IPTV is an application for watching TV shows, movies and series on Android. You can watch IP-TV from your Internet provider or use available network sources by additionally downloading a list of available TV channels.
Possibilities
IPTV has the following features:
- simple interface with a minimum of settings;
- support for playlists in xspf and m3u format;
- display channels as a tile, list or grid.
The player itself does not contain any channels and is a tool for viewing them. To use it, you need to find playlists in xspf or m3u format. You can get them in the following ways:
- Get it from the IP-TV provider whose services you use.
- Find it on the Internet on trusted specialized resources.
- If you have one of the IP players on your computer, the list of channels can be taken from there.
Getting started with the player
To display the video you need a good player. Usually the phone already has it, but for correct playback of content it is recommended to install it - it works stably and without failures.
The interface is minimalistic - in the top bar there is a settings menu, a search bar and a choice of how channels are displayed. Depending on the installed playlist, TV channels can be divided into thematic groups:
- news;
- movie;
- children's;
- sport;
- music;
- education and others.
To view a channel you need to click on its name. Often users encounter such a problem as the inability to display videos. This is due to the fact that playlists “live” for a short time, sometimes no more than a month. In this case, you need to update the files or find new URLs. You can install any number of playlists - they do not interfere with the correct operation of the player.
To quickly launch your favorite content, you can set the start page to display your favorite channels. Using IPTV for Android, you can watch TV shows on your smartphone or tablet and get additional information about films and TV series.
IPTV is already a fairly popular service and many people use it on their computer, TV, media player, etc. I want to tell you how to launch this service on your smartphone or tablet running Android OS.
Applications for watching IPTV on Android
Currently I know of 2 such applications:- IP-TV from QSmart play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ua.com.apec.qsmart.iptv
- IPTV from Safronov play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.iptvremote.android.iptv
IPTV playlists
One of the most common questions is where to get playlists.- The best option is your provider's playlist. But, firstly, not all providers provide IPTV service. And secondly, such a playlist will only work on the provider’s local network.
- The second option is paid services from third-party providers. But since I’ve never tried it, I can’t say anything or give a link.
- Free public playlists. As a rule, they do not last long and the quality leaves much to be desired. There are relevant topics on the specialized forum:
4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=329398
4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=394145
Multicast and Unicast
Links in playlists can be unicast or multicast. Unicasts start with http:// and usually work on all devices. Multicast links start with udp://@ and there are often problems with them.Reasons why Multicast does not work:
- Android device does not support Multicast
- The player does not support UDP streams
- The router does not allow multicast packets
Which player to choose
The Android application is only a “viewer” of the playlist. An external video player is responsible for playing the video. You have to try which player is best for your playlist. On one player the picture may slow down and crumble, on the other it plays perfectly. I personally chose MX player play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mxtech.videoplayer.adConclusion
Having a TV on your phone often comes in handy when you’re doing something in the kitchen and want to watch a show or movie on TV. But its use is not particularly comfortable for the following reasons:- The channel takes a long time to launch
- It is impossible to switch to the next channel while watching a channel. You need to go back to the list of channels and start a new one again. I hope that IP-TV developers will resolve this issue in the near future.
Recently, many users have been interested in how to watch IPTV on Android devices. IPTV or internet protocol television, as you might guess, is one of the television standards, and it can be called the newest and most relevant. Not only does it allow you to enjoy a huge range of your favorite shows, but it also provides additional functions, such as the ability to view movie information.
In addition, IPTV is available not only on regular TVs, but also on personal computers, set-top boxes and other Android devices. A reasonable question arises: how can you watch programs this way? Today we will tell you about all the features of IPTV.
What's happened IPTV?
First of all, it’s worth figuring out what kind of technology this is. IPTV or, as already noted, Internet Protocol Television (IP-TV, IP-television) is a standard (technology) for digital television in IP data networks. Today, IPTV is one of the newest television standards provided by digital cable TV operators.
Do not confuse IPTV with Internet television. In the second case, we are dealing with streaming video, which is transmitted directly from the broadcaster's provider, without any intermediaries, as is the case with IPTV.
