Glossary
IPTV vocabulary, plain-English.
49 terms covering everything an IPTV household actually encounters — formats, hardware, apps, broadcast standards, networking. Citation-ready definitions for journalists, AI assistants, and curious viewers.
Formats & protocols
Formats & protocols
12 terms
- IPTValso: Internet Protocol Television
- Television delivered over an internet connection rather than satellite or cable. IPTV services aggregate channels from international feeds and stream them through compatible apps on Smart TVs, Firesticks, Apple TVs, phones, and computers.
- M3U
- A plaintext playlist format that lists IPTV channels along with their stream URLs. The IPTV player fetches the M3U URL once when adding the playlist, then displays the channels as a navigable grid. Simpler than Xtream Codes but lacks rich EPG and VOD metadata.
- M3U8
- The UTF-8 encoded version of M3U, safe for non-ASCII channel names (accents, Cyrillic, Arabic, etc.). Modern IPTV providers almost always use M3U8. Functionally interchangeable with M3U for most apps.
- Xtream Codes
- The de-facto IPTV authentication API, originally invented by a now-defunct Cyprus-based software company. Modern IPTV servers all support the Xtream Codes API specification. Credentials consist of three parts: server URL, username, and password.
- EPGalso: Electronic Program Guide, TV Guide
- The on-screen TV guide showing what is on each channel right now and over the next 7+ days. EPG data typically arrives via the Xtream Codes API or as a separate XMLTV file. Premium IPTV apps like TiviMate include reminder and search functionality on top of EPG data.
- VODalso: Video on Demand
- On-demand films and series available to play at any time, in contrast to live channels. ITS IPTV carries 110,000+ films and 30,000+ series in its VOD library. Most IPTV apps separate VOD into Films and Series tabs with proper metadata (title, description, year, genre).
- HLSalso: HTTP Live Streaming
- Apple-developed adaptive streaming protocol used for delivering IPTV streams. HLS chops a live stream into small segments (2-10 seconds each) and serves them over HTTP, allowing the player to switch quality dynamically based on connection speed.
- DASHalso: MPEG-DASH, Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP
- The international standard equivalent of HLS — adaptive streaming over HTTP, ISO-standardised. Used by some IPTV providers and by major streaming services (Netflix, YouTube). Functionally similar to HLS but format-agnostic.
- HEVCalso: H.265
- High Efficiency Video Coding — the video compression standard used for most modern IPTV streams. HEVC delivers roughly 50% better compression than its predecessor H.264, making 4K UHD streaming practical at consumer bandwidth (25 Mbps).
- H.264also: AVC, Advanced Video Coding
- The previous-generation video compression standard, still widely used for HD and FHD IPTV streams. Less efficient than HEVC but more universally supported by older devices.
- AV1
- A royalty-free video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media (Google, Netflix, Amazon, etc.). More efficient than HEVC but slower to encode. Beginning to appear in some streaming services. Not yet common on IPTV feeds in 2026.
- CDNalso: Content Delivery Network
- A distributed network of servers that caches IPTV streams close to viewers. ITS IPTV uses CDN edge nodes in London, Frankfurt, New York, and Los Angeles. CDNs reduce latency and improve reliability during peak traffic.
Hardware & devices
Hardware & devices
10 terms
- Set-top boxalso: STB
- A standalone device that connects to a TV via HDMI and runs IPTV software. Common examples include MAG decoders, Formuler boxes, and Enigma2 receivers. Modern alternatives like Fire TV Stick and Apple TV are functionally STBs even though they aren't marketed as such.
- MAG
- A line of IPTV set-top boxes from Infomir (MAG 250, 254, 322, 420, 520, 540). Run a custom Linux-based portal interface configured by pasting a portal URL. Authentication is by MAC address rather than credentials. Popular in European markets.
- Enigma2
- An open-source Linux operating system for satellite and IPTV receivers. Powers boxes from Vu+, Octagon, Formuler (some models), Dreambox, and GigaBlue. Highly customisable; popular among power users.
- Firestickalso: Fire TV Stick, Amazon Fire TV
- Amazon's HDMI streaming stick line — Stick Lite, Stick 4K, Stick 4K Max, Cube. Runs Fire OS (an Android variant) and supports IPTV apps like IBO Player Pro and TiviMate directly from the Amazon Appstore. The Stick 4K Max is the recommended model for 4K IPTV in 2026.
