Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) televisions are the most common smart TVs in living rooms, and both can play Pillar IPTV through a player app from their own store. The process differs a little from phones and sticks, because most TV players link your login through a website rather than a keyboard on screen.
Have your login details to hand; the getting started guide explains what they look like.
First, check your television
- Samsung: models from roughly 2017 onwards run versions of Tizen that support current player apps. Open Apps from the home bar to reach the store.
- LG: models running webOS 4 or later (roughly 2018 onwards) are the safest bet. Open the LG Content Store from the home launcher.
- Both: update the TV software first (Settings, then Support or General, then Software Update). Older firmware is the usual reason an app is missing from the store.
- Connection: if the TV sits near the router, use a network cable. Built-in Wi-Fi on many televisions is weaker than on a phone or stick.
How TV player apps work
Typing a long server address with a TV remote is painful, so most TV players avoid it. When you open the app for the first time it shows a device code, often labelled MAC address or device ID. You then visit the app developer’s website on a phone or computer, enter that code, and add your login there. The TV picks up the details within a minute.
Several such apps exist, including IBO Player, Smarters Player Lite and SET IPTV, and the line-up changes from year to year. Many offer a free trial period and then a one-off activation fee paid to the app’s developer, not to your IPTV provider. Only pay on the developer’s official website.
Step by step
- Open the Samsung Apps store or LG Content Store and search for your chosen player.
- Install it and open it. Write down the device code or MAC address shown on the welcome screen.
- On your phone or computer, open the developer’s website and find the page for adding a playlist or device.
- Enter the device code, then add your login: either the Xtream Codes details (username, password, server address) or the playlist link, depending on what the site asks for.
- Return to the TV and restart the app, or press its reload option. Your channel list and programme guide should load.
If the website asks for a single playlist link and you only have a username and password, our login details explainer shows how the two formats relate.
Getting the most from a TV app
- Turn off the TV’s motion smoothing (Samsung: Auto Motion Plus; LG: TruMotion) for sport if you see a soap-opera look or artefacts.
- Set Picture Size to fit screen or 16:9 so channels are not cropped.
- Use the app’s favourites list; scrolling a long channel list with a TV remote is slow.
- Leave the TV on standby rather than unplugging it, so the app keeps its cached guide.
When a stick is the better answer
A TV app is convenient, but TVs get fewer app updates than streaming sticks and their processors age faster. If your set is older, the app you want is missing, or menus feel sluggish, a Fire TV Stick plugged into a spare HDMI port is often the quickest fix. See installing IPTV on a Fire TV Stick, and compare players in our app comparison.
Common snags
- The app shows “playlist not found”: the login was added to the wrong device code. Check the code on the TV again; it is easy to confuse 0 and O.
- Channels load but the guide is empty: reload the guide from the app settings, then leave it a few minutes.
- The picture stutters only on the TV: test the same channel on a phone on the same Wi-Fi. If the phone is smooth, the TV’s Wi-Fi or processor is the limit.
For anything else, our checklist for channels not loading covers the remaining causes, from typing errors to expired plans.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch IPTV on a Samsung smart TV without a box?
Yes. Install a player app from the Samsung Apps store, link your login through the developer’s website, and watch directly on the TV.
Why do TV player apps ask for a MAC address?
It identifies your television so you can add your login on a website instead of typing it with the remote. It is not a payment detail.
Do I have to pay for the TV app?
Many TV players charge a one-off activation fee after a free trial. That fee goes to the app developer and is separate from your IPTV plan.
Does the TV count as one screen?
Yes. Each device playing at the same time uses one of the connections included in your plan.
