IPTV Glossary: 40 Terms Explained in Plain English

IPTV comes with a lot of jargon. Bookmark this page—every term in plain English, with links to deeper guides.

A–E

• AFR (Auto Frame Rate): switches your TV's refresh rate to match the video for smoother motion. See sports setup.
• APK: an Android app file. Only install from trusted sources. Risks.
• Bandwidth: how much data your connection can carry per second.
• Buffer: a few seconds of video your player loads ahead to avoid freezes. Buffering fixes.
• Catch-up: watching programs that already aired, for a few days. Guide.
• CEC (HDMI-CEC): lets one remote control TV and connected devices.
• Connection: one stream playing at a time. Multi-screen.
• Cord-cutting: canceling cable/satellite in favor of streaming. Checklist.
• DNS: the internet's address book; a slow one delays channel starts.
• EPG: electronic program guide—the TV guide grid. Guide.
• Ethernet: wired network connection; the best fix for buffering. Guide.

F–M

• FAST: free ad-supported streaming TV, like Pluto TV and Tubi.
• FHD: full HD, 1080p.
• Firestick: Amazon's Fire TV streaming stick. Setup.
• Group: a category of channels in your playlist. Groups.
• HDR: high dynamic range—brighter highlights and richer colors where supported.
• IPTV: Internet Protocol Television. What is IPTV?
• ISP: your internet service provider. ISP throttling.
• Jitter: variation in connection delay; high jitter causes freezes.
• Latency: delay. Reducing delay.
• M3U / M3U8: playlist format listing your channels. M3U guide.
• MAC address: unique device ID used by portals. Portals.
• MAG: dedicated IPTV set-top box. Setup.
• Mbps: megabits per second—internet speed. Speed guide.
• Multi-view: several channels on one screen. Guide.

N–Z

• OTT: "over the top" streaming over the open internet. IPTV vs OTT.
• Parental control: PIN protection for categories. Families.
• Player: the app you watch in (TiviMate, Smarters…). Compared.
• Portal: server address for MAC-based devices.
• QoS: router setting that prioritizes devices. Router settings.
• SD / HD / 4K / 8K: picture resolutions. 4K vs 8K.
• Stream: the live video data for a channel.
• Time shift: EPG setting to correct guide times; also another name for catch-up.
• Trial: short test access before paying. Trial guide.
• tvg-id: playlist tag that links a channel to guide data.
• VOD: video on demand—movies and series. Guide.
• VPN: encrypted tunnel for privacy. Do you need one?
• XMLTV: standard file format for TV guide data.
• Xtream Codes: login with server, username and password. Explained.

Background reading: IPTV on Wikipedia. New here? Start with the beginner's guide.

Frequently asked questions