and classic shows.
Current primetime shows on CBS All Access include Elementary, Mom, The Odd Couple, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS, and many more. Daytime favorites include game shows (Let's Make a Deal, The Price is Right), soaps (The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful), and talk shows (The Talk). You can also catch up on recent episodes of the The Late Show and The Late Late Show. There are also many TV classics like Perry Mason, I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, and Star Trek - The Original Series. More-recent classics include Bevery Hills 90210, The Brady Bunch, Cheers, Family Ties, Wings, JAG, and Star Trek: Enterprise. You don't need a subscription to browse all available content on the channel.
Subscribers in select cities can also view the live local CBS feed. Live TV is currently available in the following areas, and more are promised to be added: Baltimore, MD (WJZ), Boston, MA (Manchester, NH) (WBZ), Chicago, IL (WBBM), Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX (KTVT), Denver, CO (KCNC), Detroit, MI (WWJ), Los Angeles, CA (KCBS), Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL (WFOR), Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (WCCO), New York, NY (WCBS), Philadelphia, PA (KYW), Pittsburgh, PA (KDKA), Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA (KOVR) and San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA (KPIX).
Subscribers can add shows (but not individual series) to a favorites list called My CBS, but a drawback to the channel is it's lack of organization. Videos are listed by episode and are not sorted by series. Under the TV Classics category, for example, you'll find Season 1 Episode 1 (S1 Ep1) of four different shows, then S1 Ep6 of a fifth show, then S1 Ep2 of still another show, after which are later episodes of the first shows. You will have to do a lot of scrolling if you just want to browse what's available. If you know which series you want to watch, though, you can use the search function and you'll be given a list of episodes by season for that show.
You can sign up from the CBS All Access website or directly from your Roku. You may find that the channel has already been installed on your Roku; if not, you can search for it from your Roku's home screen. You will be prompted to share your Roku account information with CBS. After confirming your name, zip code, and e-mail address, you will be asked for your birth date and gender, then your Roku PIN if you set one up.
If you subscribe through your Roku, you will be billed by Roku, but not until your 7-day free trial period has expired. If you decide not to stay with CBS All Access, you can cancel it by access your Roku account at my.roku.com/account/subscriptions.
If you're looking for news and sports, you will still find those on the CBS News and CBSSports.com channels on your Roku.
