IPTV Blog Guides
Both logins open the same channels. One is a single long link, the other is three short fields. Here is what each one does, which apps take which, and the one you should type first.
Pick Xtream Codes over M3U if your app supports it, and keep the M3U playlist link as a backup. Both logins open the same channels from the same IPTV account. The difference is how much your app can do with them. An Xtream Codes login lets the app sort movies and series, load the TV guide by itself and show catch-up. An M3U playlist is a simpler list of channel addresses that almost any player can read.
Below, each login type is explained in plain words, with a side-by-side table, a list of apps and the logins they take, the portal and MAC address method used by MAG and Formuler boxes, and a few habits that keep your account safe. If you are a King IPTV customer in Canada, your welcome email already holds everything mentioned here.
An M3U playlist is a plain text list of stream addresses, one per channel, with a name, a logo and a group for each entry. The format started life as a music playlist. IPTV uses the extended version, where every channel line begins with #EXTINF and carries tags such as tvg-id (the guide ID), tvg-logo and group-title (the category). The M3U entry on Wikipedia shows the basic layout if you are curious.
Providers hand it out in two forms:
http://server-address:8080/get.php?username=YOURNAME&password=YOURPASS&type=m3u_plus&output=ts. Because the app fetches it fresh, new channels show up on their own..m3u file on your computer or phone. A file never updates by itself, so when the provider changes a channel, you have to download it again.The EPG link is a second web address that holds the TV guide. It points to an XMLTV file: a long list of program titles, start and end times, and the channel ID each program belongs to. With an M3U login, many apps ask you to paste this link into a separate "EPG source" field. The app then matches each channel's tvg-id to the guide. When an ID does not match, that channel shows "No information" even though it plays fine. Our guide to fixing a missing or wrong IPTV TV guide covers that problem step by step.
An Xtream Codes login is three pieces of information: a server URL, a username and a password. The name comes from server software many providers once used. Today "Xtream Codes API", "XC" or "Xtream login" simply describes this login style, whatever software sits behind it.
Instead of downloading one giant list, the app asks the server for exactly what it needs: the live TV categories, the movie library, each series with its seasons and episodes, the guide, and your account details such as the expiry date and the number of screens. A typical login screen looks like this:
| Field | What to type | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Playlist or profile name | Any label, for example "Living room" | None: this is only a nickname |
| Server URL | http://server-address:8080, exactly as sent | Leaving out http:// or the port number after the colon |
| Username | Your username | Adding a space at the end, or a capital letter that is not there |
| Password | Your password | Mixing up the letter O and the number 0 |
Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive. If the app says "invalid login", type all three fields again slowly before anything else. It fixes most failed logins.
An app reads an M3U playlist in one big download and keeps a copy, while an Xtream Codes login lets it ask the server for one section at a time.
With an M3U URL, the app pulls the whole list, then sorts it into groups. A large service can mean tens of thousands of lines, and with 50,000+ live channels plus 190,000+ movies and series, the list gets heavy. Older devices with little memory, such as early Fire TV Sticks, can take a minute or more to load it, and some give up. Picking the shorter English Channels Only package at checkout makes the list lighter.
With an Xtream Codes login, the app loads live channels first and only fetches movies or series when you open those sections. That is why the same account often feels quicker on Xtream. The app can also show posters, plot summaries and episode lists, because the server sends that information in an organized way.
Xtream Codes wins on features and ease of typing, and M3U wins on compatibility. Here is the full picture:
| Feature | Xtream Codes login | M3U playlist |
|---|---|---|
| What you enter | Server URL, username and password: three short fields | One long link, plus a separate EPG link in many apps |
| Movies and series | Own Movies and Series sections, with posters, seasons and episodes | Often shown as huge channel groups; each episode is a separate line |
| Catch-up | Works in apps that support it, on channels that offer it | Needs extra catch-up tags; many apps cannot use it |
| TV guide (EPG) | Loads automatically in most apps | Often needs the XMLTV link pasted by hand |
| Channel changes | Picked up on the next refresh | Picked up on refresh for a URL, never for a saved file |
| Sharing risk | Details are separate, so they are rarely pasted by accident | Username and password sit in plain text inside one easy-to-copy link |
| Typing on a TV remote | Easy: about 40 characters in total | Hard: often 100+ characters with symbols |
| Works in | TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro and most modern IPTV apps | Almost every player, including VLC and Kodi |
M3U is the better pick in four cases:
Most popular IPTV apps accept both logins, a few accept only M3U, and MAG boxes use a portal instead. This table reflects the app versions available in 2026; menus and features change with updates, so check the app's own help page if a screen looks different.
