How to Watch Chinese TV and Live Channels in the US
In short: open a Chinese video app in the US and CCTV live channels, popular dramas and variety shows will usually say they are "only available in mainland China". Install Homeway and switch on the moon gate, and those apps play normally on your TV, phone and computer. Video still streams from the server nearest to you, so an ordinary home connection is enough. For the living-room TV, pick one running Google TV, or add an Android streaming box.
Time difference between the US and Beijing
Beijing is on UTC+8 all year with no daylight saving time. Most of the US switches to daylight saving time on the second Sunday of March and back to standard time on the first Sunday of November, so the gap is one hour smaller in summer. Standard time runs from November 1, 2026; daylight saving time returns on March 14, 2027.
| Time zone (cities) | Beijing is ahead by (daylight time) | Beijing is ahead by (standard time) |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (New York, Boston, Washington, Atlanta) | 12 hours | 13 hours |
| Central (Chicago, Houston, Dallas) | 13 hours | 14 hours |
| Mountain (Denver, Salt Lake City) | 14 hours | 15 hours |
| Pacific (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas) | 15 hours | 16 hours |
Exceptions: most of Arizona (including Phoenix) does not observe daylight saving time and stays 15 hours behind Beijing all year. Hawaii is 18 hours behind all year. Alaska is 16 hours behind in summer and 17 in winter.
When the CCTV evening news and the Spring Festival Gala air in the US
Evening shows in Beijing land on the morning of the same day in the US. Xinwen Lianbo, the CCTV evening news, starts at 19:00 Beijing time:
| City | Evening news, daylight time | Evening news, standard time | 2027 Gala (Feb 5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 7:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | Feb 5, 7:00 a.m. |
| Chicago, Houston | 6:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | Feb 5, 6:00 a.m. |
| Denver | 5:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | Feb 5, 5:00 a.m. |
| Phoenix | 4:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | Feb 5, 5:00 a.m. |
| Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle | 4:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | Feb 5, 4:00 a.m. |
| Honolulu | 1:00 a.m. | 1:00 a.m. | Feb 5, 2:00 a.m. |
The 2027 Spring Festival Gala starts on Lunar New Year's Eve, February 5 at 20:00 Beijing time, while the US is still on standard time. On the East Coast you can catch it live over breakfast; on the West Coast 4 a.m. is early, so the replay may suit you better. See watching CCTV live outside China and watching the Spring Festival Gala abroad for where to find the live stream and replays.
Will it work on your TV?
The Homeway TV app runs on Android TV and Google TV. When buying a TV or a box, check the operating system rather than the brand:
- Works: Sony Google TV sets, and TCL and Hisense models labeled "Google TV".
- Doesn't work: Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) built-in systems, Hisense VIDAA models, and Roku TV models from TCL, Hisense and others. Roku is not Android, so neither Roku TVs nor Roku sticks can install Homeway.
- Not tested: we have not verified Amazon Fire TV devices, so we don't recommend buying one for this.
There's no need to replace a TV that doesn't qualify. Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon all sell Google TV boxes, such as Google's Google TV Streamer and Walmart's own onn. 4K box. Plug one into an HDMI port and install Homeway and the video apps on the box. For Samsung and LG owners, see watching Chinese TV on Samsung and LG TVs.
Is your internet fast enough?
Most US home broadband is plenty. As a guide, 1080p needs a steady 5 Mbps or more, and 4K works best with 15–25 Mbps. Homeway does not relay the video itself, so nothing slows down from a detour through China. If playback stutters, the home Wi-Fi is the usual culprit: switch a far-away TV to the 5 GHz band, or plug in an Ethernet cable.
The time difference helps too. When you watch after work in the evening, it is morning in China and past the evening rush there, so playback is usually smoother. Early-morning live viewing does coincide with China's evening peak; if it spins now and then, see fixing buffering.
Get started in three steps
- TV: on a Google TV set or box, search for "Homeway" in Google Play and install it. Without Google Play, open
homeway.tv/tvin a browser to download it. Details are in the TV install guide. Then scan the QR code with your phone to sign in. - Phone: on Android, follow the Android install guide. On iPhone and iPad, download it from the App Store.
- Computer: use the Windows app, or on Mac or Windows add the Chrome, Edge or Firefox browser extension and watch on the web.
Every device works the same way: switch on the moon gate on Homeway's home screen, then open CCTV Video (Yangshipin), Tencent Video, iQIYI or another supported app. The full list is on supported apps.
Pricing in US dollars
New users get a 7-day free trial on first sign-in, on TV, phone and computer, with no card required. After the trial you move to the free plan, which you can keep using on one phone. To watch on a TV, a computer or several devices, subscribe to Standard (2 devices) or Family (5 devices), billed monthly. From the US, the plans page shows prices in US dollars.
Watching as a family
When parents fly over from China for a few months, what they want most is to switch on the TV and find their usual shows. The Family plan signs in on 5 devices at once: say the living-room TV, a box in the bedroom, your parents' phones and your own. When they head back and you need fewer devices, you can switch to Standard at any time.
FAQ
My video app membership was registered in China. Can I sign in from the US?
Yes. Homeway doesn't touch your video accounts. Sign in to Tencent Video, iQIYI or any other app with your own membership as usual, and you get whatever that membership includes. Homeway only removes the region restriction; it doesn't provide video memberships.
What time is the CCTV evening news in the US?
Xinwen Lianbo starts at 19:00 Beijing time, which is early morning the same day in the US. During daylight time: 7:00 a.m. in New York, 6:00 in Chicago, 5:00 in Denver, 4:00 in Los Angeles. During standard time each is an hour earlier, so 6:00 a.m. in New York and 3:00 a.m. in Los Angeles.
Does it work on Roku or Fire TV?
Roku isn't Android, so Roku sticks and Roku TV models can't install Homeway. We haven't verified Fire TV, so we don't recommend it for now. The safe choice is a Google TV set or box, such as the Google TV Streamer or Walmart's onn. 4K box.
What if we have a Samsung or LG TV?
Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) built-in systems aren't supported, and neither is Hisense VIDAA. Connect a Google TV box, install Homeway and the video apps on it, and use the box's remote; the TV simply works as the screen.
What currency do I pay in from the US?
US dollars. Opened from the US, Homeway's plans page shows USD prices, billed monthly to your card. New users first get a free 7-day trial with no card, and without subscribing you can keep using Homeway free on one phone afterwards.
For other countries, see the country guides; for Canadian time zones and where to buy, see watching Chinese TV in Canada. For how Homeway differs from a VPN to China, see Homeway vs. a VPN.
Try Homeway
New users get a 7-day free trial with no card required, on TVs, phones and computers in the US.