Setup guides and player menus are full of abbreviations that nobody explains. This glossary covers the ones you will meet while setting up and using Pillar IPTV, grouped by topic so related terms sit together, with each one explained in a sentence or two.
If you would rather see how the pieces fit together before learning the words, start with our explainer on how IPTV works, then come back here when a term trips you up.
The service itself
- IPTV (Internet Protocol Television): television delivered over an internet connection instead of a cable, satellite dish or aerial.
- OTT (over the top): any video service that runs over the open internet. Streaming apps are OTT; IPTV services are a kind of OTT too.
- Live TV: channels that play as they are broadcast, like a normal TV channel.
- VOD (video on demand): films and series you start whenever you want, then pause, rewind and resume.
- Catch-up: the option, on channels that support it, to go back and watch programmes that have already aired.
- Connection: one stream playing at a given moment. A two-connection plan lets two screens play at the same time.
- Line or account: your subscription on the server, identified by your username.
Logging in
- Xtream Codes (or Xtream API): the most common login format, made of a server address, a username and a password.
- M3U (or M3U8) playlist: a single web link containing your channel list, used by apps that do not support Xtream logins.
- Server address (or host, URL, DNS in some apps): the web address your player connects to, often ending in a port number.
- Port: the number after the colon in a server address, such as :8080. Leaving it out is a common cause of failed logins.
- Portal: the login method used by MAG and Formuler-style boxes, which connect to a portal address instead of using a username.
- MAC address: a unique hardware ID printed on set-top boxes and shown in TV apps, used to link an account to that device.
- Device code or device ID: what many smart TV apps show on screen so you can add your login on their website.
Our login details explainer shows what a correct server address and playlist link look like.
Guides and menus
- EPG (electronic programme guide): the grid of what is on now and next, loaded as a separate data feed.
- XMLTV: the file format most EPG feeds use. Some apps ask for an XMLTV or EPG link when you sign in with a playlist.
- Channel group (or category): a folder of channels, usually by country or topic.
- Favourites: your own short list of channels, kept by the player app on that device.
- Multiview (or multi-screen): watching two or more channels at once in a split screen, which uses one connection per tile.
Picture and sound
- SD, HD, FHD, 4K (UHD): picture resolutions, from standard definition up to 3840 × 2160 pixels for 4K.
- Bitrate: how much data a stream uses per second, measured in Mbps. Higher bitrates give a sharper picture and need a faster connection.
- Codec: the method used to compress video. H.264 is the most common; H.265 (HEVC) gives similar quality at a lower bitrate but needs a newer device.
- Frame rate: pictures per second. Sport often runs at 50 or 60, which looks smoother but needs a capable device.
- Hardware or software decoding: whether the device’s video chip or its main processor turns the stream into pictures. Switching between them fixes many black screens.
- Audio passthrough: sending surround sound untouched to a soundbar or receiver, instead of letting the TV or app convert it.
Network and playback
- Buffer: the few seconds of video a player stores in advance to ride out small dips in the connection.
- Buffering: what you see when that store runs out, usually a spinning wheel.
- Latency: the delay between the live event and your screen. IPTV usually runs a few seconds behind the broadcast.
- TS and HLS: two stream formats. If a channel will not start, switching the format in the player settings often helps.
- 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz: the two main Wi-Fi bands. 5 GHz is faster over short distances, 2.4 GHz reaches further.
- Throttling: an internet provider deliberately slowing certain traffic, such as video, at busy times.
- VPN (virtual private network): a service that encrypts your traffic and routes it through another server. Not required for IPTV, but it can help when a provider throttles video.
Devices and installing apps
- Player app: the software on your device that plays IPTV, such as TiviMate, IPTV Smarters or a TV app.
- Set-top box: a small box connected to the TV by HDMI, such as a MAG, Formuler or Android TV box.
- Sideloading: installing an app from outside the official app store, common on Fire TV and Android boxes.
- Downloader: a free Fire TV app used to fetch and install players from their developers’ websites.
- HDMI ARC and eARC: HDMI ports that send sound from the TV back to a soundbar or receiver over the same cable.
Know the words but not which app to pick? Our player app comparison puts the popular players side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What does EPG mean in IPTV?
EPG stands for electronic programme guide: the grid showing what is on each channel now and later. It loads separately from the channels themselves.
What is the difference between M3U and Xtream Codes?
Xtream Codes uses a server address, username and password and loads channels, films, series and the guide together. M3U is a single playlist link that mainly carries the channel list.
What does a connection mean on an IPTV plan?
One stream playing at a given moment. You can sign in on several devices, but only as many can play at once as your plan has connections.
What is HEVC?
HEVC, also called H.265, is a video compression method that gives a similar picture to H.264 at a lower bitrate. Older devices may not decode it smoothly.
