Adding a second or third TV to a traditional pay TV package usually means another box, another monthly charge and sometimes an engineer visit. IPTV works differently. One subscription can play on several TVs at once, and each TV only needs a way to run a player app.
This guide shows how to plan multiroom IPTV for a UK home: how many screens to choose, which device to use in each room, how to get a steady connection upstairs, and how to keep everyone's viewing separate.
How multiroom works with IPTV
With IPTV there is no central box that every TV has to connect to. Each TV runs its own player app, signs in with the same login, and streams directly over your broadband.
Two numbers matter:
- Devices: how many TVs, phones and tablets have the app installed. There is usually no limit on this.
- Screens: how many can play at the same time. This is what your plan sets. King of Stream plans cover 1 to 5 screens on every plan length.
So a home with four TVs but only two people watching at once needs a two-screen plan, not a four-screen one. Our article on how many devices an IPTV subscription covers explains this in more detail.
Step 1: count your screens properly
Think about your busiest viewing moment, often a weekend evening, and count how many different things are playing at once. Include:
- the living room TV
- bedroom TVs that are on at the same time
- phones or tablets streaming in another room
- a kitchen TV left on in the background
Then add one if guests often watch too. That is your screen count.
On a 12-month plan, one screen costs £59.99 and two screens cost £94.99. Each extra screen adds the same amount again, up to five. You choose screens when you order, so it is worth getting the number right first. Every option is on our prices page.
Step 2: choose a device for each TV
Each room's TV needs a way to run a player app. You may not need to buy anything.
Living room
The main TV deserves the best device, because it is where you watch sport and films. A 4K streaming stick, an Android TV or Google TV box, or an Apple TV gives a quick, steady picture. If the TV is near the router, use a network cable.
Bedrooms
Many recent smart TVs can install a player app directly. Check your TV's app store first. If the TV is older or slow, a basic streaming stick is an inexpensive upgrade that also gets you a simpler remote.
Kitchen and smaller rooms
Small TVs are often older models without good app support. A streaming stick in the HDMI port solves this. A tablet on a stand is another option and uses the same login.
Children's rooms
Use a device that supports a child profile or a player app with a PIN lock on adult categories. Our guide to IPTV for kids explains how to set up parental controls.
Our device comparison goes through the pros and cons of each type, and our setup guides cover installation step by step.
Step 3: get a steady connection to every room
Multiroom streaming puts more load on your home network, and rooms far from the router are where problems start. Fix the connection before you blame the service.
Check speed where each TV is
Run a speed test on a phone standing next to each TV, in the evening. Allow around 5 Mbps per HD screen and 15 to 25 Mbps per 4K screen, plus room for everything else in the house.
Upstairs rooms
Floors and walls weaken Wi-Fi. A mesh Wi-Fi system with a unit on each floor is the tidiest fix for most homes. Powerline adapters, which carry the connection through your electrical wiring, work well in many houses and give you a wired connection in the room.
Busy evenings
When several TVs stream at once, other heavy users such as console downloads can cause pauses. Schedule big downloads overnight. Our article on wired, Wi-Fi, powerline and mesh connections compares the options in detail.
Step 4: install and sign in on each device
Once the hardware is ready:
- Install the same player app on every device, so the menus look the same in each room. It makes life easier for everyone.
- Enter your login on each one. With Xtream Codes this is the same server, username and password everywhere. With MAC-based apps, each device has its own MAC address that needs activating, so tell us each one.
- Load the programme guide on each device and check the time is right.
- Test two or three rooms streaming at once.
Step 5: keep each room's viewing separate
Sharing one login does not mean sharing one setup. Each device keeps its own:
- Favourites list. The sports fan in the living room and the documentary watcher in the bedroom can each have their own shortlist. Our guide to organising your channel list shows how.
- Watch history. Most apps remember where you stopped a film on that device.
- Parental settings. Lock adult categories on children's devices only.
What multiroom IPTV does not do
To be clear about the limits:
- Two rooms cannot both play once your screen limit is reached. The extra stream will not start until another stops.
- The plan is for one household. Sharing your login with family at a different address breaks the terms and can use up your screens at the wrong moment.
- Recording to a central box for every room is not built in. Some player apps can record to a USB or network drive; our guide to catch-up and recording explains the options.
Multiroom IPTV compared with pay TV multiroom
| Pay TV multiroom | Multiroom IPTV | |
|---|---|---|
| Extra equipment | Usually a provider box per room | Any device that runs a player app |
| Monthly cost | Extra monthly charge per room on most packages | Screens chosen once, included in the plan price |
| Installation | Sometimes an engineer visit | Install an app |
| Same channels in every room | Depends on package | Yes, every room gets the full service |
Check your current provider's own prices before comparing. Our Sky and Virgin Media comparisons use each provider's published starting prices.
Three example multiroom setups
A couple in a two-bedroom flat
They watch together most evenings, but one of them sometimes watches sport in the spare room while the other watches a drama. Two screens cover every situation. The living room TV is a recent smart TV with the player app installed directly, and a streaming stick goes in the spare room's older TV. Because the flat is small, the router's 5 GHz Wi-Fi reaches both rooms without help.
A family of four in a semi-detached house
On a Saturday evening the parents watch the main TV, one child watches in their bedroom and the other is on a tablet. That is three streams, so they choose three screens, with a fourth worth considering when grandparents visit. Upstairs Wi-Fi was patchy, so they added a two-unit mesh system, with one unit on the landing. The children's devices have a PIN lock on adult categories.
A house with a garden office or annexe
The main house has two TVs and the garden office has a third. The office is too far for Wi-Fi, so a powerline adapter or an outdoor-rated mesh unit carries the connection, depending on the wiring. Two screens are usually enough, because the office TV is rarely on at the same time as both house TVs.
In each case, the starting point is the same: count the streams at the busiest moment, give each TV a device that runs the player app, and fix the connection to the furthest room before blaming the service.
Frequently asked questions
How many TVs can I use with one IPTV subscription?
You can install the app on as many TVs as you like in your household. The number of screens on your plan limits how many play at the same time, from 1 to 5 with King of Stream.
Do I need a box for every TV?
Only for TVs that cannot install a player app. Many smart TVs can. Older ones need a streaming stick in the HDMI port.
Will multiroom streaming slow down my broadband?
Each HD stream uses around 5 Mbps. Most UK fibre connections handle several at once. If upstairs rooms buffer, the cause is usually Wi-Fi rather than the broadband line.
Can each room watch a different channel?
Yes. Each screen is independent, so every room can watch something different, up to your screen limit.
Ready to set it up? Choose your screens on our plans page, or tell us about your home and we will suggest the right number.
