Xtream Codes or M3U? Which one to use
IPTV providers usually hand out a subscription in one of two forms, sometimes both: an Xtream Codes access or an M3U playlist. Tivelio reads both, but they do not bring the same things.
Xtream Codes: an account on a server
An Xtream access is three details: a server address, often with a port (for example http://example.com:8080), a username and a password. The name comes from a server software whose interface, the Xtream Codes API, many IPTV servers use today. The player logs in, then asks the server for everything it offers: categories, live channels, films, series, the programme guide and the catch-up archive.
M3U: a list of streams
An M3U playlist is a text file that lists streams one after the other, each with a name and often a logo and a group. Your provider gives it as an address (for example http://example.com/playlist.m3u) or, sometimes, as a file. M3U8 is the same format encoded in UTF-8: Tivelio reads .m3u and .m3u8 alike. A playlist only contains what is written in it.
What each one brings in Tivelio
| Xtream account | M3U playlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Live channels | Yes, in the provider’s categories | Yes, in the playlist’s groups |
| Films and Series sections, seasons and episodes | Yes | No: videos stay in the Playlist section |
| Programme guide (EPG) | Yes, when the provider publishes one | No, not today |
| Catch-up / replay | Yes, on the channels the provider archives | No |
| Rich film and series pages (cast, genres, IMDb) | Yes | No |
| Resume where you left off | Films and episodes | Videos recognised by their address |
| Offline downloads | Films and episodes | Video files (mp4, mkv, avi, mov, webm, m4v) |
| Add from a file | No | On phones, tablets, Chromebooks and computers, not on TVs |
| Automatic refresh | Yes | Yes |
The details of each feature, platform by platform, are in the feature catalogue.
How to choose
- Your provider gives you both? Choose Xtream: it is the only one that brings the programme guide, catch-up and the Films and Series sections.
- You only have a playlist? Add it as an M3U playlist: live channels and videos play the same way.
- Your playlist address contains
get.php?username=…&password=…? It is an Xtream access in another form: paste it in the M3U playlist form, and Tivelio recognises it and adds it as an Xtream account. No converter needed. - A playlist file on your phone or computer? Import it as an M3U playlist. On a TV, add the playlist by its address.
You can also keep both side by side: Tivelio keeps several accounts and playlists, and you switch from one to another without typing anything again.
Tivelio provides no content: it plays only the sources that your provider gives you, and it never suggests a provider or a list.