Pathetic!
I was formerly a Verizon Fios customer up until a week ago, and that is how I used to authenticated the Smithsonian app so I could watch Smithsonian on demand via the app. I’ve since switched my provider from fios to YouTubeTV. However, when I try to sign in on either my iPad or AppleTV, the Smithsonian app still redirects me to Verizon to authenticate and does not give me ANY option to authenticate through another TV provider (eg YouTubeTV). This is insane! I’m already paying for this programming, and Smithsonian is failing me miserably. Not fair…not right!
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Response from developer
Open Settings on your iOS device, scroll down to the menu option “TV Provider” and tap Sign Out. Go to the app to sign in again. If you see the prompt asking you whether you wish to allow the app to use your TV provider subscription, choose “Don’t Allow”. Allowing this will reactivate SSO and trigger the error. You should then be able to sign in to your TV provider as normal.
Unable to use Directv stream to connect
I have the Smithsonian channel included with my Directv Stream. But the only option to connect a tv provider is Directv Satellite. The two are different accounts. So when I try to connect my tv provider it doesn’t work. There is no option for Directv Stream. With more and more people cutting the cord and using steaming, this should already be corrected.
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Good content, but very glitchy
Just like the title says- the content is still mostly educational. The Smithsonian channel hasn’t digressed to mindless content like some other networks, just to garner more views. The app is a pain to use though due to its poor programming, and/or server. I would love it if I wouldn’t have to sign in with my cable network every time I want to use the app! The “don’t ask again on this browser” and “remember me” functions do not work. This seems like it would be an easy fix, but I’m not a programmer.
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Still Terrible Since Last Years Rewrite
If only I could give zero stars for an absolutely terrible app.
The previous app apparently had too much content and was way to easy to navigate. We can fix that.
It also had a tremendous amount of 4K shows. Gone.
This is like going back to Windows 98 after using the latest version of iOS. Smart move.
I used to view shows in this app on a daily basis. I haven’t watched anything in this app since the rewrite. Just checking when an update comes in to see if it’s fixed.
Sadly it’s the same garbage app on the iPad and Apple TV.
The previous app apparently had too much content and was way to easy to navigate. We can fix that.
It also had a tremendous amount of 4K shows. Gone.
This is like going back to Windows 98 after using the latest version of iOS. Smart move.
I used to view shows in this app on a daily basis. I haven’t watched anything in this app since the rewrite. Just checking when an update comes in to see if it’s fixed.
Sadly it’s the same garbage app on the iPad and Apple TV.
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Aerial America rules!
You guys need to make more shows like aerial America…take air disasters off the air, no pun intended…that show is scary and is always on, more nature and history documentaries less plane crash garbage
Missing an important feature
There’s no add to my favorites list anywhere within the app that I can see. So, what? We have to hunt down what we want to watch each time? No, thanks! Yes, I’ve signed in with my provider, it still didn’t show how to save programs! Bummed!
They Don’t Care About Cable Customers
The selection & quality of content was unrivaled til this company saw an opportunity to make more money with Paramount+. They reduced the library by more than half & made the other shows exclusive to Paramount+. Why are trying to force cable customers to pay for content they’ve already paid for on an additional platform? The customer is always right, bring the old app back and stop being greedy! This is an outrage.
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Latest Version
Honestly my favorite streaming app to watch documentaries. Now not at all, since the new update, it only works in portrait mode, really annoying changing positions with the iPad. Even when it changes to landscape to play any show, the top part of the screen (where the time and battery are showing) stays showing the previous screen. Now we have to deal with commercials too. One of the main reasons why I like to use the app is to get away from commercials.
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fix this stupid app.
this app used to be amazing. no ads, full videos with all seasons. now i can’t watch anything because when it goes into commercials, it doesn’t open the video back up. it just repeats ads for a good five minutes even though it says “content will resume in 1:30”. Take away the ads, or fix the bug.
Greedy
I logged in through my provider and they still don’t offer full seasons as other apps do. This is a cheesy way to get more money out of your audience by charging for episodes for a complete season. Smithsonian must be a CBS affiliates as there one of the worst for being greedy also like their programming is gold or something. Some Free advice for you, do like almost all others do and don’t limit your customers that already pay for your programming & you’ll increase the size of your programming audience. This isn’t rocket science!!
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Response from developer
Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback. If you would like to share specific details about your Smithsonian Channel experience, like what was missing with your TV login, we want to hear them. Please visit https://help.smithsonianchannel.com where you can submit a request.
Good contents but poor picture resolution
My family loves watching documentaries on big screen. I was excited when I was browsing the movie list in the app. But when we started to watch on our 120” projector screen, we were very disappointed with the picture quality. Even for the ones in 4K category, the quality is not even close to, say the Apple original series “Tiny World” - one of our favorites. Eventually it became such a torture to the eyes we had to stop the movie.
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Response from developer
We appreciate this feedback, and have forwarded your feedback internally. Thank you for watching Smithsonian Channel!
Crap app
This has to be one of the worst app I have used. And the sad thing is they charge for this. You would think they would put some care into it since it’s based off a channel let alone to make money. One thing if the app for free but even then. They even make money from advertisements but can’t help but to cut corners when building the app they are going to charge for in the first place. Very disappointing that a company as big as this can be as careless as this
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Don't support my provider?
