IPTV on a Samsung or LG smart TV

Check this first

Smart TV app stores drop support for older models over time. If your television is more than about five years old, check that an IPTV player is still available for it before you subscribe.

If none is, a streaming stick plugged into an HDMI port is cheaper and faster than replacing the television, and it will keep receiving updates for longer.

Step 1 — Open your TV's app store

On Samsung this is the Apps tile on the home screen; on LG it is the LG Content Store. Search for the IPTV player you have been told to use.

Some players require a one-off device registration on the developer's website using the MAC address shown in the app. If yours does, the app displays the address and the web address to enter it at.

Step 2 — Enter your details

Open the player and add your playlist address or Xtream Codes login, exactly as sent. A television remote makes typing slow and mistakes easy, so check the address character by character before confirming.

Where a player supports it, registering the playlist on the developer's website from a phone or computer is far quicker than typing it with a remote.

Step 3 — Let the guide build

The first load is the slowest. Once the channel list and programme guide have downloaded, set up a favourites list so the channels you watch are not buried in a list of thousands.

Smart TV tips

• Use an Ethernet cable if the television is near the router. Built-in Wi-Fi aerials in televisions are often weaker than those in phones.
• Keep the television's own software updated — app store support follows the firmware.
• If the app closes unexpectedly, restart the television fully by unplugging it for thirty seconds rather than using standby.