Glossary
IPTV glossary: the terms you will see during setup
Short, plain-English definitions of the words that appear in player apps, setup guides and your Veloplaylist welcome message — each with a longer explanation and links to the right guide.
12 terms
What do IPTV terms mean?
- IPTV
- IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is television delivered over an internet connection instead of through an aerial, satellite dish or cable network.
- Read more about IPTV
- EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
- An EPG, or electronic program guide, is the on-screen TV guide that shows what is on each channel now, next and later.
- Read more about EPG
- M3U playlist
- An M3U playlist is a plain-text file or link that lists streams — for IPTV, one entry per channel with its name, logo, group and stream address.
- Read more about M3U playlist
- Xtream Codes login
- An Xtream Codes login is a way to sign in to an IPTV service with three details — a server URL, a username and a password — instead of pasting a playlist link.
- Read more about Xtream Codes login
- VOD (Video on Demand)
- VOD, or video on demand, means films and series you can start whenever you like, instead of waiting for a scheduled broadcast.
- Read more about VOD
- Catch-up TV
- Catch-up TV lets you watch programmes that have already aired on a channel, usually from the past few days, straight from the TV guide.
- Read more about Catch-up TV
- MAG box
- A MAG box is a dedicated IPTV set-top box that connects to a service through a portal address and is identified by its MAC address.
- Read more about MAG box
- MAC address
- A MAC address is a unique hardware identifier (six pairs of characters such as 00:1A:79:XX:XX:XX) that some IPTV devices and apps use to link a subscription.
- Read more about MAC address
- Buffering
- Buffering is when a stream pauses to load more data, because video is arriving more slowly than it is being played.
- Read more about Buffering
- Bitrate
- Bitrate is the amount of data a video stream uses per second, usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps); higher quality needs a higher bitrate.
- Read more about Bitrate
- 4K UHD
- 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) is a picture resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels — four times the detail of Full HD 1080p.
- Read more about 4K UHD
- IPTV player app
- An IPTV player app is the software on your TV, stick, phone or computer that loads your subscription and plays the channels — it is separate from the subscription itself.
- Read more about IPTV player app
Where should I start?
If you are new to IPTV, read what IPTV is, then the two ways to sign in:Xtream Codes and M3U playlists. Next, choose aplayer app for your device and follow its setup guide.
Picture freezing? The buffering and bitrate entries explain why it happens and how much internet speed each quality level needs.