IPTV Setup Guides: Install IPTV Canada on Any Device

Before you start, get your login and the right IPTV app

You need your login from us, a player app and a steady internet connection. There's no box to rent and no technician to wait for.

What's in your login email

When you start a free 24-hour trial or buy a plan, we email your login. Keep that email open on your phone while you set up. It includes:

• Username and password. Both are case-sensitive.
• Server URL, sometimes called the host or portal. It starts with http:// and may end with a colon and a port number.
• M3U link: one long web address with your username and password built in. Some Smart TV apps and VLC use this instead.
• EPG link for the TV guide, in case your app doesn't load it by itself.
• When your device needs one, the download link or code for the player. These change, so we send the current one with your login.

The username, password and server URL together are your Xtream Codes login, and most apps ask for it by that name. Use Xtream Codes whenever the app offers it. More on that in M3U vs Xtream Codes.

Which IPTV app to use on which device

The app is the player you open to watch. Independent developers make these, not us, and they work with your IPTV West login. Store listings change often, so if one is missing, try the next or ask us.

As for speed, HD usually needs about 10 Mbps and 4K about 25 Mbps, more if someone's gaming or on a video call at the same time. Our internet speed guide for IPTV in Canada shows how to test yours.

How to install IPTV on Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick

The Fire TV Stick is the device we set up most. You install a free app called Downloader from Amazon, use it to install the player, then log in. Plan on about 10 minutes.

1. Install Downloader

   On the home screen, go to Find > Search and type "Downloader". Pick the orange Downloader app by AFTVnews and select Get or Download.

2. Turn on Developer Options

   Newer Fire OS hides this menu. Go to Settings > My Fire TV > About, highlight your device name (for example, "Fire TV Stick 4K") and press the centre select button 7 times. A message says you're now a developer. Press back, and Developer Options shows up under My Fire TV. On older sticks it's already there.

3. Let Downloader install apps

   Open Settings > My Fire TV > Developer Options > Install unknown apps and switch Downloader to On. Some older sticks call this "Apps from Unknown Sources".

4. Download the player

   Open Downloader and allow file access if asked. Type the link or short code our support team sent with your login, then select Go. When it finishes, choose Install, then Done. Let Downloader delete the install file afterward, since Fire Sticks are short on storage.

5. Log in with your Xtream Codes details

   In IPTV Smarters Pro, choose "Login with Xtream Codes API", type any name (such as "Home"), then your username, password and server URL. In TiviMate, choose Add playlist > Xtream Codes and enter the same three details. Give it a minute to load.

6. Put it on your home screen

   Hold the Home button, choose Apps, highlight the player, press the menu button (three lines) and pick Move to front.

IPTV Smarters Pro is free to download. TiviMate's free version covers the basics, and extras like recording need TiviMate Premium, bought from its developer, not from us. For the full IPTV Smarters setup, screen by screen, see our IPTV Smarters Pro setup guide.

Setting up IPTV on Android TV and Google TV boxes

This covers the Nvidia Shield, Formuler boxes, TCL and Sony TVs, other Google TV models, and most Android boxes. They have Google Play, which makes setup simpler than on a Fire Stick.

1. Get TiviMate from Google Play

   Open Google Play on the TV, search for TiviMate and install it.

2. Or sideload IPTV Smarters Pro

   If you prefer IPTV Smarters Pro and it isn't listed, install Downloader from Google Play and follow the Fire TV steps. To allow it, look under Settings > Apps > Security & restrictions > Unknown sources (on some boxes it sits under Device Preferences). Some Google TV models first need developer mode: go to Settings > System > About and press Android TV OS build 7 times.

3. Enter your details and wait for the guide

   In TiviMate, choose Add playlist > Xtream Codes and enter your server URL, username and password. The first guide load can take a few minutes.

Formuler boxes come with MyTVOnline, which also takes Xtream Codes details. The Nvidia Shield is a strong pick for 4K and handles a big guide without lag.

Getting IPTV on Chromecast with Google TV and Google TV Streamer

The Chromecast with Google TV (the one with a remote) and the newer Google TV Streamer run Google TV, so the Android TV steps work as written.

1. Follow the Android TV steps

   Install TiviMate from Google Play, or sideload IPTV Smarters Pro with Downloader, then log in with Xtream Codes.

2. Free up space and go wired

   If an install fails on the Chromecast, remove apps you don't use under Settings > Apps. The Google TV Streamer has an Ethernet port. The Chromecast needs a USB-C power adapter with Ethernet.

