Setup Guides5 min read
Best IPTV Player Apps Compared
An honest comparison of the IPTV player apps Canadians actually use: TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro, OTT Navigator, XCIPTV and the Smart TV players. Which suits which device, and what each costs.
Setup Guides5 min read
Setting Up IPTV on a Samsung or LG Smart TV in Canada
How to install IPTV directly on a Samsung Tizen or LG webOS television without any extra hardware, which player to use, and why this is the fiddliest setup we support.
JTJulie TremblayCustomer Experience ManagerPublished Updated
Samsung Tizen and LG webOS televisions can run IPTV without any additional box. That is genuinely useful, because it means no extra remote, no extra HDMI port, and nothing extra to buy.
It is also the fiddliest setup we support, and it generates more support tickets than every other platform combined. This guide covers the process and, more usefully, why it is awkward.
Why Smart TV setup is harder than a Firestick
Three reasons, all worth understanding before you start.
Regional app availability varies. The Samsung and LG app stores show different applications depending on your region and your television's model year. A guide that tells you to install a specific player may be describing an app that does not appear in your store.
Most players charge a small activation fee. Typically $6 to $10 CAD, one time. This is charged by the app developer, not by your IPTV provider. It exists because Smart TV app development is expensive and these apps are otherwise free.
Configuration happens on a separate website. Rather than typing credentials on the television with a remote, you enter a device key on a web portal from your phone or computer, and the television picks up the playlist. This two-step process is where most people get lost.
Which player to use
Try these in order. Whichever appears in your store first is the one to use.
| Player | Samsung | LG | Activation fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBO Player | Yes | Yes | ~$8 CAD |
| Smarters Player Lite | Yes | Yes | Free or ~$6 |
| Set IPTV | Yes | Yes | ~$7 CAD |
| Duplecast | Yes | Yes | ~$6 CAD |
| Flix IPTV | Sometimes | Sometimes | ~$8 CAD |
IBO Player is the most reliable across the widest range of models, which is why we list it first.
The setup process
Step 1: Open your TV's app store
On Samsung, press the Home button and select Apps.
On LG, press Home and open the LG Content Store.
Step 2: Install a player
Search for IBO Player. If it does not appear, try Smarters Player Lite, then Set IPTV, then Duplecast. Install whichever you find.
If none of them appear, your television is likely running an older Tizen or webOS build. Skip to the section on older televisions below.
Step 3: Note the MAC address and device key
Open the app. It displays two things on screen: a MAC address and a device key.
Write both down accurately. The MAC address is a string of six pairs of characters separated by colons. The device key is usually six alphanumeric characters.
Leave the app open on this screen.
Step 4: Upload your playlist on the portal
On a phone or computer, open the web address the app shows on screen. Enter the MAC address and the device key, then paste the M3U URL from your IPTV provider's activation email. Save.
This is the step where most people encounter trouble, usually because of a transcription error in the MAC address. Copy carefully.
If this feels awkward, most providers including us will do it for you. Send support your MAC address and device key and it takes a couple of minutes.
Step 5: Reload the app
Close the app on the television completely, using the Exit or Back button until you return to the home screen, then reopen it. Your channel list and guide should appear.
If nothing changed, the television has cached the old state. Unplug the television at the wall for thirty seconds, plug it back in, and reopen. Tizen and webOS both cache aggressively and this step resolves most cases.
Settings worth changing
Two picture settings make a noticeable difference on live broadcast content.
Turn off motion smoothing. Samsung calls it Auto Motion Plus, LG calls it TruMotion. On live sports it produces visible artefacting around fast-moving objects, particularly a hockey puck. Turn it off entirely.
Set the picture mode appropriately. Use Filmmaker Mode or Cinema for films and series. Use Standard for sports, where the higher brightness helps.
On the network side, connect to your router's 5 GHz band rather than 2.4 GHz. If your television has an Ethernet port and you can run a cable, do that instead. Smart TV Wi-Fi radios are generally weaker than those in dedicated streaming devices, which is another reason Smart TV setups can underperform.
If your television is older than about 2017
Tizen and webOS builds from before roughly 2017 do not support the current generation of IPTV players. The app store either does not carry them or the installed app fails to run.
There is no software fix for this. The practical answer is a $50 to $70 CAD Fire TV Stick, which will also outperform the television's built-in apps on every measure including boot time and interface responsiveness.
This is not a bad outcome. Even on newer televisions, a dedicated streaming stick is usually faster than the television's own processor, and it can be replaced independently when it ages.
Common problems
The app is not in my store. Regional availability. Work through the list of players in order. If none appear, contact support and we will tell you which one is currently live for your model.
Playlist uploaded but nothing appears on the TV. Caching. Fully exit the app rather than pressing Back once, unplug the television for thirty seconds, and reopen.
Device key has changed. Keys reset when an app is uninstalled and reinstalled. Note the new key and re-upload, or send it to support.
Everything worked, then stopped after a TV update. Firmware updates occasionally clear sideloaded state. Reopen the app, note whether the device key has changed, and re-upload if it has.
The picture is fine but the guide is empty. The playlist was uploaded as M3U only. Ask your provider for the Xtream Codes credentials instead, which carry guide data, if your chosen player supports that method.
Should you use a Smart TV or a streaming stick?
Honestly, a streaming stick, unless you have a specific reason not to.
Use the Smart TV if: you want no extra hardware, your television is 2020 or newer, and you are comfortable with the two-step portal setup.
Use a Firestick or Android box if: your television is older, you want the simplest possible setup, you want the best performance, or you want a device you can take to a hotel or a cottage.
The Smart TV route saves you $70 and costs you an hour. Whether that trade is worth it depends on how you value your evening.
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Filed under
JT
Julie Tremblay
Customer Experience Manager
Julie runs the support desk and has personally walked several thousand Canadian households through their first IPTV setup. She writes the device guides and the plain-language explainers.
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