What is IPTV & How Does It Work – Legal or Illegal (Explained)

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol TV. Quick Meaning: Using TV channels via internet. Now a days IPTV industry is growing very fast. According to a recent review, there was a 22% grow in last year in IPTV business by users and providers.

You’ll GET In this page:

What is IPTV?

How does it work?

Is IPTV illegal?

How much an IPTV Subscription cost?

What is IPTV Reseller

What is IPTV Subscription

What is IPTV Server

What is IPTV Set Top Box?

What is M3U & How to Use

What is IPTV?

Quick answer: IPTV is watching TV via internt, like online streamings. There are many IPTV Providers online, selling playlists. They sell worldwide list of channels around 7000+ to 12000.

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol TV, using TV channels via internet is actually called IPTV. This an alternative way of watching TV anywhere via your internet connection. The IPTV channels can be watched on almost any entertainment device.

Nowadays IPTV providers are selling subscriptions with a huge list of IPTV channels around 3000 to 12000. Looks really impressive and unbelievable.

According to our recent test, 80% of the LiveTV channels in IPTV worked perfect. There are more many things in IPTV like: VOD, Catch up Service & EPG. Lets let know what these services are:

IPTV VOD/MOD (Video On Demand, Movies On Demand):

The providers are also offering a big list of VOD and MOD, that include the Drama series, Movies series and latest and old Films. These service are greatly liked by the users.

The provider almost every day upload new VODs and MODs to their server and let them available for their new and old customers.

IPTV Catchup:

This is another amazing service being offered in IPTV. With this service, you can have the recording on any channel as long as 14 days. Many providers are offering for 7 days but fewer offering for 14 days.

With this iptv recording system, when you’re watching a show and need to go anywhere during the show, just click on record it and it will keep recording it. When you’re back. Just chek it out. The files will remain for 7 days or 14 days (depends on provider). So now you’re not gonna miss out any show.

EPG (Electronic Program Guide):

There is another great service in IPTV is called EPG stands for Electronic Program Guide. With this feature, you can see the information about a channel’s current program and next program with details.

Like currently the “Example Show” is Live and will be ending at 5.30PM. Next Program is “Example Program 2” etc etc. There you can get the list of many future programs. Some of the best iptv providers are offering these service on all their Live TV channels.

The things are rocking. So, now you can schedule your day by using EPG system with IPTV service.

How Does it work?

Quick answer: IPTV channels can be watched on many devices now like Using VLC on PC, Android Box, Enigma 2, Dreambox, IPTV on Android, MAG devices, Receivers, Mobiles, Smart TVs including Samsung & LG and many more.

Here is a list of Best IPTV Box :

Watching IPTV Channels On PC Using VLC Player:

On your PC, install VLC Media Player. Now you must have an iptv playlist, the working one. You can get one online from open sources. The playlist must be an m3u file/link, read more.

The most important things we got for this. Let’s start.

Click on the provided m3u link and it will download a file of .m3u extension. The files/urls inside will be .ts.

Now Open downloaded m3u file with VLC Media Player. It will instantly play the 1st number channel sorted by the provider. To get IPTV channels on VLC click CTRL+D and there you go with all provided channels list including VODs.

Watching iPTV channels On Android Box (IPTV Box):

There are many types of Android boxes now a days, available with some pre-installed IPTV apps to the box like STB App or IPTV App. We’ll now answer the question; How does an IPTV Box work?

Lets say you bought and Android IPTV Box, that is available with many pre-installed apps. But we’ll install our own desired app and start watching Live TV channels on it.

Go to our best iptv apps page, download IPTV App or IPTV Smarters > Install and open it. Its now asking us to add IPTV Playlist to it via M3U Playlist URL or M3U File. You can choose any of the method as we already got m3u link from provider and clicking on it downloaded the file too.

Let’s go for choosing by URL and clicked on OK. It will import the available allowed channels list and show us. Simple click on any link and now it will ask us to choose external player. The app must require an external IPTV player like VLC or MX Player, so install one of them and choose that.

It will start loading the channel and here you start watching the Live TV channel with IPTV Android App. Press back and choose any other channel. The app also support EPG and Catchup option.

Watching IPTV On Enigma 2/Zgemma/DM:

The devices Enigma 2 and Zgemma both comes with Linux operating system. As we all know now, we must have a working playlist URL but this time it must be a URL with script and .sh extension. You can ask provider to send that file/URL.

Now you must install/Configure/Setup IPTV Playlist with these E2 Boxes using Putty. This video tutorial will help you more and read detailed guide here.

Watching IPTV On MAG/STB/DreamLink T2:

These apps are pretty cool and having almost same structure. These are very easy apps for IPTV, supporting all new features. Let’s start with it.

For STB/MAG/DL T2 we don’t need m3u link. Here is another story. On your IPTV MAG Box back side, you’ll see a unique mac address of the box is provided there. Send that to provider and he’ll unlock it for you. With this he’ll also provide you their server’s Portal URL.

Add that URL to your box’s Portal URL > Add it and restart Portal URL. After doing this it will show you a window showing loading channels. It will show a list of allowed channels to you and now you can play any channel. Click on channel logo or name and it will start running.

