The channel is encoded
Each live channel is captured and compressed into a stream at several quality levels.
IPTV explained
How Does IPTV Work? A Plain-English Guide
What IPTV actually is, what happens between our servers and your TV, the difference between Xtream Codes and M3U, and what you need at home to make it smooth. No jargon left unexplained.
- 8-minute read
- Updated October 2026
From Our Servers to Your Sofa
Four things happen every time you change channel.
Servers deliver it
The stream is sent over the internet from servers built for live video.
Your app requests it
Your player app asks for the channel using your login, then buffers a few seconds of video.
Your TV plays it
The app decodes the stream and keeps topping up the buffer as you watch.
What Is IPTV? (And What It Is Not)
IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. Instead of arriving through a satellite dish, a rooftop aerial or a cable line, the TV picture travels over the same internet connection you use for everything else. That is why IPTV works in a flat in Lisbon exactly as it does in a house in Leeds: the only thing it depends on is the broadband.
It is easy to mix up three separate things:
- The service supplies the channels and the on-demand library. That is XiroTV: 14,000+ live channels and 40,000+ films and series.
- The player app is what you watch it in, such as TiviMate, IPTV Smarters, IBO Player or VLC. Apps are made by independent developers; some are free and some charge a small fee of their own.
- The device runs the app: a Firestick, an Android TV box, a Samsung or LG Smart TV, an iPhone, a MAG box or a computer.
Because the three are separate, you can change your TV or your favourite app without changing your subscription. You simply enter the same login in the new app.
Xtream Codes, M3U and MAG Portals Explained
When you order, you receive your login in three formats. They all give access to the same channels; which one you use depends on the app or device.
| Format | What it looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Xtream Codes | Server URL + username + password | Almost every modern app. Loads live TV, films, series and the guide together. |
| M3U link | One long web address | Players without Xtream Codes support, VLC and Kodi. |
| MAG portal | A portal URL tied to the box’s MAC address | MAG set-top boxes, which are set up with a dedicated MAG subscription. |
If an app asks for a “host”, “server” or “URL” plus a username and password, it supports Xtream Codes. Type each value exactly as it appears in your email: a single extra space is the most common reason a login fails.
Why a Stream Buffers
A player app keeps a few seconds of video in reserve. As long as your connection refills that reserve faster than the TV uses it, the picture plays smoothly. Buffering happens when the reserve runs dry. The usual causes, in order of how often we see them:
- Weak Wi-Fi at the TV. The router is fast, but the signal behind the TV cabinet is not. A cable or a mesh point fixes it.
- Evening congestion. Between about 7 and 11 pm local time, shared networks slow down. Lowering the quality one step often helps.
- An overloaded device. Older sticks fill their memory. Clearing the app cache and restarting frees it.
- Provider traffic shaping. Some internet providers slow video traffic. Testing with a VPN shows whether that is happening.
Our IPTV buffering guide walks through each fix in order, and the speed guide explains how much bandwidth each quality level needs.
What You Need at Home
- Broadband: 15 Mbps for HD, 25 Mbps for Full HD, 25–50 Mbps for 4K, and stable rather than just fast.
- A device: any Firestick or Fire TV, Android TV box, recent Samsung or LG Smart TV, iPhone or iPad, MAG box, or Windows or Mac computer.
- A player app: TiviMate or IPTV Smarters on Firestick and Android; IBO Player or a similar app on Samsung and LG.
- Your login: emailed after you order and always available in your client area.
Step-by-step installation instructions for each device, with screenshots, are on the XiroTV device setup hub, including the Firestick, Samsung and iPhone guides.
IPTV vs Satellite and Cable
Why many households abroad have swapped the dish for an app.
| IPTV | Satellite dish | Cable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | App on a TV, stick or phone | Dish, LNB, receiver, installer | Provider box, fixed line |
| Works abroad | Anywhere with broadband | Depends on the satellite footprint and dish size | Only in the provider’s area |
| Moving home | Sign in on the new connection | Re-install and re-align | New contract |
| On demand | Built in | Limited without internet | Usually extra |
| Depends on | Broadband quality | Weather and line of sight | Local network |
IPTV Basics: Questions and Answers
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is TV delivered over your broadband instead of a satellite dish, aerial or cable. A player app on your TV or streaming stick connects to the provider’s servers and plays live channels and on-demand films the same way other streaming apps do.
Both load the same channels. Xtream Codes is a login made of a server URL, username and password, and it brings in live TV, films, series and the programme guide in one step. An M3U link is a single web address containing your channel list; it is useful for players that do not support Xtream Codes. Most people should use Xtream Codes.
No. The service is the subscription that supplies the channels (XiroTV). The app is the player you watch it in, such as TiviMate, IPTV Smarters or IBO Player. Apps are made by third parties, and some charge their own small fee.
Live TV is a continuous video stream. HD needs about 15 Mbps all the time, Full HD about 25 Mbps and 4K 25–50 Mbps. A connection that is fast on a speed test but drops out every few seconds will still buffer.
The EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) is the on-screen TV schedule showing what is on now and next. XiroTV includes 7 to 14 days of guide data for major channels, and your app shows it in the time zone set on your device.
Yes. Your login works on any internet connection, so you can sign in on a Firestick in a holiday rental or on your phone while travelling. Remember that one subscription plays on one screen at a time.
See It Working on Your Own TV
The free 24-hour trial includes everything. Install an app, enter the login and see how your connection handles it.