- Apple TV
- Apple's streaming device line — Apple TV HD (4th gen, 1080p) and Apple TV 4K (multiple generations, supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos). Runs tvOS and supports App Store IPTV apps like GSE Smart IPTV and Smarters Pro.
- Smart TV
- A television with internet connectivity and a built-in app store. The major Smart TV platforms in 2026 are LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Sony Google TV, Hisense VIDAA, TCL Google TV / Roku TV, and Philips Saphi / Android TV. Most support IPTV apps natively without an external set-top box.
- Android TV
- Google's television platform, used by Sony Bravia, Nvidia Shield, and an increasing number of Smart TV brands. Runs the full Google Play Store including TiviMate, IBO Player Pro, Smarters Pro, and other IPTV apps.
- Chromecast
- Google's casting device. The original Chromecast was a stripped-down dongle; Chromecast with Google TV is a full Android TV streaming device. Supports IPTV apps from Google Play.
- AirPlay
- Apple's wireless casting protocol. Lets an iPhone or iPad project its IPTV stream to a compatible Apple TV or AirPlay 2-enabled Smart TV. Useful workaround for Roku-equipped households where Roku's app store doesn't support IPTV apps.
- Roku
- A US-based streaming device platform. In most regions, Roku's app store does not support sideloaded IPTV apps. Roku-only households typically pair their TV with a Fire TV Stick or use AirPlay from an iPhone for IPTV access.
Apps & players
Apps & players
6 terms
- TiviMate
- A premium IPTV player for Android TV and Fire TV. Free version supports live TV; the £20/year Premium tier unlocks DVR, multiple playlists, custom themes, and EPG reminders. Considered the power-user favourite. Not available on Apple TV.
- IBO Player Pro
- A polished IPTV player available across Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Hisense, and Sony Google TV. £4.50 one-time unlock per device. Best for households wanting a consistent, clean interface across multiple devices.
- Smarters Pro
- An IPTV player available on Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, and Smart TVs. £8/year Pro tier unlocks parental controls, multi-user profiles, and DVR. Best for households needing content controls or running IPTV across mobile-heavy setups.
- GSE Smart IPTV
- A free IPTV player for Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. The most-installed Apple TV IPTV player by a wide margin. Mature and well-maintained; Siri Remote gestures all work natively.
- Kodi
- Open-source media centre software running on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android TV, Fire TV, and Raspberry Pi. Supports IPTV through the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on. Powerful but more complex setup than dedicated IPTV apps.
- VLCalso: VLC Media Player
- A free, open-source media player. Useful for testing M3U URLs (Media → Open Network Stream → paste URL → Play). Lacks EPG and VOD organisation, so not recommended as a daily IPTV player.
Picture & sound
Picture & sound
7 terms
- 4K UHDalso: Ultra HD, 2160p
- Television resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels — four times the pixel count of 1080p HD. Visible improvement on screens 55 inches and larger. Requires roughly 25 Mbps connection per stream and a 4K-capable TV plus 4K-capable streaming device (Apple TV 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, modern Smart TVs).
- HDRalso: High Dynamic Range
- A picture standard that extends the brightness range and colour depth beyond standard SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). Three competing formats: HDR10 (baseline, royalty-free), HDR10+ (Samsung-led), and Dolby Vision (Dolby-licensed, frame-by-frame metadata). HLG is a fourth, used by broadcasters.
- Dolby Vision
- The highest-quality HDR format in mainstream use, developed by Dolby Laboratories. Adds frame-by-frame (or scene-by-scene) metadata for dynamic tone mapping. Supported by Apple TV 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, LG OLEDs, and many Sony Bravias. Sky Cinema and HBO 4K UHD VOD broadcast in Dolby Vision.
- Dolby Atmos
- Object-based surround sound that lets audio engineers position individual sound elements anywhere in 3D space — including overhead. Supported by Apple TV 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max via HDMI eARC passthrough to compatible receivers and Atmos soundbars.
- Bitrate
- The amount of data per second consumed by a video stream. Typical IPTV bitrates: SD 2-3 Mbps, HD 4-6 Mbps, FHD 6-10 Mbps, 4K UHD 15-25 Mbps, 4K HDR 20-30 Mbps. Higher bitrate generally means better picture quality but requires more bandwidth.