Watching IPTV channels On Smart TV:

This another most liked app by users. The Smart TV by Samsung and LG comes with a pre-installed app called “Smart IPTV / SIPTV).

Get m3u or txt playlist from your provider and visit SIPTV Playlist Uploader. When you’ll visit the site, you must have working playlist url and mac address of the TV.

The website will ask you to add the mac address of the TV and URL or file of playlist. Add these details and click on upload. After this you’ll get a message “1 URL added! Restart the App” That’s all. Now restart the App and Enjoy watching TV channels. Here you go with Video Tutorial:

These were few best and most using IPTV Box and IPTV Apps.

Is IPTV Legal?

Quick Answer: Yes, IPTV System itself isn’t illegal. If the streams are authorized by seller (IPTV providers), then its 100% legal. If he’s selling without authorization, its fully illegal and average of providers are selling without any authorization. Even UK’s all ISP are blocking IPTV IPs.

The systems aren’t illegal, using them in wrong way is illegal. IPTV itself isn’t illegal. Even using the system with authorized permissions or a licensed content is legal like Sling TV and Netflix are 100% legal.

But today 90% of the IPTV Providers are using IPTV system to sell un authorized / unlicensed content. Its like using some’s YouTube video on your channel is illegal or against the policies. Same here.

Another example:

A legal TV channels provider with D2H in UK is Sky PLC Limited. They do not allow anyone to re-sale or re-use SKY CHANNELS anywhere. But the IPTV providers provide you these channels without their authorization or allowance. This thing make IPTV illegal.

So we can say. using an IPTV Subscription is illegal.

How much an IPTV Subscription cost?

There are different iptv plans by providers. Normally the price of iptv channels is 5$ to 20$. Every iptv provider having own iptv pricing, read a detailed article on IPTV Subscriptions:

The main points we need to cover when choosing an IPTV provider.

First of all get a free trial from provider and check how fast you’re replied. The main thing in this field is Support and secondly service. So to test their support. In active IPTV trial duration, reply to their email and ask for device support or anything related to their service and check how fast and best they’re supporting you.

The second thing is to try their IPTV Service. If you wanna choose 95% best iptv provider, remember to get trial when any match is LIVE and watch that match for sometime and see how great the channels work. The 80% providers fail here. And the support can also be tested here, if channel making issues contact them to fix and how fast they responded and fixed the issue.

What is IPTV Reseller & How does it work?

Quick answer: IPTV Re-Seller, clearly means is re selling the service. There an option for new IPTV business users of IPTV Reseller solution. With this system you can sell, delete, rename, block, check statics and much more control to the user.

The reseller is an affiliate system but very profitable. Selling IPTV subscriptions from the main provider with some commission is called re-selling of IPTV. There is more profit than others. Like 1 Month IPTV is being sold by everyone normally around 8 to 14$ and for the Reseller available for 4$.

So if Reseller sale IPTV subscription of 1 Month in 8$, he’s still getting 4$ profit. This really amazing deal.

There is a complete Reseller solution made by Xtream-Codes. The reseller panel can be purchased from any IPTV provider, selling best services with cheap prices. Read more deails about IPTV Reseller >

What is IPTV Server & How does it work?

Quick Answer: IPTV Server is the name of complete solution of IPTV including IPTV Panel + IPTV Streams + Servers. The complete setup of IPTV is actually called IPTV Server. Let’s say Maria is an IPTV provider, can also say she’s the owner of IPTV Server.

So, the complete running IPTV solution is actually and IPTV server. Finding an IPTV Subscription online, users also search for IPTV server. Because they wanna buy that service from main iptv server provider not from a RESELLER.

What is IPTV Set Top Box & How does it work?

IPTV Set Top Box Or IPTV Box is a device comes with pre-installed IPTV Apps Like IPTV, Perfect Player, STB. See most popular boxes here.

Quick answer: Let’s say you bought an Android IPTV Box (Its set-top-box). It will come with a pre-installed IPTV software, it can be any software. These mostly pre configured, means IPTV already installed on that. Just use. If there is no IPTV installed, you must need to buy it.

Another IPTV Box is called MAG Device. It comes with best system called STB. The software is very easy to use and great performance. To have its subscription just send device mac address to provider and use their Portal URL. It will give you all info about your IPTV subscription like when started and expiry date.

What is M3U & How to Use?

M3U is the most common and popular format and supported by almost 80% IPTV applications. This file format is available in 2 methods by IPTV providers.

M3U

M3U with options

Quick answer: Simple m3u link, loads the big list of channels without any category or countrywide setting. It looks wired. No one likes a BIG list of IPTV channels without any sort. So this type of file isn’t much used by providers and users.

M3U with options comes with fully customize able and categorized playlist. Adding m3u plus file to any IPTV app which support categorizing of channels like Kodi, IPTV and SIPTV. This looks very professional and great. Everyone like to have this type of playlist and wanna use the app support it.

The extension of M3U and M3U with option file is remains same .m3u but the data inside the file is changed.

Bonus TIP: Open m3u file with notepad > remove all unwanted channels > save and use , read more

Hope you liked our guide about IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) and it helped you. Please comment down bellow if you wanna know some more, have some suggestions or complaints. Thanks for reading us.