Short answer: IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television — television delivered over an internet connection instead of through an aerial, satellite dish or cable. It isn't one service; it's a delivery method, and most people already use it. If you watch live TV through your broadband provider's box, through YouTube TV or Sling, or through a broadcaster's app like BBC iPlayer, that's IPTV. The term has also picked up a narrower meaning online: third-party subscriptions sold as playlists. The technology is ordinary and legal; whether a particular subscription is legal depends entirely on whether it's licensed to carry what it sells.
The three kinds of IPTV
People mean different things by "IPTV", and most confusion comes from mixing them up.
| Kind | Examples | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Operator IPTV | BT TV, Orange TV, MagentaTV, Bell Fibe, AT&T | From your broadband provider, on its own network |
| Streaming live TV | YouTube TV, Sling, NOW, waipu.tv, Molotov | An app, over the open internet |
| Free streaming TV | Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi, broadcaster apps | An app, free with adverts |
All three deliver television over IP. They differ in network, price and reliability — operator IPTV runs on a managed network and holds up best during big live events, for instance. The detailed comparison is here.
When someone online says "I've got IPTV", though, they often mean a fourth thing: a subscription sold as a playlist file or login, played through a separate app. Some of those are licensed services. Many aren't.
What you need
For most people, three things:
- A broadband connection. Around 5 Mbps per HD stream and 15–25 Mbps for 4K, more for several screens.
- A device. A smart TV, streaming stick, set-top box, phone or computer. Which device suits what.
- A source. A service, a broadcaster app, or a free platform.
With the playlist-style services, you also need a player app to open the playlist, because the subscription and the software come from different places. The whole path, step by step.
Is IPTV legal?
The technology is completely legal. Your broadband provider's TV service, YouTube TV and iPlayer are all IPTV.
What decides legality is the source. A service licensed to carry the channels it offers is legal. A service selling thousands of premium channels and every sports package for a few pounds a month isn't paying for those rights, and it's the kind of operation targeted by the enforcement actions of the past year. The price is usually the tell: nobody can offer all of those channels for less than a single one of them costs while paying the broadcasters. How to evaluate a service.
The player apps themselves — TiviMate, Kodi, VLC and the rest — are legal software. They play whatever you give them.
How it differs from ordinary TV
What it does better: watch on any device, catch up on programmes you missed, pause live TV, combine live channels with on-demand libraries, no dish or installation, and usually monthly contracts.
What it does worse: it depends entirely on your broadband, it runs 30–60 seconds behind live broadcast on most services, and popular live events can overwhelm a service in a way broadcast never is. Why that happens.
The words you'll run into
M3U — a playlist file listing channels and their stream addresses. What's inside one.
Xtream Codes — a login format of server address, username and password, used instead of an M3U. Explained here.
EPG — electronic programme guide: the on-screen TV listings.
Catch-up — watching programmes that have already aired, from the guide. How it works.
Player — the app that plays a playlist, such as TiviMate, Kodi or IPTV Smarters.
Set-top box — a device that connects your TV to the service. The types explained.
OTT — "over the top": streaming delivered over the open internet rather than an operator's own network.
Multicast — how operator IPTV sends one stream to many homes at once. The architecture.
Quick answers
What does IPTV stand for? Internet Protocol Television.
Is Netflix IPTV? Broadly yes — it's delivered over IP — though the term usually refers to live channels rather than on-demand libraries.
Is IPTV legal? The technology is. Whether a given service is depends on whether it's licensed.
Do I need special equipment? No. A smart TV or a streaming stick is enough.
How fast does my internet need to be? About 5 Mbps per HD stream, 15–25 Mbps for 4K.
Is IPTV cheaper than cable? Usually, particularly if you combine free services with one or two paid ones. How to keep costs down.