Device guide
IPTV on Android TV: setup guide, Google TV included
Android TV has the widest choice of IPTV players of any television system, and most of them install from the Play Store in a couple of clicks. Here is how to go from a new box or TV to your first Smartiflix channel.
- Where apps come from
- Google Play Store
- Extra apps allowed
- Yes, but rarely needed
- Login
- Xtream Codes or M3U
- Best connection
- Ethernet, when the device has a port
Android TV and Google TV: the same thing underneath
Android TV is the system; Google TV is the newer home screen that sits on top of it. The two look different, but they run the same apps, so every step in this guide applies to both.
You will find it in streaming boxes and sticks, such as the Nvidia Shield and the Chromecast with Google TV, and built into many televisions from Sony, TCL and Hisense. If your TV opens the Google Play Store, this is your guide.
Watching Smartiflix takes two pieces besides the device itself: a player app, which you install, and your access details, which we send you. The player has nothing to show until you enter them, and Smartiflix does not supply the app.
What you need
- A box, stick or television running Android TV or Google TV, with its system up to date.
- Your Google account added to the television or box: without it the Play Store will not let you download anything.
- A stable internet connection. Use the Ethernet port if your device has one.
- The access details from Smartiflix. They reach you on WhatsApp or email when your order has been confirmed, as a playlist and as a login.
Choosing a player on Android TV
Nothing stops you from installing two or three players, living with each for an evening and deleting the ones you like less. Search for an app by name; if it does not appear for your device, choose another from the list.
| Player | What it is like | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| TiviMate | A full-screen guide built for a remote | Some features need a paid licence from its developer |
| IPTV Smarters Pro | Live TV, movies and series in separate sections | Straightforward if you have never used a player |
| XCIPTV | Quick to open, simple to move around | Reads Xtream Codes and M3U |
| Kodi | A media centre with an add-on for playlists | Takes longer to set up |
Whatever an app charges goes to its developer. It has nothing to do with your Smartiflix plan.
Setup, step by step
Install a player
- Go to the Play Store. On Android TV it has its own icon among your apps; on Google TV you reach it by searching for the name of the app, by voice or with the keyboard.
- Select the player you want and choose Install.
- Open it when the installation finishes.
Add your Smartiflix details
- Choose the option to add a playlist or a user.
- Pick the Xtream Codes option. It has three boxes: server address, username, password. Fill them from our message. An app without that option will have one for M3U: give it the playlist address.
- Save, and let the channels and the TV guide finish loading. With a large lineup this takes a few minutes the first time.
- Open a channel to check that everything works.
Long addresses are easier from a phone: install the Google TV app and it becomes a remote with a full keyboard for the television.
If the Play Store does not offer the player you want for your device, Android TV also lets you install an app file yourself. Look in Settings for the option called Unknown sources or Install unknown apps (its place depends on the Android version), allow it for a file manager, and only use the file published by the app's own developer. Most people never need this.
Connection and performance
- A cable to the router is the single most useful change you can make. Many boxes have an Ethernet port, and adapters exist for those that do not.
- On Wi-Fi, prefer the 5 GHz band and keep the device close to the router.
- A television with a modest processor can feel slow with a very large channel list. A separate streaming box usually responds faster than the system built into a budget TV.
- For 4K, three things have to be 4K at once: the device, the screen and the broadcast of the channel. A faster connection helps too.
Common problems on Android TV
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The Play Store does not show the app | Choose another player from the list; they all read the same access details |
| The login is refused | Type the server address, username and password again, exactly as we sent them |
| The TV guide is empty | The first login needs a few minutes to fetch the guide. If it stays empty, use the refresh option in the player settings |
| The picture stops and starts | Use a cable or the 5 GHz band, and close other apps that are downloading |
| Menus feel slow on your TV | Try a lighter player, or connect a separate streaming box or stick |
| You cannot find the app again | Open the Apps row on the home screen and add the player to your favourites |
Still stuck? Tell support which device and player you use. A reply comes by WhatsApp or email, day or night.
Limits to know about
- Some sticks have little storage. Remove apps you do not use to keep the player running well.
- Television makers stop updating the built-in system after some years. A separate box keeps getting updates for longer.
- The home screen of Google TV gives priority to its own suggestions, so your player may sit a row or two down.
What to check during a free trial
- Try two players and compare their guides before you settle on one.
- Watch for an evening on the connection you will normally use, wired or wireless.
- Check that the guide shows the right programme on the channels you watch most.
- Play something from the on demand library and move through it with the remote.
There is no charge for a free trial, and you give no payment details to get one.