PBS to stream 'The Civil War' free via iPad/iPhone

With the 150^th anniversary of the start of the Civil War fast approaching, it probably won't come as a surprise that PBS has plans to rerun Ken Burns' acclaimed series on the War Between the States.

What might be a bit more unexpected, though, is that the network plans to offer a free stream of the series' first episode to showcase its PBS App for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The stream will become available March 24 for a 10-day window.

If you're not a fan of streaming media, PBS will also offer a downloadable version of the episode via iTunes that same day. And if you're boycotting all things Apple, the episode will be streamed from PBS.org starting April 4.

Since its launch four months ago, the PBS app has gathered a notable collection of free video – over 250 hours worth. The selection includes full episodes as well as previews of new programs.

"Just four months after launching our apps, nearly 20 percent of our video streams come from users of our Apps for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch," said Jason Seiken, SVP, PBS Interactive and Product Development.