How to Install IPTV on a Samsung, LG, Hisense or TCL TV

To watch IPTV on a Smart TV, install an IPTV player app from your TV's app store and sign in with the login details we send you. On Samsung and LG TVs that usually means a player such as IBO Player; on TVs running Google TV or Android TV you can use TiviMate or IPTV Smarters from the Google Play Store.

Which route is easiest depends on the system your TV runs, so start by finding that out. The steps below cover the TV brands most common in Australian homes.

First, check your TV's operating system

Smart TVs run different systems, and each has its own app store:

• Samsung: Tizen, with the Samsung Apps store.
• LG: webOS, with the LG Content Store.
• Many TCL, Sony, Philips and some Hisense models: Google TV or Android TV, with Google Play.
• Many Hisense models: VIDAA, with a smaller app store.

Samsung Smart TV (Tizen)

Press the Home button, open Apps and search for an IPTV player such as IBO Player. Install it and open it. The app shows a device ID or MAC address and a key on screen.

Send us those details on WhatsApp, or follow the app's instructions to add your playlist on its website with your Xtream Codes login. Restart the app and your channels, guide and on-demand library appear.

LG Smart TV (webOS)

The process is the same as on Samsung. Open the LG Content Store, search for the IPTV player, install it and note the device ID shown when you open it. Add your playlist using the Xtream Codes details we send you, then restart the app.

On older LG models the app may not be available. In that case a Fire TV Stick is the quickest solution.

TCL, Sony and other Google TV or Android TV models

These TVs work like an Android box, which gives you the widest choice of apps. Open Google Play, install IPTV Smarters Pro or TiviMate, and choose Xtream Codes when the app asks how to add your service. Enter the server URL, username and password exactly as we sent them.

TiviMate has one of the best programme guides of any IPTV app, and its premium features require a subscription to the app developer.

Hisense TVs with VIDAA

VIDAA has far fewer apps than other systems, and IPTV players come and go from its store. If you find a player that supports Xtream Codes, you can use it. If not, plug a Fire TV Stick into a spare HDMI port: it costs little and gives you the full choice of apps.

Some Hisense models run Google TV instead of VIDAA. Check Settings first, because those models can install apps from Google Play directly.

Xtream Codes or M3U?

We can send your login in two formats. Xtream Codes is a server URL, username and password; M3U is a single long link. Choose Xtream Codes whenever the app supports it: the programme guide, channel categories and the on-demand library load automatically, and updates reach you without doing anything.

M3U is useful for apps that only accept a link, such as VLC, but you may need to add the guide address separately.

Get the best picture from your TV

Smart TVs are often in the lounge room, close to the router. Take advantage of that:

• Connect the TV to the router with a network cable.
• If you use Wi-Fi, choose the 5 GHz network.
• Turn off energy-saving modes that dim or process the picture heavily.
• Keep the TV software and the IPTV app up to date.

Troubleshooting Smart TV apps

Smart TV apps are a little less flexible than those on streaming sticks. The most common problems have simple fixes:

• The app is not in the store: your TV model or region may not support it. Try another player, or use a Fire TV Stick.
• The playlist will not load: check the device ID or MAC address you entered, then restart the TV completely by unplugging it for 30 seconds.
• Channels play but freeze: connect a network cable and see our buffering guide.
• The guide is empty: give it a few minutes after the first load, then refresh the guide in the app settings.
• The TV became slow over time: clear the app's cache or reinstall it, and keep the TV's software up to date.

Make it easy for the whole family

Once the app works, spend five minutes making it simple to use. Add the channels your family watches to a favourites list, hide categories nobody needs and, if the app allows it, set it to open on the last channel watched. Older family members in particular find a short favourites list much easier than browsing thousands of channels.

When a streaming stick is the better choice

If your TV is more than six or seven years old, runs slowly, has no suitable app, or you want the smoothest channel changes, a Fire TV Stick 4K is often the better choice. It gets regular updates, has plenty of apps and costs much less than a new TV. See our Fire TV Stick installation guide for the full steps.

Whatever TV you have, our support team can tell you the best option for your exact model. Send us the brand and model on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions