Frequently asked questions

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) delivers TV channels and on-demand video over an internet connection instead of cable, satellite or antenna signals. You watch through an app or player on a compatible device. IPTV describes how content is delivered: services range from licensed, well-known platforms to small subscription providers, and quality, content rights and reliability vary widely.

A provider sends channels and videos as data streams over the internet. Your app connects using login details or a playlist address supplied by the provider, requests a stream and plays it. Live channels stream in real time, on-demand titles (VOD) play when you choose them, and an electronic programme guide (EPG) shows schedules. How smooth it feels depends on your own connection and the provider’s servers.

IPTV as a technology is not illegal, and many licensed services use it. Whether a specific service is lawful depends on whether it holds the rights to the content it distributes. We do not make legal determinations about any provider and nothing here is legal advice. Please check applicable rights, licensing and laws yourself; see our disclaimer.

You generally need four things: a reliable internet connection, a compatible device (smart TV, streaming stick or box, Android TV, phone, tablet or computer), a player app, and a subscription or login from a provider. For 4K you also need a 4K-capable screen and a faster connection.

Cable delivers channels through a provider’s own network to a set-top box. IPTV delivers them over the internet to an app, so it can run on many devices and does not need a dedicated box. The trade-off is that performance depends on your internet connection and the provider, and packages, contracts and channel lists differ from one service to the next.

It depends on resolution and how many streams run at once. Large streaming services commonly cite roughly 5 Mbps for HD and 15–25 Mbps for 4K per stream. IPTV providers publish their own figures; for example, IPTVGLOBAL.CA states a recommended speed of +30 Mbps. Treat these as guidance and test on your own connection, ideally during a free trial where one is offered.

Each provider is scored out of 10 across twelve weighted categories, using only categories with enough evidence. Missing evidence is shown as “Insufficient evidence” and never counted as zero. Scores are marked provisional when too little of the framework could be scored, as for providers rated from published information only. Where a reviewer has hands-on tested a provider, the score states what it rests on, such as the number of sessions. Weights and rules are on the methodology page.

A provider claim is a statement the provider makes, for example on its website. We cite it but do not treat it as fact. Independently verified means supported by evidence we gathered or a source independent of the provider, such as a direct observation of what a page says on a given date or a result from our own testing. Anything else is labelled “Not verified”.

Scores are calculated from a published methodology and are never adjusted for any provider. However, Featured & Recommended placement is chosen by the site owner and may reflect a relationship with the provider, so any relationship that affects a review is disclosed on that review.

It marks providers we suggest trying first, with the reasons shown on the review. It is a recommendation to try a documented free trial, not a performance endorsement, and it never changes a score. It is a site-owner choice and may reflect a relationship with the provider; any relationship is disclosed on the relevant review.

Every review shows a Last checked date, which we change only after real research. We do not promise a fixed schedule, and we update sooner when we receive a credible correction.

Yes. Use the contact page and choose “Request a provider review”. We add providers deliberately, when we can research them properly, so we cannot promise to review every request.