Smart IPTV, often written SIPTV after its website, is one of the longest-running IPTV players for smart TVs. It runs on many Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs, which can't install Android apps, as well as on Android devices. Its main quirk is that you don't type your playlist into the TV: you upload it on the developer's website, linked to your TV by its MAC address.
How Smart IPTV works
Every TV has a unique network identifier called a MAC address. When you open Smart IPTV, it shows your TV's MAC address on screen. On the developer's website you enter that address and your M3U playlist link, and the app downloads the playlist the next time it starts. That saves typing a long link with a TV remote.
A MAC address has 12 characters, shown as 6 pairs separated by colons. It only ever uses the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A to F, so anything that looks like a letter O is a zero, and there's never an I or an L. Knowing that avoids the most common typing mistake.
Because the app works from an M3U link, check you have one before you start. If your subscription details are an Xtream Codes login (a server address, username and password), ask for the M3U version of the same login; it gives you the same channels.
Setting it up
Install the app on your TV
Search your TV's app store (Samsung Apps or the LG Content Store) for Smart IPTV.Note the MAC address
Open the app and write down the MAC address shown on screen.Upload your playlist
On a phone or computer, go to the developer's official website, open its playlist upload page, and enter the MAC address and your M3U link. Add your EPG link if you have a separate one.Restart the app
Close Smart IPTV fully and reopen it. If the channels don't appear, switch the TV off at the wall for 30 seconds: standby doesn't always clear the app.
The activation fee
Smart IPTV is not free to use long term. The developer offers a trial period, after which each TV needs a one-off activation, paid on the developer's website. Check the current price and terms there before relying on the app. The fee goes to the app developer and covers the player only; it's separate from your IPTV subscription.
A sensible order is to install the app, upload your playlist and use the trial to check that your channels, the guide and the picture all work on your TV. Only pay the activation once you're happy. If you're trying our free 24-hour trial, the app's own trial lets you test both at the same time.
Using it day to day
- Changing channel: the arrow keys move through the list, and on most remotes the number keys jump straight to a channel number.
- Updating your channels: if your playlist link changes, upload the new one on the website and restart the app. The TV keeps using the old list until you do.
- Moving to a new TV: the new TV has a different MAC address, so it needs its own upload and its own activation.
Common problems
- Channels don't appear after uploading. Check the MAC address was typed exactly, then fully restart the app or TV.
- The guide is empty. Smart IPTV needs a guide link with an M3U playlist. See our EPG guide.
- 4K or some channels won't play. The TV's built-in player decides which formats work. A dedicated streaming device often copes better.
- No sound on some channels. See IPTV with no sound.
Alternatives
If Smart IPTV isn't available or doesn't suit you, your TV's store may list other players, and some of them accept an Xtream Codes login typed on the TV, with no website step. Many people find a streaming stick gives a smoother experience than a TV's built-in apps. See our guides to IPTV on Samsung TVs, IPTV on LG TVs and Fire TV Sticks.