# What is IPTV?

IPTV, short for Internet Protocol Television, is television delivered over an internet connection instead of an aerial, a satellite dish or a cable. Here is how it works, how it differs from what you may already watch, and what you need to start.

Updated 2026-10-02. By the Aina IPTV team. https://ainaiptv.com/guides/what-is-iptv/

## How IPTV works

An IPTV provider takes each channel and turns it into a stream: a continuous flow of video sent over the internet, usually as HLS (small pieces listed in an `.m3u8` file) or as a single MPEG-TS stream. A player app on your phone, tablet or television asks for a channel and plays it as it arrives.

Two more things make it television rather than a pile of links. A **playlist** tells the player which channels, films and series exist, as an [M3U playlist](https://ainaiptv.com/m3u-player/) or an [Xtream Codes login](https://ainaiptv.com/xtream-codes-player/). A **guide**, the EPG, tells it what is on each channel and when, usually as an XMLTV file.

## What you can watch

- **Live TV**: channels as they are broadcast.
- **Video on demand (VOD)**: films and series you start whenever you like.
- **Catch-up**: programmes that have already aired, where the provider keeps an archive.

## IPTV compared with cable, satellite and streaming apps

|  | IPTV subscription | Cable or satellite | Streaming apps |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| How it arrives | Your internet connection | A cable or a dish | Your internet connection |
| What you watch it with | A player app of your choosing | The provider’s box | Each service’s own app |
| Live channels | Yes, with a guide | Yes, with a guide | Some, often none |
| Films and series | Often included | Sometimes, extra | The main offer |
| Screens | Phone, tablet, TV, anywhere online | Mostly the television | Phone, tablet, TV |

The big difference is the split between the service and the app. A streaming service makes its own app. An IPTV provider usually does not: it gives you a login, and you watch with a player such as [Aina](https://ainaiptv.com/), the way a web browser opens any website.

## What you need

- **A subscription from an IPTV provider**, as an Xtream Codes login or an M3U playlist link. Choose a provider that holds the rights to what it sells: [Is IPTV legal?](https://ainaiptv.com/guides/is-iptv-legal/) explains why it matters.
- **A player app**, on each device you watch on. [What to look for in one](https://ainaiptv.com/best-iptv-player/).
- **A device**: a phone, a tablet, or a television with an [Apple TV](https://ainaiptv.com/apple-tv/) or [Android TV or Google TV](https://ainaiptv.com/android-tv/).
- **A steady connection.** As a rough guide, allow 10 Mbps or more for HD and 25 Mbps or more for 4K, for each stream playing at once. Steadiness matters as much as speed: a wired connection or 5 GHz Wi-Fi beats a faster but patchy one.

## Players and providers are different things

This is the part that confuses people most. The provider sells access to channels. The player only plays them. A legitimate player comes with no channels at all, and one sold “loaded” with channels is a warning sign. Aina is a player: it sells no subscription and includes no content.

## Getting started with Aina

1. **Get Aina**: On your phone, your tablet or your television.
2. **Add your subscription**: Your Xtream Codes login, or your M3U playlist link with a guide link if you have one.
3. **Watch**: Your channels, films and series, with the guide, on every screen you add it to.

No subscription yet? Tap **Try it without a subscription** on Aina’s first screen to see how IPTV works with free, public channels from the iptv-org catalogue.

## Questions and answers

### Is IPTV the same as streaming?

It is a kind of streaming. The word usually means live channels delivered over the internet with a guide, watched in a player app, rather than a single service’s own app.

### Do I need a special box for IPTV?

No. A player app on a phone, a tablet, an Apple TV or an Android TV or Google TV device is enough.

### How much internet speed do I need for IPTV?

As a rough guide, 10 Mbps or more for HD and 25 Mbps or more for 4K, for each stream at once. A steady connection matters as much as a fast one.

### Can I try IPTV for free?

In Aina, Try it without a subscription shows free, public channels from the iptv-org catalogue, so you can see how it works before you pay anyone.

## Read next

- [M3U or Xtream Codes?](https://ainaiptv.com/guides/m3u-vs-xtream-codes/)
- [Is IPTV legal?](https://ainaiptv.com/guides/is-iptv-legal/)
- [The best IPTV player](https://ainaiptv.com/best-iptv-player/)
- [IPTV glossary](https://ainaiptv.com/guides/iptv-glossary/)