The architecture of IP television is quite complex; to ensure operation, it includes a whole set of systems that manage, process, protect and monitor the transmitted content.
To view IPTV, you need appropriate client equipment. This can be a personal computer whose system features meet the requirements, and special set-top boxes, and TVs that support Smart TV, as well as various devices running the Android operating system (smartphones, tablets, etc.). In addition, you need software to watch IPTV. It can be represented by specialized applications or a regular Internet browser available on the device.
Delivery of content to the client’s equipment can be carried out in two ways:
- using an IP network managed by a telecom operator. In this case, multicast or unicast technology is used
- via OTT, in which the client is not tied to a specific telecom operator
IPTV has a lot of advantages, the main one of which is interactivity. Among other things, this television standard provides a huge number of additional services that can make watching programs more comfortable. For example, while watching IP television, you can find out what the program is about, pause it, and rewind to the desired moment.
IPTV is many times better than analog television, in which the viewer may receive a signal with interference, and the capabilities are seriously limited, as is the number of available channels.
How to watch IPTV on Android?
So, we figured out the features of IP television. Now we will deal directly with how we can watch IPTV on devices controlled by a “green robot”, be it a smartphone, tablet or TV Box. There are two possible ways to organize IP television:
- use the services of a provider;
- without connecting to the services of a provider.
Since the methods are quite different, we will consider them separately.
IPTV from provider
Who is a provider? A provider is an organization that provides various services. In our case, we are talking about an Internet provider, which accordingly provides the client with access to the World Wide Web. As a rule, for an additional fee, the organization is ready to provide the user with packages of additional services, which include the culprit of our article today - IPTV. What do you need to watch IP television from a provider:
- firstly, connecting devices to the network of the provider that provides the service. In other words, to a Wi-Fi router that distributes the Internet.
- secondly, you need to install a video player on your device. You can download it from the Play Market absolutely free. There are no special preferences for a particular application, so you can choose any one you like best, but in some cases the MX Player program is required.
- thirdly, you will need an application to add an m3u playlist with IPTV channels. We also download it from Play Market. There are quite a few of them, choose the first one from the list. We'll talk about the apps in more detail below.
- and most importantly, a link or file from the provider that allows you to download available IPTV channels. You receive it from your provider accordingly. As a rule, immediately after purchasing an IPTV package, you are given a URL, which will be useful in the future.
If all conditions are met, we can proceed to obtaining a list of channels. To do this:
- go to the IPTV application downloaded earlier from your Android device;
- We look for “Add playlist”, usually an inscription appears in the middle of the screen (you can also use the plus sign icon, which is usually located in the upper right corner of the application);
- A drop-down list will appear with the following options: “Add URL” or “Select file”;
- if you received an address from the provider, then copy it or enter it manually in the line that appears;
- if the provider has provided a playlist in a file, then you must specify the path to it (accordingly, it must be on the device);
- Confirm entering the address or selecting a file by pressing the “OK” button;
- we see a window with channels available for viewing;
- if a video player is installed, then when you select a channel it will start playing programs (if the player is not on the Android device, the system will offer to install it from the Play Market).
That's it, now you can enjoy digital television provided by your provider.
How to watch IPTV on Android devices for free - download free playlists?
Not every user will want to pay a provider for the opportunity to watch television. In this case, you can go the other way - we use playlists that contain free TV channels.
Providers who make good money from IP television services regularly close such loopholes in order to force the user to pay. And yet, whoever searches will always find a free playlist with popular TV channels.
So, in this case we proceed in approximately the same way as in the case of IPTV from a provider. Download the application for downloading IPTV, install the player on the device (we recommend MX Player). Only this time we'll have to find the playlist ourselves. Naturally, the browser and any search engine will help us with this. We go and in the search line write a command like “IPTV playlist”. The system itself understands that the user is looking for free offers, so the most popular ones will appear at the very top.
All that remains is to select the appropriate one, download the file or copy the playlist link. Open the IPTV application on your smartphone, tablet or TV Box, where you specify the path to the file or enter the URL. By the way, you can come up with a name for your playlist. See the channels available for viewing. That's it, you can watch your favorite shows.
