IPTV in one sentence
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is TV sent over an internet connection instead of through an aerial, a satellite dish or a cable line. The programmes play in an app on a TV, streaming stick, phone or computer.
How IPTV works
A TV programme is turned into a stream of small data packets, the same way a web page or video call travels across the internet. Your device receives those packets over broadband and the player app turns them back into picture and sound.
Because the stream only reaches you when you ask for it, you can switch channels, pause, rewind or start a film from the beginning in a way that broadcast TV cannot do.
The three types of IPTV
- Live TV: channels broadcast in real time, just like a normal TV schedule.
- Video on demand (VOD): films and series you choose and start whenever you like.
- Time-shifted TV: catch-up and replay of programmes that have already aired.
Most IPTV services, including GoStream 4K, combine all three in one app.
What you need to watch IPTV
- Broadband: around 10 Mbps for HD and 25 Mbps for 4K, per screen.
- A device: Firestick, smart TV, Android TV, Apple TV, phone, tablet or computer.
- A player app and login: your provider sends the login details, and the app plays the streams.
Our IPTV Smarters guide shows what signing in to a typical player app looks like.
IPTV vs aerial, cable and satellite
Aerial (Freeview), satellite and cable all broadcast every channel to everyone at once over a dedicated network. IPTV uses your existing broadband instead, so there is no dish, cable line or engineer, and the same login works on any device in any room. The trade-off is that picture quality depends on your connection. The full comparison is in IPTV vs cable and satellite.
Is IPTV legal?
The technology is completely legal. BBC iPlayer, ITVX and most pay-TV apps are IPTV. What matters is whether the content is licensed. Read is IPTV legal in the UK for the detail.
Questions
What does IPTV stand for?
Internet Protocol Television: TV delivered over an internet connection and played in an app.
Is Netflix IPTV?
In the broad sense, yes. Netflix delivers video over the internet. The term IPTV is most often used for services that include live TV channels as well as on-demand content.
Do I need a smart TV for IPTV?
No. A Firestick or another streaming stick turns any TV with an HDMI port into an IPTV-ready screen.