Device setup
How to Watch IPTV on a Windows PC or Mac
Three ways to watch IPTV on a Windows PC or Mac, from a full desktop player to VLC, with step-by-step setup and tips for a smoother picture.
7 min read
John
Head of support, King of Stream
John leads the King of Stream support team, which answers customers' setup and streaming questions by email every day. He writes and checks our guides from the problems customers bring to the team, and updates them when apps, devices or the rules change.
Writes about: IPTV, Streaming devices, Home broadband and Wi-Fi, UK TV services, TV Licence rules.
Every article follows our editorial policy.
Articles and guides (33)
IPTV explained
What Is IPTV? A Plain-English Guide for UK Viewers
What IPTV actually is, how a channel gets from a server to your TV, and how it differs from Freeview, satellite and streaming apps.
7 min read
Streaming technology
M3U, Xtream Codes or MAC Address: Which IPTV Login Should You Use?
Three ways to connect a player app to an IPTV subscription, what each one does, and how to pick the right one for your device.
7 min read
Safety and the law
How to Spot an IPTV Scam in the UK, and What to Do If You Are Caught Out
Warning signs to look for before you pay any IPTV provider, the safest ways to pay, and where to report it if something goes wrong.
7 min read
Streaming technology
How Much Broadband Speed Do You Need for IPTV in the UK?
A simple way to work out the speed your household needs, and why connection stability matters as much as the headline figure.
7 min read
Comparisons
Freeview, Freely, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW or IPTV: Ways to Watch TV in the UK Compared
How the main ways of watching TV in the UK compare on cost, contracts, equipment and content, so you can pick what suits your home.
7 min read
Streaming technology
Wired, Wi-Fi, Powerline or Mesh: The Best Way to Connect Your TV for IPTV
The connection between your router and your TV causes more buffering than the broadband line itself. Here is how the four main options compare, and which to choose.
7 min read
Streaming technology
The Best IPTV Player Apps in the UK, Compared by Device
Which player app to use on Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung and LG TVs, iPhone, Apple TV and computers, and what each one does well or badly.
9 min read
Streaming technology
Multiroom IPTV: How to Watch TV in Every Room Without Extra Boxes
A practical plan for putting live TV, films and box sets on every TV in the house with one subscription, from counting screens to fixing the bedroom Wi-Fi.
7 min read
IPTV explained
Moving House in the UK: How to Keep Your TV and Broadband Working
A week-by-week plan for moving your broadband, TV Licence and TV service so you are not left without TV or internet in your new home.
7 min read
Safety and the law
Is IPTV Legal in the UK? What the Law Says for Viewers and Sellers
IPTV technology is legal. What decides whether a subscription is lawful is distribution rights. Here is how UK law treats sellers and viewers.
7 min read
Comparisons
IPTV vs Sky in the UK: Cost, Channels, Contracts and Picture Quality Compared
A fair, side-by-side look at IPTV and Sky on cost over one and two years, contracts, channels, equipment, picture quality and reliability, and who each one suits.
9 min read
IPTV explained
IPTV in a Shared House: How to Set Up and Split One Subscription Fairly
For students and house shares: how many screens to choose, a fair way to split the bill, getting Wi-Fi to every bedroom, and the TV Licence rules that catch people out.
7 min read
IPTV explained
IPTV for Older Viewers: A Simple Setup for Parents and Grandparents
A step-by-step plan for setting up TV that an older relative can use confidently, with tips on remotes, subtitles, favourites and staying able to help from home.
7 min read
IPTV explained
IPTV Programme Guide, Catch-Up and Recording: How They Work
How the programme guide gets its listings, how catch-up lets you go back in time, how recording works in player apps, and what UK law allows.
7 min read
Streaming technology
IPTV Picture Quality Explained: SD, HD, Full HD, 4K and HDR
What resolution, bitrate, frame rate and HDR mean for IPTV, why a "4K" channel can look worse than HD, and the settings that make the biggest difference.
7 min read
IPTV explained
IPTV Glossary: 44 Streaming Terms Explained in Plain English
From ARC to Xtream Codes, the words you meet when setting up IPTV, explained in a sentence or two each, with links to the guides that go deeper.
8 min read
Streaming technology
How to Watch IPTV in a Caravan, Holiday Home or Boat in the UK
Site Wi-Fi, mobile routers, data allowances, devices and the TV Licence rules for caravans and boats, so you can take your TV with you this season.
7 min read
Comparisons
How to Switch from Sky or Virgin Media to IPTV Without Paying Twice
Check your contract, keep your broadband, test IPTV first and time your notice, so you move from Sky or Virgin Media without paying twice or losing TV.
7 min read
Streaming technology
How to Organise Your IPTV Channel List: Favourites, Groups and Hidden Categories
A long channel list is the most common complaint from new IPTV users. Twenty minutes of setup turns it into a short, personal list that opens straight to what you watch.
7 min read
Comparisons
How to Cut the Cost of TV in the UK: 9 Ways to Pay Less Without Losing What You Watch
A household budget guide to TV spending in the UK. Work out what you really pay, what you actually watch, and where the savings are.
7 min read
Streaming technology
How Much Data Does IPTV Use? A Guide for UK Broadband and Mobile
Typical data use per hour for SD, HD and 4K, what it means for home broadband and mobile plans, and simple ways to use less.
7 min read
IPTV explained
How Many Devices Can You Use with an IPTV Subscription? Screens and Sharing Explained
The difference between devices and screens, how connection limits work, how many your household needs, and why sharing outside your home causes problems.
7 min read
Comparisons
Fire TV Stick, Android TV Box or Smart TV: Which Is Best for IPTV?
How the most popular devices compare for IPTV on app choice, speed, picture quality and ease of use, and which one suits your home.
7 min read
Safety and the law
Do You Need a TV Licence for IPTV? The UK Rules Explained
The TV Licence rules for IPTV, phones, laptops, students and second homes, in plain English, with what to do if you do not need one.
7 min read
Streaming technology
Buying a New TV for IPTV: What to Check Before You Pay
The specifications that matter for streaming, the ones that are mostly marketing, and why a cheap streaming stick can matter more than the TV itself.
7 min read
Troubleshooting
Why Does IPTV Keep Buffering? 9 Fixes for UK Homes
Buffering usually comes down to your connection, your home network or your app. Work through these nine fixes in order.
3 min read
Device setup
How to Set Up IPTV on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV
Choose a player from the App Store, add your login, and use AirPlay or Apple TV to watch on the big screen.
2 min read
Device setup
How to Set Up IPTV on an Amazon Fire TV Stick
Install a player app on your Fire TV Stick, sign in with your login and fix the most common Fire TV problems.
3 min read
Device setup
How to Set Up IPTV on a Samsung or LG Smart TV
Find a player app on your Samsung or LG TV, activate it with a MAC address or login, and what to do if your TV does not support one.
2 min read
Device setup
How to Set Up IPTV on a MAG Box
Find your MAG box's MAC address, enter the portal address and fix the common "portal not found" and authentication errors.
2 min read
Device setup
How to Set Up IPTV on Android TV and Google TV
Install a player from Google Play on your Android TV or Google TV device, add your login and set up the programme guide.
2 min read
Troubleshooting
How to Fix IPTV Login Errors and a Missing Programme Guide
What "invalid login", "account expired" and an empty or wrong programme guide usually mean, and how to fix each one.
2 min read