Older Chromecast without a remote

The older Chromecast dongle can't install apps. Instead, put a player that supports casting on your phone, start a channel, then tap the cast icon and pick the Chromecast. Phone and Chromecast need to be on the same Wi-Fi. It works, but less reliably than a device with its own app.

How to install IPTV on an LG Smart TV (webOS)

LG TVs run webOS and only install apps from LG's own store, so you'll use a different player than on a Fire Stick. Which apps appear depends on your TV's age and region, and the list changes often.

1. Find a player in LG's store

   Open the LG Content Store (on newer models it may just say Apps) and search for IBO Player, Smart IPTV or SS IPTV.

2. Write down what the app shows

   Many of these apps show a MAC address, and sometimes a device key, on the first screen. The MAC address looks like six pairs of letters and numbers separated by colons. Take a photo of it.

3. Add your playlist

   Some players ask you to visit their website on your phone or computer, enter the MAC address or key, and paste your M3U link or Xtream Codes details there. Others let you type them on the TV. Not sure which kind you have? Send us the photo and we'll tell you what to enter.

4. Restart the app

   Close it fully and open it again so it picks up your channels.

5. Activate it after the free days

   Many of these apps give you a few free days, then ask for a small one-time activation fee. That fee goes to the app maker, not to IPTV West, and it's usually tied to that one TV.

How to install IPTV on a Samsung Smart TV (Tizen)

Samsung TVs run Tizen and, like LG, only install apps from their own store. The setup is nearly the same as on LG.

1. Search the Samsung Apps store

   Press Home, go to Apps, then select the magnifying glass. Search for IBO Player or another IPTV player. Smart IPTV and SS IPTV have come and gone from the Samsung store, so what you see depends on your model, year and region.

2. Note the MAC address or device key

   Open the app and take a photo of the details on the first screen.

3. Add your playlist and restart

   Enter your M3U link or Xtream Codes details on the app's website, or on the TV if the app allows it. Then close and reopen the app.

4. Pay the app maker if you keep it

   After the free period, the app may ask for a one-time activation fee. We don't collect it and can't refund it, so use the free days to decide.

Installing IPTV on Hisense TVs

Hisense sells TVs with different systems, so first find out which one yours runs. You'll usually see it on the startup screen or in the settings under About.

1. On VIDAA, check the app store

   VIDAA is Hisense's own system, and its app store is small. Search it for an IPTV player. If you find one, set it up like the LG steps, with the MAC address and playlist.

2. Nothing there? Add a stick

   Plug in a Fire TV Stick or Google TV device and follow the Fire TV steps. This is the usual fix on VIDAA models.

3. On Google TV or Android TV, use those steps

   These Hisense models work exactly like the Android TV section. Some Hisense TVs run Roku instead, so see Roku.

Can you watch IPTV on Roku?

Not easily. Roku doesn't have a good IPTV player in its store. Apps show up now and then, but they tend to work poorly or disappear. We'd rather tell you now than have you find out on a Saturday night during the game. Three options do work:

1. Mirror from an Android phone or Windows PC

   On the Roku, go to Settings > System > Screen mirroring and set it to Prompt or Always allow. On a Samsung Galaxy phone, use Smart View. On other Android phones, look for Screen cast in quick settings (Google Pixel phones usually can't mirror to Roku). On Windows 10 or 11, press Windows key + K and pick your Roku.

2. Use AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad

   Many Roku 4K players and Roku TVs support AirPlay. Look for Settings > Apple AirPlay and HomeKit on your Roku. If it's there, start a channel on your iPhone and tap the AirPlay icon.

3. Add a streaming stick to the same TV

   Plug a Fire TV Stick or Google TV device into a free HDMI port and follow the Fire TV steps. It costs a bit up front, but you get a proper app, a TV guide and a remote that's just for TV.

Mirroring is fine for a movie now and then. For everyday watching, get the stick. The picture is sharper, and your phone isn't tied up all evening.

IPTV on Apple TV

Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K install players from the App Store. No sideloading needed.

1. Get a player from the App Store

   Search the App Store on Apple TV for "IPTV". Players to try include Smarters Player Lite, iPlayTV, GSE Smart IPTV and IPTVX. Names and prices change, and some are paid apps.

2. Enter your login

   Pick the Xtream Codes option and enter your server URL, username and password. If the app only takes an M3U link, paste that. Typing with the Siri Remote is slow, so use the keyboard notification that pops up on your iPhone.

3. Add your favourites

   Once the channels load, mark the ones you watch most so they sit at the top.

