This glossary defines the words you are likely to meet between ordering IPTV and settling in for a live evening, grouped by the layer of the system they belong to. Start with the login, move through the stream and the guide, then the devices and finally the money. The KezelTV desk hears these terms used in every direction in support chats, so each entry says what the word means and, where it helps, what people often think it means instead. Terms in each group run roughly alphabetically.
Five to learn first
If you read nothing else: an Xtream Codes login is how you sign in, the EPG is the program guide, catch-up replays what already aired on channels that keep an archive, a screen is one stream playing at a time, and bitrate matters more to picture quality than the resolution label.
Login and account words
Account. Your subscription, identified by a username. One account can be signed in on many devices; the plan decides how many play together.
Connection. Another word for a screen: one stream playing at a time. A three-connection plan lets three devices play simultaneously.
Credentials. The username, password and server address together. Treat them like a password, because anyone holding them can use your account.
M3U link. A single long web address that returns your channel list as a plain text file. It contains your username and password in readable form, which is why it should never be posted anywhere public. The steps for players that use it are in the KezelTV M3U playlist guide.
MAC address. A hardware identifier. On MAG boxes it begins with 00:1A:79, and the provider registers it so the box can load the portal.
Portal URL. The address a MAG or similar receiver loads instead of an app login. It is entered once in the box’s system settings.
Server URL. The web address of the provider’s system, entered alongside your username and password. A small typo here is the most common reason a first sign-in fails.
Xtream Codes login. The three-part sign-in (server URL, username, password) used by most modern players. It delivers structured data, so the player can show groups, the guide, movie and series sections and catch-up markers. See how a KezelTV Xtream Codes login is entered.
Stream and picture words
Bitrate. The amount of data sent each second, usually in megabits. It decides how much detail survives fast movement, which is why a generous HD feed can look better than a thin 4K one.
Buffer. The small reserve of video a player stores before and during playback, so brief dips in your connection do not interrupt the picture. Buffering is what you see when that reserve runs dry.
Codec. The method used to compress video. H.264 is the most widely supported; H.265, also called HEVC, squeezes the same picture into less data but asks more of older devices.
FHD, HD and 4K. Resolution labels. HD is 720p, FHD is 1080p, and 4K, also written UHD, has four times the pixels of FHD. Live channels arrive in 4K only where the broadcaster produces 4K.
8K. A resolution that exists on some TV panels but not in live broadcasting today. A provider advertising 8K live channels is describing a label, not a picture.
Frame rate. How many images appear per second, typically 25, 30, 50 or 60. Higher rates make movement on stage and in studios look smoother, which live entertainment benefits from.
Live delay. The gap between the original broadcast and what appears on your IPTV screen, caused by chunking and buffering. It is often a few seconds and can be longer. On reveal nights, a phone notification can arrive first.
Stream. One channel being delivered to one screen. Every screen in your house pulls its own.
Guide and time words
Archive. The stored recent past of a channel that makes catch-up possible. Its length is set per channel, from a day to several days, and many channels have none.
Catch-up. Replaying a program that has already aired, from the archive, usually by stepping back in the guide and selecting it. Only channels whose broadcaster keeps an archive offer it. More detail is in the KezelTV catch-up explainer.
EPG. Electronic program guide: the grid of what is on now, next and later. It is delivered separately from the video, so a channel can play while its guide row is empty.
Favorites. A personal list of channels pinned to the top of the player. The single most useful thing to set up before a big live night.
Multi-view. Watching several channels on one screen at once, a feature of certain players, including the Premium tier of TiviMate.
Recording. Saving a live program to storage. It is a player feature, available in some apps, and needs space on the device or an attached drive.
Timeshift. Pausing or rewinding a live channel. Support depends on the player and the channel, and it is not the same thing as catch-up.
VOD. Video on demand: movies and series stored in a library, started whenever you like, independent of the schedule.
Device and app words
APK. The installation file for an Android app. Install only from official stores or a developer’s own website.
Downloader. A free app on Fire OS sticks used to fetch players from outside the Amazon Appstore. It is not available on Vega OS.
Fire OS and Vega OS. The two operating systems on Fire TV Sticks. Fire OS allows sideloading; Vega OS, used on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, does not.
Pass-through. A device setting that sends the original surround audio to a soundbar or receiver untouched, instead of converting it to stereo.
Player. The app that signs in with your login and plays the channels. Providers rarely make their own; TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro and Smart IPTV are common examples.
Sideloading. Installing an app from outside the device’s official store. Possible on Android TV and Fire OS; not possible on Roku, Apple TV or Vega OS.
Tizen and webOS. The operating systems on Samsung and LG televisions. Smart IPTV supports Tizen 6.5 and later, and webOS 3.0 and later.
Plan and money words
Auto-renewal. A plan that charges again by itself at the end of a term. Many IPTV plans, ours included, simply end and wait for you to decide.
Line-up. The channels a service carries. It changes over time as suppliers change, so no honest seller promises a fixed list.
Money-back window. A set number of days after activation in which a service that cannot be made to work is refunded.
Panel and credits. Reseller vocabulary. A reseller buys credits and uses a management panel to create and renew customer accounts.
PPV. Pay-per-view: event channels that carry one-off live events. On IPTV line-ups they appear as a group, with content depending on what is scheduled.
Term. The length of a plan, such as one, three, six or twelve months. Longer terms cost less per month.
Trial. A short free period on the full service, intended for checking channels, guide and stability on your own line before paying.
Pairs people mix up
- Catch-up and timeshift. Catch-up replays something from the archive after it aired; timeshift pauses or rewinds what is airing now.
- Devices and screens. You can install on unlimited devices; the plan limits screens playing at once.
- Resolution and quality. Resolution counts pixels; bitrate decides how good they look.
- EPG and catch-up. A program listed in yesterday’s guide does not mean an archive exists for it.
- Provider and player. The provider supplies channels and the login; the player is a separate app from another developer.
Using these words in a support chat
Precise words get faster fixes. “Channel X shows no picture in TiviMate, guide is fine” leads somewhere immediately; “nothing works” leads to five questions first. When something goes wrong on a live night, name the device, the player, the channel and what you see, and the right term from this page will usually save ten minutes.
Questions and answers, in brief
What does Xtream Codes mean in IPTV?
It is the name of the sign-in format most players use: a server URL, a username and a password. Unlike a plain playlist link, it gives the player organized data, so it can show channel groups, the program guide, movie and series sections and which channels offer catch-up.
Is EPG the same thing as catch-up?
No. The EPG is the program guide, a schedule of what is on now, next and later. Catch-up is the ability to replay something that already aired, and it exists only on channels whose broadcaster keeps an archive. A program can appear in yesterday's guide without being replayable.
What is the difference between a device and a screen?
A device is any TV, stick, phone or computer with the player installed, and you can have as many as you like. A screen, or connection, is one stream playing at a time. Your plan limits screens, so it matters how many play at once, not how many are installed.
What is live delay, and can it be removed?
Live delay is the gap between the original broadcast and your IPTV picture, caused by the way streams are chunked and buffered. It is often a few seconds and cannot be removed entirely, since the buffer is what protects you from freezes. A wired connection can help keep it steady.
What does pass-through do for sound?
Pass-through sends the original audio from a channel straight to a soundbar or receiver without the device converting it. When a feed carries surround sound, that lets the sound system decode it. If the TV speakers do the work, a stereo setting is usually the better choice.
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