Soo...let me get this straight, I subscribe to a specific tier with my cable provider to watch Smithsonian channel, yet when I want to use the mobile app my provider is not available? Listen AT&T & Viacom, cut the crap, what's the sense of even subscribing to have the channel yet I can't use the mobile app?? Also, I have cbs all access, which is owned, yet again, by ViaCom CBS but doesn't have the latest episodes?? What's the point!!!!! It's all useless garbage!
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Loved this Channel - App
One of the only decent apps I’ve found on any of these pad, phone, Win 10 deals. Just wished they understood that a lot of us come from the net with no tv provider at all except the “45 foot antenna outside the house.”
And I’ve just read that it’s been canceled‼️ 🤦🏼♂️ Nothing left to watch except a few old reruns - OMG 😳
CLASS 1AAA APP/CHANNEL
And I’ve just read that it’s been canceled‼️ 🤦🏼♂️ Nothing left to watch except a few old reruns - OMG 😳
CLASS 1AAA APP/CHANNEL
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Response from developer
We appreciate this feedback, and have forwarded your comment internally. Thank you for watching Smithsonian Channel!
Used to be great then cbs stepped in
This used to be one of my favorite apps/services. But now cbs has taken over and forced me into cbs all access. So now I'm paying more to watch commercials with a abysmal interface. The Smithsonian channel is literally the only thing of interest to me on CBS all access. Oh, and there's also a season of air disasters missing from what's on the Smithsonian app which I can no longer access.
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I don’t want cbs I only want Smithsonian
The app was 4.99 a month. Now in order to watch it I have to pay for cbs. If I wanted to watch anything on cbs, I would have paid for cbs. I don’t watch anything at all on cbs, if I did I could turn on the television and watch the boring cbs shows. So in order to watch Smithsonian I have to pay more money to cbs. Can you please go back to how it was?
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Needs work
This app needs a lot of work. You can’t watch it full screen on your phone and it doesn’t work sometimes lol. I love Smithsonian and would pay 2-3 extra dollars a month just so they could make this app better. Of course, the cable subscription thing is dumb but that’s probably not the fault of the developers. Someone higher up is trying to save money or just has an old school way of thinking and that’s why this app is so far behind from everyone else. Smithsonian is 10 times better than curiosity stream so I’ll always appreciate their great content but I’m hoping this app improves sooner than later. Is it as bad as everyone is saying? No, not really but it’s insane it’s with how the whole thing is set up.
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Response from developer
We're sorry to hear that you are having technical difficulties, and we want to help you! If you are still having trouble watching our content, use https://help.smithsonianchannel.com and submit a request. We're happy to let you know that if you already get Smithsonian Channel through your cable provider, you can now stream hundreds of hours of programming within the Smithsonian Channel app. Select 'SIGN IN' then 'SELECT TV PROVIDER.' Once you've selected your provider, you may sign in with your provider credentials. Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback, and thank you for watching Smithsonian Channel!
You have to pay twice?
Just like everyone says, you have to pay twice. Once for your cable subscription, and then once for the streaming app service. They’ll come and say, “you can access all of our stuff on our website for free with your cable provider....blah blah blah.” Yes I understand that, But I want to watch that content through the app on my Apple TV, and not through a web browser. Not that difficult to figure out. It’s amazing how stupid UX people can be...
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Smithsonian Channel +
I subscribe to SC+. However there are very few shows to watch the entire season for. Usually it is season limited, and then the app ask me to buy each show for $2.99. Smithsonian support said since I’m buying through Apple I should talk to them. But the app is not Apple’s. Anyway I reached out to Apple, they suggested I reach out to Smithsonian. Meanwhile I am getting charged.
Addendum: received response advising that if I wanted to see all shows, to get and subscribe to SC+. Please refer to the first sentence of this review.
Addendum: received response advising that if I wanted to see all shows, to get and subscribe to SC+. Please refer to the first sentence of this review.
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What everyone else has said
We pay for Smithsonian Channel through our $$$ Comcast package. But, if you can’t watch on a cable box (our kids’ TV doesn’t have one), you are SOL. You have NO streaming rights as a Comcast subscriber to Smithsonian apps - unless you pay them a 2nd time!
Don’t you hate it when grifters don’t even know how to do it well? I’ll probably downgrade our package at some point in the future and I won’t miss this channel at all. The world’s awash in content and some programming exec thinks we are stupid enough to pay for the same thing twice.
Don’t you hate it when grifters don’t even know how to do it well? I’ll probably downgrade our package at some point in the future and I won’t miss this channel at all. The world’s awash in content and some programming exec thinks we are stupid enough to pay for the same thing twice.
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Response from developer
We're happy to let you know that if you already get Smithsonian Channel through your cable provider, you can now stream hundreds of hours of programming within the Smithsonian Channel app. Select 'SIGN IN' then 'SELECT TV PROVIDER.' Once you've selected your provider, you may sign in with your provider credentials. Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback, and thank you for watching Smithsonian Channel!