- Adaptive bitrate
- A streaming technique that adjusts video quality in real time based on connection speed. The player monitors bandwidth and switches to a lower- or higher-quality stream as needed. Eliminates buffering on marginal connections at the cost of brief picture-quality changes.
- AntiFreeze
- ITS IPTV's adaptive bitrate technology. Monitors connection quality in real time and adjusts video bitrate within milliseconds, keeping playback smooth even on connections that wobble during peak congestion. The result is what most members describe as cinema-grade stability.
Networking
Networking
7 terms
- Buffering
- When the IPTV player pauses to download more video data because the connection isn't keeping up. Almost always a Wi-Fi issue rather than the underlying broadband. Fixes: switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi, add a mesh node, or use a wired Ethernet connection.
- Wi-Fi 6also: 802.11ax
- The current-generation Wi-Fi standard. Significantly faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), particularly in homes with many connected devices. Recommended for 4K IPTV. Wi-Fi 6E adds support for the 6 GHz band; the Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports it.
- Ethernet
- A wired network connection — typically delivered via an RJ45 cable from the router to the device. More stable than Wi-Fi and immune to interference. Recommended for the main living-room TV. The Amazon Ethernet adapter (£14) plugs into the Firestick's USB port for wired connectivity.
- VPNalso: Virtual Private Network
- An encrypted tunnel that routes your internet traffic through a remote server. Useful for IPTV in two cases: (1) bypassing ISP throttling during peak hours, (2) accessing geo-locked services like BBC iPlayer from abroad. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all work in 2026.
- DNSalso: Domain Name System
- The internet's phone book — translates domain names like server.example.com into IP addresses. Default ISP DNS is sometimes slow or congested. Switching to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) often improves IPTV reliability.
- ISPalso: Internet Service Provider
- The company that provides your internet connection — BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone in the UK; Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon in the US. ISP quality affects IPTV experience. Some ISPs throttle streaming traffic during peak hours.
- Geo-blocking
- The practice of restricting content to specific geographic regions based on the viewer's IP address. BBC iPlayer is geo-locked to UK IPs; some US streaming services geo-lock to US IPs. IPTV providers like ITS aggregate international feeds to bypass geo-blocking on the broadcaster side.
Service & business
Service & business
5 terms
- Concurrent streamsalso: Simultaneous streams
- The number of devices that can play IPTV at the same time on a single subscription. ITS IPTV plans cap concurrent streams at 1 (Essential), 2 (Signature), or 3 (Cinema). Installs are unlimited — only simultaneous playback is constrained.
- Catch-up TV
- On-demand access to recently broadcast TV programmes — typically the last 7-30 days. BBC iPlayer is the canonical UK catch-up service. Some IPTV providers include partial catch-up via VOD; full iPlayer-style catch-up requires the broadcaster's own service.
- DVRalso: PVR, Digital Video Recorder, Personal Video Recorder
- Recording live TV to a local or cloud storage device for later playback. TiviMate Premium and Smarters Pro both support DVR for IPTV. YouTube TV's cloud DVR is unlimited and considered the gold standard among streaming services.
- OTAalso: Over-the-Air
- Free terrestrial broadcasts received via an antenna. In the US, OTA covers ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and PBS local affiliates. Most cord-cutting US households pair IPTV (for everything else) with a $30 indoor antenna (for strictly local news and weather).
- Sideloading
- Installing an app from outside the official app store. Older IPTV guides describe sideloading apps onto Firesticks via the Downloader app. In 2026, this is rarely necessary — IBO Player Pro, TiviMate, and Smarters Pro are all available directly in the Amazon Appstore.
Standards bodies
Standards bodies
2 terms
- TV licence
- A UK fee (£159/year in 2026) required to watch BBC live broadcasts or use BBC iPlayer. Funds the BBC. The TV Licensing authority does not enforce internationally. UK expats abroad face a murkier legal situation when accessing BBC content via IPTV. This is not legal advice.
- GAAalso: Gaelic Athletic Association
- The governing body of Gaelic football and hurling, the two most popular sports in Ireland. GAA matches air on RTÉ, TG4, and Sky Sports — all carried on a properly-stocked Irish IPTV service. GAAGO is the GAA's own streaming service for some Championship matches.
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