The easiest way to watch Chinese TV channels in Australia is an IPTV service with a Chinese section: one app on your TV, Fire TV Stick or phone gives you live Mandarin and Cantonese channels, with news, dramas, variety shows and films, plus a programme guide. A stable connection of about 10 Mbps per screen is enough for HD.
Chinese is the most common language spoken at home in Australia after English. The 2021 Census counted more than 680,000 Mandarin speakers and nearly 300,000 Cantonese speakers. Those families come from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and beyond, and their viewing habits are just as varied.
Mandarin or Cantonese: know what you need
Before you compare services, decide which language and region your household actually watches. A family from Guangzhou or Hong Kong may want Cantonese dramas and news, while a family from Beijing or Shanghai mainly watches Mandarin channels. Families from Taiwan often prefer Taiwanese news and variety channels.
The script matters too. Mainland channels use simplified characters for subtitles and on-screen text, while Hong Kong and Taiwanese channels use traditional characters. Older viewers in particular usually find one far easier to read than the other.
What a Chinese channel section usually includes
Channels are grouped by region and by type:
- National and provincial channels from mainland China, in Mandarin.
- Hong Kong channels in Cantonese.
- Taiwanese news, drama and variety channels.
- Chinese-language news channels, including international services.
- Film channels with Chinese and Hong Kong movies.
- Children's programmes in Mandarin and Cantonese.
Lunar New Year on Australian time
The New Year's Eve gala and the holiday specials around Lunar New Year are among the most watched programmes of the year. Because China is only 2 to 3 hours behind the east coast, the gala usually airs in the late evening in Sydney and Melbourne, and at the same hour as in Beijing in Perth.
Demand for streams is very high that week. Set up and test your devices a few days before, connect the main TV by network cable and avoid big downloads in the house during the show.
An easy time difference
China, Hong Kong and Taiwan all use UTC+8 and do not change their clocks. That puts them on the same time as Perth all year, 2 hours behind Brisbane, and 2 or 3 hours behind Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide depending on Australian daylight saving.
The guide should line up almost exactly in Perth. On the east coast, if the times look wrong, adjust the EPG time offset in your IPTV app, and check it again in October and April.
The internet speed you need
Chinese channels use about 10 Mbps per screen for HD, 15 Mbps for Full HD and 25 Mbps for 4K. An nbn 50 plan handles two or three screens comfortably, and our IPTV speed calculator works out what your home needs.
Wi-Fi, not plan speed, causes most freezing. A network cable to the main TV and a router in a central, open spot solve the majority of problems.
Choosing a device
For the main TV, a Fire TV Stick 4K or a Google TV with the TiviMate app gives a fast, clear guide. Samsung and LG Smart TVs can run IPTV apps directly. On phones and tablets, IPTV Smarters is simple to use, which suits watching dramas on the train or during a lunch break.
Households where one person watches Cantonese dramas and another watches Mandarin news at the same time need a 2-screen plan.
Dramas and films on demand
Many viewers mainly follow long-running dramas. Rather than catching each episode live, use the on-demand section, which includes 98,000+ movies and series, and add a drama to your favourites to continue where you left off. Where a channel offers catch-up, you can also play recent episodes straight from the guide.
Setting up for older relatives
Parents and grandparents visiting from China or Hong Kong often stay for months, and familiar TV makes a long stay much more comfortable. Most IPTV apps let you change the interface language, so check whether a Chinese option is available in the settings. Then put their favourite channels in a short favourites list and set the TV to open straight into the app.
Write the four buttons they need (on, favourites, up and down, back) on a small card next to the remote. It sounds simple, but it saves a lot of phone calls.
Common problems and fixes
Most issues have a quick fix:
- Subtitles in the wrong script: switch to a channel from the region whose script you prefer, as subtitles are part of the broadcast.
- Guide an hour out: adjust the EPG offset after the clocks change in October or April.
- Freezing during the evening: use a network cable and restart the router.
Test it with a free trial
Write down the Chinese channels your family watches, ask for our free 24-hour trial on WhatsApp and check them in the evening. Tell us whether you need Mandarin, Cantonese or both, and we will point you to the right categories. Plans start at A$24 for one month, or A$99 for 12 months on one screen.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch Chinese TV channels in Australia?
Yes. With an IPTV service that includes Chinese channels, you can watch Mandarin and Cantonese news, dramas and variety shows live over your internet connection, on a Smart TV, Fire TV Stick, phone or computer.
Are there Cantonese channels as well as Mandarin?
Yes. Chinese channel sections usually include Mandarin channels from mainland China and Taiwan and Cantonese channels from Hong Kong. Line-ups change from time to time, so check the channels you want during the free trial.
What is the time difference between China and Australia?
China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are on the same time as Perth all year. They are 2 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne in winter and 3 hours behind during Australian daylight saving, and 2 hours behind Brisbane all year.