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IPTV LEVEL UP

Setup · 8 min read

IPTV Setup on Android TV and Compatible Smart TVs

How IPTV setup differs between Android TV, Google TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS and Hisense VIDAA, and when a streaming stick is the better choice.

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By IPTV LEVEL UP Support Team (Customer setup and support). Published . Written by the IPTV LEVEL UP support team from the setup questions customers ask. App menus change between versions, so we re-check steps when we update a guide.

How you set up IPTV on a smart TV depends on the TV's operating system. Android TV and Google TV are the easiest: install a player from Google Play and sign in. Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) need a player from their own store, usually set up through the player's website and often with a developer fee. Hisense VIDAA has the fewest options. When a TV makes it hard, a streaming stick is the simple fix.

Find out which system your TV runs

Look in Settings → About, Support → About this TV or System Info:

  • Android TV / Google TV: Sony, Philips, TCL, some Hisense and many others
  • Tizen: Samsung
  • webOS: LG
  • VIDAA: many Hisense and some Toshiba models

Android TV and Google TV

These TVs run the same apps as Android boxes and the Chromecast with Google TV.

  1. Open Google Play and search for your player (TiviMate and IPTV Smarters are common choices).
  2. Install it and sign in with Xtream Codes: username, password and server URL.
  3. If your player isn't listed in your country, you can enable installation from unknown sources for the Downloader app and install the player's official file. On Google TV, first unlock developer mode by selecting Android TV OS build seven times in Settings → System → About.

Full steps: Android TV & Google TV setup.

Samsung (Tizen)

Samsung doesn't allow apps from outside its store, so setup works differently:

  1. Install an IPTV player from the Smart Hub apps store.
  2. Open it and note the MAC address (and device key, if shown).
  3. On your phone or computer, open the player's official website and add your playlist (M3U link or Xtream details) against that MAC address.
  4. Restart the app on the TV.

Most Tizen players offer a free period, then charge the developer's own fee. Full steps: Samsung TV setup.

LG (webOS)

LG works much like Samsung: a player from the LG Content Store, set up through its website using the TV's MAC address. Older webOS versions can be slow with very large channel lists. Full steps: LG TV setup.

Hisense (VIDAA)

The VIDAA app store is smaller and varies by model and region. Search it for an IPTV player; if nothing suitable appears, use a streaming stick. Hisense models that run Google TV follow the Android TV steps. Full steps: Hisense TV setup.

When a streaming stick is the better choice

A Firestick or Google TV stick plugged into a spare HDMI port is often better than the TV's built-in apps when:

  • the TV's store doesn't have a good player,
  • you don't want to pay a player activation fee,
  • the TV is a few years old and menus are slow,
  • you want the same app on every TV in the house.

Setup takes about 15 minutes: Firestick or Chromecast with Google TV.

Tips for any smart TV

  • Wire it. Almost every smart TV has an Ethernet port. Use it.
  • Turn off motion smoothing if sports look unnatural, and turn on frame-rate matching where the device offers it.
  • Keep the TV's software updated, but expect to re-check your player after big updates.
  • Hide categories you don't watch to keep lists fast.

Not sure which app to pick? How to choose an IPTV player.