A couple of links to m3u playlists:
- Download free IPTV playlist in m3u format “ “
- Download free IPTV playlist in m3u format “ “
Please note that sometimes some channels or even playlists stop working. There is only one way out - update. Then try using the i-ptv.blogspot.com service.
Errors when watching IPTV on Android devices
As a rule, there are no problems with IP television. The user completes each step described in the instructions above, and that’s it, he can watch TV shows. However, errors occasionally occur.
Failed to load channel list
This is a fairly common problem, usually caused by those who make playlists or inattentive users. In most cases, re-downloading the playlist file or searching for a new URL will help. When downloading, pay attention to the file extension. Playlists for IPTV have the extension .m 3u. If otherwise indicated, then the file may need to be unzipped using appropriate software. This can be done on a personal computer, for example with the WinRAR program, and on an Android device by downloading a suitable archiver from the Play Market.
Can't play this video
Another problem that haunts owners of routers that do not support Multicast broadcasting in the UPD stream. In this case, the video may not play at all or the picture will crumble in the process. There are many ways to solve this problem, including reflashing the router, but this is clearly not suitable for many users who do not have deep knowledge of computer technology. Fortunately, there is a really working, and most importantly, simple way. We only need a program that will help convert a UDP stream to HTTP. So what you need to do:
- we connect the personal computer to the router, which is used by Android devices to access the Network;
- download the UdpProxy program, which is available for the Windows and Linux operating systems;
- install and launch the program;
- a window with various settings will appear, we are interested in the items “UDP multicast interface” and “HTTP server interface”, next to which there are drop-down lists;
- the lists must indicate your IP address;
- to find out the IP address, click on the available networks (in the lower right corner of the desktop, next to the volume control icon);
- available networks will appear, select the one to which you are connected (in Windows 10, a window will open in which the networks are listed, select yours, find the line “IPv 4 address”);
- This is the address we indicate in the “UDP multicast interface” and “HTTP server interface” items;
- Click the “Save” and “Run” buttons.
We are done with the UdpProxy program. Now let’s move on to the Android device on which we plan to watch IPTV and have the necessary applications already installed. And what we need is the IPTV program.
- open the IPTV application settings;
- find the section “UDP proxy settings”;
- in the first line enter the IP address specified in the UdpProxy program;
- in the second line, specify the port, which is also specified in the UdpProxy program;
- The last one is the “Proxy type” drop-down list, select UDP-to-HTTP proxy and Windows or Linux depending on the operating system installed on the computer;
- Confirm the changes by clicking the "OK" button.
It would be a good idea to restart the application, after which the problem can be considered resolved.
Please note that in order for the error not to appear and the video to work normally, you will have to run UDP-to-HTTP on your personal computer every time. To avoid having to constantly do this manually, you can turn it into a service. To do this, in the UdpProxy program you just need to click the “Install” button.
Popular applications and players for watching IPTV
To make it easier for you to decide which program to use to add playlists of TV channels, we decided to select the most downloaded and popular ones.
Firstly, I would like to note a program with the simple name IPTV, which is apparently being developed by one person - Alexander Sofronov. The IPTV application has received good ratings and positive user reviews. Available in two versions: free and Pro - paid (79 rubles). Pro has no advertising, several useful features have been added, for example, automatic launch of the application when you turn on the Android device, which is very convenient on TV set-top boxes.
Secondly, the program from the developer LazyCat Software has proven itself well. Distributed free of charge, it has all the necessary features for comfortable viewing of IPTV. It features a simple interface, viewing history and the presence of a TV program.
For owners of TV Boxes on Android, we recommend the application for viewing IPTV Kodi, which, by the way, is present in most set-top boxes out of the box. It has enormous functionality and a user-friendly interface, but not all versions support the Russian language.
Watch popular Russian and foreign channels without restrictions.
Introduction:
If you still have not been able to find an application for watching online TV, then perhaps you will like the application. It contains quite a few more than 120 channels that work perfectly on absolutely any device: from a smartphone or tablet to a TV set-top box on Android. Another plus is the presence of a built-in player, which copes well with the tasks (although for most this may be a disappointment). In any case, after installing the application, you can immediately start watching.