You can also AirPlay from your iPhone to the Apple TV, but the app on the Apple TV itself gives a better picture.

Watching IPTV on iPhone and iPad

1. Download a player

   Search the App Store for Smarters Player Lite, GSE Smart IPTV or IPTVX.

2. Paste in your Xtream Codes login

   Paste your server URL, username and password from the email rather than typing them.

3. Stay on Wi-Fi at home

   On mobile data, an hour of HD can use 2 to 3 GB, which adds up fast on most Canadian phone plans. To watch on the TV, AirPlay to an Apple TV or an AirPlay-ready smart TV.

IPTV on Android phones and tablets

1. Pick a player app

   Search Google Play for IPTV Smarters Pro or GSE Smart IPTV. TiviMate is built for TVs, so skip it here. If Smarters isn't listed, we can send a direct download link, and your phone will ask you to allow installs from your browser or Files app.

2. Sign in with Xtream Codes

   Choose Xtream Codes and paste your server URL, username and password.

3. Cast to the TV

   If the app shows a cast icon, tap it to send the picture to a Chromecast or Google TV. Samsung phones can also use Smart View.

A tablet makes a good second screen in the kitchen. Watching on two screens at once needs an extra screen on your plan.

Using IPTV on Windows and Mac computers

1. IPTV Smarters desktop app

   IPTV Smarters has made desktop versions for Windows and Mac. Ask support for the current download link, install it and log in with Xtream Codes. You get the guide, movies and series.

2. Or use VLC media player

   VLC is free. On Windows, open Media > Open Network Stream. On a Mac, choose File > Open Network. Paste your M3U link and press Play. VLC shows no TV guide and a big lineup loads slowly, so it's best for a quick check.

Should you log in with M3U or Xtream Codes?

Your login email includes both. They give you the same channels, packaged two ways.

Xtream Codes (username, password, server URL)

The app talks to our server directly. It pulls in live channels, movies, series, categories and the TV guide, and picks up new channels on its own. Most apps on this page support it, so use it whenever you can.

M3U link

An M3U is a playlist: one long web address that holds the channel list, with your username and password inside it. It works in almost any player, including VLC and many Smart TV apps. There are downsides, though. You get no guide unless you add one, and a big list loads slowly. Movies and series are harder to browse too.

The EPG link (TV guide)

EPG means electronic program guide, the grid that shows what's on now and next. With Xtream Codes it loads on its own. With an M3U, paste the EPG link from your email into the app's EPG setting and set it to update once a day. If guide times are off, check the device's time zone. A TV set to Eastern time in Vancouver will be three hours out.

Troubleshooting common IPTV problems

Most problems come down to Wi-Fi, a typo or an app that needs a fresh start. Try these in order. If nothing helps, we'll look at it with you.

Buffering or freezing

• Run a speed test on the TV device itself, not your phone. Under 10 Mbps, HD will stall.
• Use an Ethernet cable or move the router closer. A Fire Stick behind a basement TV, two floors from the router, is a classic dead spot. A mesh system helps.
• Use your router's 5 GHz network if it has one, and turn off any VPN.
• Unplug the router and the device for 30 seconds.
• Buffering only on busy nights? Tell us, and we can move you to another server.

For Rogers, Bell, Telus and other connections, read how much internet speed IPTV needs.

No TV guide, or wrong times

• Run Refresh or Update EPG in the app.
• On an M3U setup, check that the EPG link is added.
• Check the device's date, time and time zone. Some channels have no guide data, and that's normal.

Login failed

• Copy and paste instead of typing. The usual mistakes are a capital letter, a zero typed as the letter O, or a lowercase L typed as the number 1.
• Enter the server URL exactly as sent, including http:// and any port number, with no space at the end.
• Check that your trial or plan hasn't ended. A free trial lasts 24 hours.

App crashes or won't open

• Clear the app's cache. On Fire TV: Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > your player > Clear cache.
• Restart the device and free up storage. Fire Sticks slow down when they're nearly full.
• Update the app, or uninstall and reinstall it. You'll only need to log in again.

Sound but no picture

• Change the video player or decoder in the app. In IPTV Smarters Pro, try another option under Player Selection. In TiviMate, switch the hardware decoder on or off in the playback settings.
• If it only happens on 4K channels, your device may not handle that format. Try the HD version.
• Try another HDMI port or cable, and take any soundbar or HDMI switch out of the chain to test.

Still stuck? Contact online support with your device model and what's on screen. We answer 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to midnight (Eastern Time).

IPTV installation FAQ