To set up IPTV on a smart TV from Samsung or LG, install a player from the television’s own app store, open it, and enter the Xtream Codes details from your provider. Samsung runs Tizen and LG runs webOS, so the app choice differs, but the login step is identical on both.
Samsung and LG do not run the same apps
This is the single thing that confuses people most. A television is not an Android box. Samsung sets run Tizen, LG sets run webOS, and neither can sideload an Android app the way a Firestick can. You install only what is in the manufacturer’s own store.
| Television | Operating system | Where apps come from |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung, 2017 onward | Tizen | Samsung Apps / Smart Hub |
| LG, 2017 onward | webOS | LG Content Store |
| Sony, Philips, TCL, Hisense (most) | Android TV or Google TV | Google Play Store |
If your set is older than about 2016, the store may no longer be updated and no current player will install. A cheap streaming stick plugged into an HDMI port solves it and usually performs better than the television’s own processor.
Setting up on a Samsung television
- Press the Home button and open Apps.
- Search for an IPTV player that accepts an Xtream Codes login. IPTV Smarters Pro is the usual choice on Tizen.
- Install it and open it.
- Choose Login with Xtream Codes API and enter your username, password and server URL.
- Wait for the channel list to build. The first load is the slow one.
Setting up on an LG television
- Press Home and open the LG Content Store.
- Search for an IPTV player and install it.
- Open the app. Some webOS players show a device key or MAC address on first launch — if yours asks for one, send it to us on WhatsApp and we will link it to your subscription.
- Otherwise enter the Xtream Codes username, password and server URL.
Use the Xtream Codes login, not the M3U link
Where a player offers both, the Xtream Codes API is the better choice. It loads live channels, films, series and the programme guide together, and it survives a reboot without being re-entered. An M3U URL gives you the channels and nothing else. There is more on the difference on our player apps page.
Wire the television in if you can
Televisions have the weakest wireless radios in most houses, and they sit low, behind furniture, often on the far side of the room from the router. An Ethernet cable into the back of the set is the single change that fixes the most picture stalling. Where that is impossible, move the set to the 5 GHz band.
Speed matters less than steadiness. 15 Mbps that never dips plays Full HD better than 80 Mbps that collapses for two seconds at a time. If the picture stalls after setup, work through our buffering fixes in order.
Common problems when running IPTV on a smart TV
No IPTV player appears in the store
Check the television’s year and software version. Pre-2016 sets are frequently cut off from new app releases. A streaming stick is the practical answer.
The app opens but nothing plays
Re-type the three login fields rather than editing them. A trailing space after the password is the most common cause, and it is invisible on an on-screen keyboard.
Can I use the same subscription on the bedroom television too?
No. One subscription covers one device. A second television needs its own subscription; see the price list for what each term costs. If you want to check the picture on your own set first, start with a free trial.