| App | Where it runs | Logins it accepts |
|---|---|---|
| TiviMate | Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV models running Fire OS | Xtream Codes, M3U URL or file |
| IPTV Smarters Pro | Android, Fire TV (Fire OS), Windows, Mac; on Apple devices the App Store listing is usually named Smarters Player Lite | Xtream Codes, M3U URL or file |
| MYTVOnline 3 | Formuler boxes | Portal + MAC, Xtream Codes, M3U |
| MAG built-in portal | MAG boxes | Portal + MAC |
| VLC media player | Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone | M3U file or URL (no guide, no catch-up) |
| Kodi with PVR IPTV Simple Client | Windows, Mac, Android, many boxes | M3U plus a separate XMLTV link |
For the two most popular players, follow our TiviMate setup guide or the IPTV Smarters Pro setup guide. Not sure which player suits your screen? Our comparison of IPTV Smarters Pro and TiviMate lays out the differences.
MAG and Formuler boxes usually log in with a portal URL tied to the box's MAC address, so there is no username or password to type. The MAC address is a hardware ID printed on a sticker under the box and shown in its settings. It looks like six pairs of letters and numbers separated by colons, for example 00:1A:79:xx:xx:xx (MAG boxes usually start with 00:1A:79).
The process has three steps:
The big plus is safety: a portal only works on the box with that MAC address, so there is nothing useful to leak. The downside is flexibility. A new box means a new MAC address, so you have to send it again. Formuler owners can also use an Xtream Codes login inside MYTVOnline 3, as Formuler's own support article explains. Our MAG and Formuler setup guide walks through both boxes.
Treat your M3U link and your Xtream Codes details like a bank password, because anyone who has them can play on your screens. These habits cover almost every case we see:
If you think your login has leaked, ask support to change the password. The old M3U link and Xtream details stop working at once, and you type the new ones into each of your own devices.
King IPTV sends both login types in the same welcome message, so you pick whichever suits your app. After your Interac e-Transfer arrives, activation usually takes 15 to 30 minutes during support hours (every day from 9 a.m. to midnight Eastern). You receive the details by email and in Live Chat:
The free 24-hour IPTV trial comes with the same set of details, so you can test both login types on your own TV before you pay. When you are ready, the King IPTV subscription plans start at $19 CAD for one month, with no contract and no automatic renewal. Our advice: start with Xtream Codes in TiviMate or IPTV Smarters Pro, and keep the M3U link saved in a safe place as your backup.
For most people, yes. An Xtream Codes login gives the app direct access to the provider's server, so the TV guide loads by itself, movies and series land in their own sections with posters, and catch-up works on channels that offer it. An M3U playlist plays the same channels, but the app has less information to work with. Keep M3U for players that accept nothing else, such as VLC.
Usually, yes, because the details are already inside the link. The part before /get.php (including the port number) is the server URL. The text after username= is your username, and the text after password= is your password, up to the next & sign. Type those three into the Xtream Codes screen of your app. If it fails, ask your provider to confirm the server address.
Because the guide is a separate file. Many apps need you to paste an EPG (XMLTV) link next to the playlist, and some only read it if the playlist names it in its first line. Add the EPG link your provider sent, update the guide, and wait a few minutes. If the guide is still empty, switch to the Xtream Codes login, which loads the guide automatically in most apps.
Yes. M3U and Xtream Codes are two doors into the same account, so the screen limit counts what is playing, not which login you used. If your plan has one screen and you play a channel on TiviMate and another on VLC at the same moment, one of them will stop. Adding the login to many devices is fine; only playing at the same time counts.
Only with people in your own home who use your screens. Your M3U link contains your username and password in plain text, so anyone who has it can play on your account and use up your screen limit. Never post it in a group chat with strangers, a forum or a screenshot. If it leaks, ask support to change the password, then update each device.
Keep reading
A blank or wrong TV guide almost always comes down to one of six causes. Here is how to find yours and fix it in TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro and other apps, including the time zone trap for viewers outside Eastern time.
Read more : IPTV TV Guide (EPG) Missing or Wrong? How to Fix ItTiviMate is the stronger live TV player on Android TV and Fire TV. IPTV Smarters Pro covers more devices and handles movies better. Here is the full comparison, with current prices and platform facts.
Read more : IPTV Smarters Pro vs TiviMate in 2026: Which App Is Better?Each TV brand runs its own app store, and IPTV players come and go from them. Here is what works on each platform this year, what it costs, and when to skip the TV app entirely.
Read more : Best IPTV Apps for Smart TVs in 2026: Samsung, LG, Hisense and Google TVPut what you just read to the test: 24 hours of King IPTV on your own TV, free. Plans from $19 CAD when you are ready.