Functional:
The main screen is as simple and primitive as possible. It contains shortcuts to channels available for viewing. To my great surprise, the speed of launching the channel is quite fast, although this will largely depend on the Internet and its speed. To start watching, click on the shortcut and wait for the small pop-up window to appear. To start watching, click on the Play button on the screen, and to watch the video in full screen, click on the Expand to full screen button in the lower right corner. To close the pop-up window, click on the cross in the right corner. The quality of the video stream and audio stream is simply excellent, all channels work without any problems (tested each channel in order on a Nexus 7 2012 device with Android 4.4.4).
Results:
There are no settings in the application, it works stably and without any problems. Let's summarize: it actually offers 120 working channels, which can even be viewed even without installing a third-party player. Enjoy!
Most Internet providers include in their tariff plans or offer for a fee the viewing of streaming television or, as it is more often called, IPTV. Typically, instructions for setting up software for Windows are available on the provider’s website or in documents supplied with the service agreement. But how to set up IPTV on Android is usually not remembered anywhere.
Currently, there are many applications for watching IPTV on Android:
- IPTV (Alexander Sofronov);
- IPTV Qsmart;
- LAZY IPTV;
- Simple IPTV;
- IP-TV;
- IPTV E-MAG.
All of these programs are designed specifically for watching streaming television. It should be noted that watching IPTV is also possible on universal players for Android (VLC, MX Player, etc.), but the ease of use of them for IPTV is inferior to the above programs.
Setting up IPTV + VLC
All the setup steps described below are demonstrated using the example of the IPTV application from developer Alexander Sofronov and the VLC player for Android, but the above applications have similar functionality, and if you want to use another client to watch streaming TV, it won’t be difficult to understand it by analogy. Also, if you have problems with video playback, it is useful to read the instructions.
Install the IPTV application:
Install VLC player:
Launch the IPTV application. The program will offer to add a playlist with channels. A playlist is a text file with the extension ".m3u" or ".xspf" containing a list of stream addresses for TV channels. Usually the ISP provides a link to it. Playlists can be found quite easily on the Internet and downloaded. After adding a playlist, the program will display all the channels it contains.
Click on the desired channel and the IPTV application will launch VLC player with the selected channel.
We could have ended here if not for one “but”!
Many providers prefer to broadcast a stream using the multicast protocol (links like udp://), since compared to unicast (usually http:// protocol) it allows you to significantly optimize the occupied channel width, broadcasting the stream to everyone, rather than creating separate sessions for every TV viewer.
Unfortunately, many Android devices do not support UDP-multicast streams, except for a few models that have udpxy built into the firmware.
To transmit IPTV to an Android device, you need a transcoding system that will transmit IPTV not as a multicast, but as a stream over HTTP.
Modern routers with Linux-based firmware such as DD-WRT and Open-WRT already have a similar system, but if you have a budget router without transcoding support, you can organize your own proxy using a computer connected to a common network with an Android device.
For Windows operating systems, you need to download the UDP-to-HTTP Proxy program.
For operating systems of the Linux family, the UDP-to-HTTP Proxy server is located.
Setting up UDP-to-HTTP Proxy (Windows)
Configuring the program involves specifying the IP addresses of the UDP multicast interface and the HTTP server interface. If your computer and Android device are on the same network, this is the same address and is equal to the IP address of your PC. Expand the "Multicast Interface" list; it should already contain the computer's IP address (last in the list).
Click on the "Run" button.
The server is running, now let's go to the settings on the Android device.
Setting up a UDP proxy on Android
Open the IPTV application, click on the system menu button of the device and select the “Settings” option from the list.
Click on the "UDP Proxy Settings" option.
Enter the IP address of the computer running the "UDP-to-HTTP Proxy" server, enter the port number, the default is 7781. Select the proxy server type "UDP-to-HTTP Proxy (Windows)" and click OK to save the settings.
All! You can test TV playback online on Android.
