More and more people are making the transition from satellite or cable TV to the world of TV boxes and digital media players that provide online content. One of the most popular devices that is spearheading this new paradigm of television is Roku.
Roku has been around for over a decade and has provided countless people with generations of TV boxes as well as their own video-on-demand content. However, the best way to really get the most out of your Roku experience is to learn how to set it up with IPTV.
Internet Protocol Television, or IPTV, is a phenomenal world of online TV and other content that you can access 24 hours per day as long as you’re connected to the internet. It can potentially give you access to thousands of channels from all across the world.
IPTV has more than just the popular streaming services available such as Hulu, Amazon Prime or Netflix, and other VOD sources. IPTV also includes live TV channels from a variety of sources.
There’s just one problem though: the Roku OS uses Linux as its main system which heavily limits the amount of IPTV channels one can access. Thankfully, I know a way in which you can bypass these restrictions and access the practically unlimited options that the world of IPTV offers.
Sounds intriguing? Then let’s discuss how you can download, install, and setup IPTV for your Roku device.
What You Will Need to Get Started for IPTV on Roku
One of the most crucial things you will need to setup IPTV on Roku is an app called M3U Playlist Player. There’s just one problem: Roku has removed this app from the Roku Channels store, making it impossible to download through conventional means.
Luckily, there is a workaround for this issue, but it will require that you have a smartphone and the ability to mirror cast onto your TV. You can easily download the Web Video Caster app on your Android or iOS device if you don’t already have it.
Here’s a step by step guide to get Web Video Caster working with your Roku Box:
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- Once the Web Video Caster app is downloaded and installed, launch it.
- Tap on the three lines in the top left-hand corner of the screen to bring down the sidebar.
- Select ‘IPTV’ from the list.
- Next, tap on the + icon to open up a blank field under a spot that reads ‘IPTV address’.
- In this field, you will now paste your M3U URL. This link is what will be given to you after you have signed up for an IPTV service subscription (refer to the following section for more info on this).
- Write down a name for your IPTV list. Name it whatever you want, but it would be best to name it after the IPTV service that provided you with your M3U URL.
- Exit this sidebar menu and tap on the Cast icon. It is located in the top right-hand corner of the app and looks like a TV screen with signal waves next to it.
- Now you will have to select the type of device you want to scan for. Scroll down and tap on the Roku device option and then tap on ‘Done’. Be extra sure that both your smartphone and your Roku box are connected via the same wi-fi network or this step will not work.
- Go to the IPTV menu section of the Web Video Caster app and open the list of IPTVs you have just added. Wait for a few moments for the app to load the playlist.
- Tap on the Roku Device option on the following page and lastly tap on the ‘Play’ option.
That’s all the necessary steps, now you are ready to load live IPTV content onto your Roku device. Of course, this requires that you have already selected an IPTV service for yourself to watch. If you don’t already have an IPTV service selected for yourself and need some tips on how to choose the right one, continue reading onto the following section
How to pick the right IPTV Stream for Roku TV?
Now that your Roku box is prepared for receiving IPTV streams, the next step involves selecting which IPTV service provider you want to use. You can theoretically subscribe to multiple services but let’s stick to the assumption that you’ll only need one for now.
First, you’re going to have to keep a couple of things in mind: the type of content that is exclusive or at least more readily available to IPTV platforms, and your own taste in content.
IPTV Service Content
Many IPTV streams and providers specialize in specific kinds of content. For example, if you’re a sports fan then you’ll want to use a service that streams primarily or only sporting events. That helps narrow things down a lot but even the world of sports is quite diverse.
Some IPTV services will stream a variety of sports from all over the world. Some others will only concentrate on certain regions like the UK or Scandinavia. Others will only stream football/soccer, or combat sports like boxing and MMA matches. Take this into consideration when selecting your service subscription.
IPTV Pricing
The other thing to take in mind is the pricing or the package bundles available from any given service. Part of the appeal of IPTV is that it is considerably less expensive than paying for cable or satellite.
The best deals are normally ones where you subscribe for a couple of months at a time and many IPTV services offer 12-month subscriptions for incredibly low prices. Good packages are also going to include channels from multiple countries, full VOD features and more so you’ll be getting the most bang for your buck.
Also, try to see if you can find an IPTV service that will offer you a free trial. Many of them do, usually for a period of about one week which is more than enough time to test out their service and see if the quality of their streaming is up to par.
Slow Streams or Buffering?
Are your streams loading too slow? Getting constant buffering? Not able to stream at full resolution? Check out these tips to improve your streaming experience:
- Use a modern Router that has advanced features like QoS to prioritize video content. Check out our recommended Routers for Streaming.
- If you are using a Wifi connection, be sure to check out our 9 easy steps to improve your Wifi for Streaming.
- Some Internet Service Providers throttle video streaming traffic without telling their customers. A VPN encrypts all your traffic and circumvents throttling, blocking and geographical restrictions.
Quality of Streams
Speaking of which, the last thing to keep in mind when selecting an IPTV service provider is the quality of their streams. This is something you’ll be able to verify by checking out reviews of their service.
Try to select a service that not only caters to your preferences in content but has a good track record of reliably delivering smooth streams in high definition quality. They should also have good customer support in the event that there are problems or if a stream goes down suddenly.
Learn How to Protect Yourself with a VPN
Now that you’ve officially made your first step into the world of IPTV via Roku TV, there’s one last step that you should seriously consider before moving on. That last step is securing yourself by obtaining a VPN for when you watch streams online.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. VPNs come in many different kinds each with its own special features. Basically, a VPN will mask your actual IP address while accessing the web and replace it with a different one. This new IP address will be what shows up to your internet service provider when you are accessing data on the web.
If you’re wondering why this is necessary when using IPTV with Roku, it’s actually quite simple. Because there are thousands of different online IPTV channels to access, they all come from different sources. In some cases, the movies or shows you might access will have been illegally acquired in ways that violate copyright infringement laws.
This essentially means that even if you were not intending to access copyrighted content, you may end up accidentally doing so just by innocently browsing for a new show or film to watch.
This is where a VPN comes into play. As long as you have a VPN active then your real IP address will be concealed in the event that you stumble across illegal content. This gives you both the security and the privacy you need when dealing with these situations.
There are many different kinds of VPNs available today and more and more of them are available at affordable prices. Be sure to keep yourself protected when exploring the vast ocean of online content that IPTV provides.
