Samsung and LG smart TVs do not use Android, so they have their own app stores: Tizen on Samsung and webOS on LG. The choice of IPTV player apps is smaller than on a Fire TV or Android TV device, and it varies by model year, but most TVs from the last few years can run at least one.

You will need: your TV connected to the internet, your remote, and your IPTV login or the ability to send your provider a MAC address.

Step 1: Check your TV software

  1. Samsung: Settings, Support, Software Update, Update Now.
  2. LG: Settings, General (or Support on newer models), About This TV, Check for updates.

Updating first gives you the widest choice of apps.

Step 2: Find a player app

  1. Open the Apps section on a Samsung TV, or the LG Content Store on an LG TV.
  2. Search for an IPTV player. IBO Player is available on many recent Samsung and LG models, and other players may appear depending on your TV.
  3. Install the app.

If the search returns nothing suitable, your TV may be too old for current player apps. Skip to the section on older TVs below.

Step 3: Activate the app

Many smart TV players use MAC address activation rather than a typed login, because typing long details with a TV remote is slow.

  1. Open the player app. It shows a MAC address and usually a device key.
  2. Write both down carefully, or take a photo of the screen.
  3. Send them to your IPTV provider. They link your subscription to that app.
  4. Restart the app. Your channels and programme guide load.

Some smart TV players charge a one-off activation fee or a yearly fee of their own. This is separate from your IPTV subscription, so check the app's own terms.

If your player app asks for a login instead, enter your Xtream Codes details or M3U link as described in our guide to IPTV login types.

Step 4: Improve the picture

  • Connect the TV to your router with a network cable if you can.
  • In the TV's picture settings, turn off motion smoothing if live sport looks unnatural.
  • If the app feels slow, close it fully and reopen it, or restart the TV by unplugging it for 30 seconds.

If your smart TV is too old

Older Samsung and LG TVs often do not have an IPTV player in their app store, and the TV makers stop updating their apps after a few years. The easiest fix is a streaming stick. A Fire TV Stick or a Google TV device in a spare HDMI port gives you the full range of player apps and usually a faster interface too.

If the MAC address changes

If you reinstall the player app or reset the TV, the app may show a new MAC address. Send the new one to your provider so they can move your subscription across.