The three login formats at a glance
An IPTV subscription is an account on a server. The formats below are different doors into that same account, which is why switching between them never changes what you can watch or when it expires.
| Format | What you are given | What it loads | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xtream Codes login | A server URL, a username and a password, typed into three separate fields | Live channels, on-demand library, channel groups and the TV guide, all from one login | TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro, XCIPTV and most modern players |
| M3U playlist URL | One long web address that ends in a playlist file, pasted into a single field | The channel list only; the TV guide needs a second address | VLC, Kodi, Perfect Player and any player with no Xtream Codes option |
| Portal URL | A web address entered in the device's own settings, tied to the device's MAC address | Channels, on-demand and guide, inside the box's built-in interface | MAG boxes and other set-top boxes built around a portal |
What an Xtream Codes login is
Xtream Codes is the name of the panel software most IPTV services run on, and the name stuck to the login it produces. You receive three values: a server address that includes a port number, a username and a password. The player sends them to the server and gets back a structured answer: live channels sorted into groups, films and series with artwork, and the programme guide.
Because the player asks the server each time it opens, the channel list refreshes on its own. You never re-download a playlist after the service adds or moves channels.
The field-by-field walkthrough for each player, with a troubleshooting section for failed logins, is in the Xtream Codes setup guide.
What an M3U playlist URL is
An M3U file is a plain text list: one line naming a channel, the next line giving the address of its stream, repeated for every channel. An M3U URL is a web address that returns that list. On an Xtream Codes panel it follows a fixed pattern:
http://SERVER:PORT/get.php?username=YOUR_USERNAME&password=YOUR_PASSWORD&type=m3u_plus&output=ts
The m3u_plus type adds channel logos, group names and the identifiers a player uses to match channels to guide data. The plain m3u type leaves those out, so always ask for or build the plus version.
Two limits follow from the format. The list is a snapshot, so the player has to re-download it to pick up changes; most players do this on a schedule you can set. And the list has no programme guide in it, so the guide is added separately as an XMLTV address, covered in how to add an EPG to an IPTV player.
What a portal URL is
MAG boxes and similar set-top boxes work differently. There is no username or password. The service registers the MAC address printed on the box, and you enter a portal address in the box's own settings. The box then loads the service inside its built-in interface.
If you are setting up one of these, the model-by-model steps are in MAG box IPTV setup. TiviMate can also log in to a portal, which is useful when moving from a MAG box to an Android TV device without changing accounts.
Which player accepts which format
Check this before you ask support for a particular format. The last column is the one to use when the player gives you a choice.
| Player | M3U URL | Xtream Codes | Use this |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiviMate | Yes | Yes | Xtream Codes |
| IPTV Smarters Pro | Yes | Yes | Xtream Codes |
| XCIPTV Player | Yes | Yes | Xtream Codes |
| Perfect Player | Yes | No | M3U plus a guide address |
| Kodi (PVR IPTV Simple Client) | Yes | No | M3U plus a guide address |
| VLC | Yes | No | M3U (no guide grid) |
| Smart IPTV (SIPTV) | Yes, uploaded against the TV's MAC address | No | M3U |
| MAG box | No | No | Portal URL |
Input types are as each app documents them. Apps change between versions, so if an option named here is missing, update the app before assuming it is unsupported.
How to choose in one minute
- Open your player's add-playlist screen. If it lists Xtream Codes, use it. You get the guide and the on-demand library with no further setup.
- No Xtream Codes option? Use the M3U URL, in its m3u_plus form, and add the guide address as a second step.
- The device asks for a portal? Send support the MAC address and ask for the portal address.
- Still choosing a player? The best IPTV players compared page lists what each one runs on and what it costs.
Common mistakes with each format
- Leaving the port off the server address. The part after the colon is required. Without it an Xtream Codes login fails to authorize.
- Typing https when the address is http. Copy the address exactly as it was sent.
- Pasting an M3U URL into the server field. The Xtream Codes server field takes only the address up to and including the port, never the full playlist address.
- Adding the same account twice. Loading both the M3U and the Xtream Codes version in one player can open two connections at once and trip the connection limit on a one-device plan.
- A trailing space. Phone keyboards add one after a pasted word. It is invisible and it breaks the login.
Which format Apollo Group TV sends
After a purchase or a trial request, Apollo Group TV sends an Xtream Codes login by WhatsApp: server address, username and password. If your player needs an M3U link or your device needs a portal address, ask for it in the same chat and say which player or box you are using. You can try a login before paying with the Apollo Group TV free trial.
M3U and Xtream Codes questions, answered
Is Xtream Codes better than M3U?
For most people, yes. An Xtream Codes login loads the channels, the on-demand library and the TV guide from three short fields, and the player keeps itself up to date. An M3U link carries the channel list only, has to be pasted as one long address, and needs a separate guide address. Use M3U when your player has no Xtream Codes option.
Are M3U and Xtream Codes the same subscription?
Yes. They are two ways of presenting the same account. The server address, username and password inside an Xtream Codes login are the same three values that appear inside the M3U address, so both count against the same connection limit and expire on the same date.
Can I convert an Xtream Codes login into an M3U URL?
Usually. Xtream Codes panels publish a playlist address in the form server-address/get.php?username=YOUR_USERNAME&password=YOUR_PASSWORD&type=m3u_plus&output=ts. Swap in your own server address, username and password. If the address returns an error, ask support for the M3U link, because some services switch that endpoint off.
What is the difference between M3U and M3U8?
M3U8 is an M3U file saved in UTF-8 text encoding, which handles accented and non-Latin channel names correctly. Players treat the two the same way. If a playlist shows garbled channel names, the M3U8 or m3u_plus version of the link is the one to use.
Is it safe to share my M3U link?
No. The link contains your username and password in plain text, so anyone who has it can use your connection, and a second stream on a one-connection plan will stop yours. Treat the link like a password, and do not paste it into public playlist-checking websites.
Why does my player ask for a portal URL instead?
Because it is a portal-based device such as a MAG box. Those boxes do not take a username and password; the service registers the box's MAC address and gives you a portal address to enter in the box's settings. Send support the MAC address printed on the underside of the box.
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