How to watch IPTV on a Smart TV

Before you start

• Connect the TV to the internet, ideally with an Ethernet cable.
• Update the TV's software from the settings menu.
• Have your login details ready: username, password and server URL, or your M3U link.
• Make sure there is free space to install an app.

Depending on your TV's system

Each manufacturer uses its own operating system and app store, so the process varies slightly:

• Step-by-step guide for Samsung and LG
• Step-by-step guide for Android TV and Google TV

Choosing a player app

The app is only the player: it includes no content of its own. What you watch depends on the playlist or account you load into it. Some apps are free and others ask for a small activation fee of their own, separate from your subscription.

When choosing one, check three things: that it supports the format you will use (Xtream Codes or M3U), that it shows the programme guide (EPG) and that it is still being updated in your TV's store.

Xtream Codes or M3U on a TV

On a TV, Xtream Codes is usually the easier option: you type three short details with the remote and the app downloads the channels, the guide and the on-demand catalogue by itself, organised into categories.

With M3U you enter a single long URL. It works in almost any player, but typing it with a remote takes longer and some apps do not load the guide automatically.

General steps

• Open the TV's app store and search for an IPTV player app.
• Install it and open it.
• Choose to add a new playlist or profile.
• Select Xtream Codes and enter username, password and server URL, or paste your M3U link.
• Wait for the playlist and guide to load; the first time can take a little while.

If your Smart TV is not compatible

Older TVs or sets with less common systems may not have a suitable app. In that case, an external player connected via HDMI, such as a Fire TV Stick or an Android TV device, makes any TV with an HDMI input compatible.