Device guide
IPTV on an LG Smart TV: setup on webOS, step by step
LG builds its televisions around webOS. It is quick and tidy, but its app store has a short list of IPTV players, and none of the Android ones. Here is what you can install and how to load your Smartiflix details.
- Where apps come from
- LG Content Store
- Android apps
- Not supported
- Login
- Xtream Codes, or a playlist added online
- Alternative
- A streaming stick in an HDMI port
How IPTV works on webOS
On an LG television, apps come from the LG Content Store, which newer models simply call Apps. You reach it from the home screen. IPTV players are there, but fewer than on an Android device, and the selection depends on how old the TV is and where it was sold.
A player needs your service before it shows anything. Smartiflix sends you two forms of the same access: an Xtream Codes login (server address, username and password) and an M3U playlist address. Which one you use depends on the player you install.
Players in the LG store
Open the store, choose the search icon and type the name of a player. Read its page before installing: it says how the app is set up and whether its developer charges for it.
| Player | How your details go in | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| IBO Player | On its website, with a code the TV displays | A trial period, then a payment to its developer |
| Smart IPTV | On its website, with a code the TV displays | A trial period, then a one-time payment to its developer |
| Players with a login screen | Typed on the TV: server, username, password | Offered on some models and regions only |
Smartiflix does not supply an app and takes no part in what an app charges. Your plan and the app are two separate things.
If the player loads your playlist online
Apps of this kind never ask you to type an address on the television. They identify the TV with a code, and you do the rest from a device with a proper keyboard.
- Install the player from the LG store and start it.
- Write down the code on its opening screen (a MAC address or a device ID, sometimes with a second key).
- On your phone or computer, go to the web address shown by the app.
- Type the code, paste the M3U playlist address from our message and confirm.
- Close the app on the television and open it again. Your channels are there.
The playlist stays attached to that one television. A new LG has a new code, so you repeat these steps for it. Check what the app allows before you pay for it.
If the player has a login screen
- Install the player and start it.
- Pick the Xtream Codes option when you add a user or a playlist.
- Enter the server address, the username and the password from our message.
- Let the list of channels and the TV guide load before you open anything.
The pointer of the Magic Remote makes the on-screen keyboard bearable, and the LG ThinQ app on a phone offers a real keyboard.
Or leave the store aside and use a stick
An LG screen, OLED models in particular, is a pleasure for live sport and films. If the store of your set does not have a player that suits you, there is no need to change television: add a streaming stick or box to an HDMI port and use its store.
You get a familiar login screen, a wide choice of players and updates for years. See the Android TV guide or the Firestick guide for the steps.
Common problems on LG
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Search finds no IPTV player | The store of your model does not carry one: a streaming stick solves it |
| The app opens with an empty list | Add the playlist again on its website and make sure the code matches the TV |
| The app wants an activation | It is asking for its own fee; that goes to its developer, never to Smartiflix |
| Sound and picture freeze now and then | Use the Ethernet port of the TV, or move to the 5 GHz band of your Wi-Fi |
| No programme information in the guide | Refresh the guide inside the app and allow it a few minutes |
Support can tell you which method fits your app. Write by WhatsApp or email at any time.
Limits to know about
- webOS is not Android. Apps built for Android devices cannot be installed on an LG television.
- Older LG models stop receiving new apps, so a player available on a recent set may be missing on yours.
- An app can leave the store. If that happens, your Smartiflix details still work in another player or on a stick.
What to check during a free trial
- Whether your model has a player you are happy to use every day.
- How the remote handles the channel list and the guide.
- That an evening of viewing runs without interruptions on your connection.
- What the app will charge once its own trial ends.
You can ask for a free trial without giving payment details.