TiviMate Setup Guide: Playlists, EPG and Best Settings

What TiviMate is, and what it is not

TiviMate is an IPTV player. It plays playlists that you add. It does not come with channels, sell channels or connect you to any service. The developer’s website and Google Play listing both say it is a media player only, and that a paid upgrade unlocks app features, never channels or streams.

Some useful facts, checked against the developer’s own pages:

• Developer: Armobsoft FZE, as named in TiviMate’s Terms of Use and on Google Play.
• Official sources: tivimate.com and the Google Play listing. The website also offers a direct download, which the developer says has fewer restrictions and checks for its own updates.
• Devices: built for Android TV and remote-control navigation. The developer says it is not optimized for phones or tablets, so use a Google TV or Android TV device, or a Fire TV running Fire OS.
• Playlist formats: the Play listing names M3U, Xtream Codes and Stalker Portal.

Free vs Premium

The app is free to install. Premium is an in-app upgrade. When you open the Premium screen, the app lists what it unlocks: support for multiple playlists, favourites management, catch-up, customizable EPG update intervals, adjustable panel transparency and timeout, manual channel sorting, turning on the last channel when the app starts, and auto frame rate (AFR). The list ends with “and much more”. If a menu asks you to unlock Premium, the feature is part of the paid tier.

The Terms of Use describe a one-time lifetime purchase and one or more auto-renewing subscriptions, with plans and prices shown at the point of purchase. Check the current price in the app, on Google Play or on the developer’s site rather than trusting a figure quoted elsewhere.

How you buy Premium depends on your device:

Your device	Where Premium is bought	Notes
Has Google Play (Android TV, Google TV)	Inside TiviMate, through Google Play billing	Google Play subscriptions are cancelled through Google Play
No Google Play (for example, Fire OS)	On tivimate.com, or in the TiviMate Companion app on an Android phone	You sign in with a TiviMate account, then activate the TV device

The TiviMate Companion listing says it exists to unlock Premium on devices without Google Play and to manage your activated devices. It is not a player.

Note: Because Premium unlocks features only, any offer that bundles “TiviMate Premium” with channels comes from someone other than the developer. Our guide to IPTV scam red flags explains what to watch for.

Step 1: Install TiviMate

Android TV and Google TV

Google’s help page for Google TV describes two ways to install an app:

1. Press the Assistant button on your remote, or select Search on the home screen.
2. Say or type TiviMate.
3. Open the result and check that the developer is Armobsoft FZE.
4. Select Install.

You can also browse the Apps tab on the Google TV home screen, or, on older Android TV menus, search in the Google Play Store app. Other apps have similar names, so always check the developer.

Fire TV (Fire OS)

Fire TV devices don’t have Google Play. The developer’s website offers a direct download, plus a code for the Downloader app. Our Fire TV Stick setup guide covers allowing installs from outside the Amazon Appstore. Use the link on tivimate.com, not an APK mirror site, where copies may be modified.

Note: Not every new Fire TV runs Fire OS. Amazon says the Fire TV Stick 4K Select was its first device to run Vega OS, which is built on Linux components rather than the Android-based Fire OS. TiviMate is an Android app, so before you buy a stick for TiviMate, check which operating system it runs.

The direct-download version has Check for updates and Auto update app options in its settings.

Step 2: Add your playlist

The first time you open TiviMate, it asks you to add a playlist. Later, you can add more under Settings > Playlists > Add playlist. Menu names can change between versions, but the playlist types have stayed the same:

Playlist type	What your provider gives you	Why choose it
Xtream Codes	Server address, username, password	Short to type with a remote. The provider’s server also supplies the channel list and, often, VOD details and catch-up information
M3U playlist	One long URL, or a local .m3u/.m3u8 file	Works with any provider that offers M3U. Long URLs are tedious to type
Stalker Portal	A portal URL tied to a device MAC address	Only if your provider issues portal-style access

If your M3U link contains username= and password=, your provider probably also supports an Xtream Codes login. That is usually the easier choice on a TV remote.

Adding an Xtream Codes login

1. Select Add playlist, then Xtream Codes.
2. Enter the Server address exactly as your provider gives it, including http:// or https:// and the port. Example: http://example.invalid:8080
3. Enter the Username (for example, yourname) and the Password (for example, yourpassword). Both are usually case-sensitive.
4. Select Next. TiviMate processes the playlist and shows how many channels, movies and shows it found.
5. If your provider gave you a separate guide link, enter it when TiviMate asks for an EPG URL. You can also skip this step and add it later.
6. Give the playlist a Playlist name, then finish. The order of these last screens can vary between versions.

Adding an M3U link

1. Select Add playlist, then M3U playlist.
2. Choose Enter URL and type or paste the link, for example http://example.invalid:8080/get.php?username=yourname&password=yourpassword&type=m3u_plus. To use a file stored on the device, choose Select local playlist instead.
3. Continue through the EPG step and the name step, as above.

Naming and multiple playlists

Choose a name you will still recognize later, such as “Main live TV” or “Sports backup”. With more than one playlist (a Premium feature, according to the developer), the names appear in the group list, and the optional All playlists category merges them. You can switch a playlist off without deleting it (Enable playlist) and change the order (Reorder playlists).

Note: Your login works like a password. Never post it in the forum, and crop it out of screenshots. Anyone who has it can use your connections.

Step 3: Set up the TV guide (EPG)

TiviMate’s guide accepts XMLTV data only, as the app itself says when you add a link. Some playlists bring a guide with them. If yours is empty after the first update, add the link yourself.

Add and assign an EPG source

In TiviMate, adding an EPG source isn’t enough. It must also be assigned to a playlist, and the app warns you when a source isn’t assigned.

1. Go to Settings > EPG > EPG sources and choose Add source. Menu names can change between versions.
2. Enter the EPG URL (for example, http://example.invalid:8080/guide.xml) and a Source name.
3. Go to Settings > Playlists, open your playlist, and assign the source in its EPG section.
4. If you have more than one source, set EPG sources priority so the best one is used first.
5. Run Update EPG. When it works, TiviMate reports how many channels received guide data. Compare that number with your channel count.

Update interval and storage

The EPG settings include Update on app start, Update on playlists change and Update interval, hours. The developer lists customizable EPG update intervals as a Premium feature. Frequent updates mostly add load time, while too few can leave a gap at the end of the guide.

Two more settings involve a trade-off:

• Past days to keep EPG: if you use catch-up, keep at least as many past days as your provider’s catch-up window. Otherwise, older programs have no guide entry to pick from. Keeping more days uses more storage and takes longer to process.
• Store program descriptions: gives you the synopsis for each program, at the cost of a larger guide database. This matters most on low-storage sticks.

Map channels that show “No information”

When a channel’s ID in the playlist doesn’t match any ID in the guide, that channel has no guide data. To fix one channel, highlight it and long-press OK to open its menu, then choose Assign EPG and pick the matching guide channel. If the channel you need isn’t in the list, the developer explains that TiviMate scans only part of an EPG source by default, for speed, and that some channels can be missed this way. Running Full scan reads the whole source, which takes longer.

Fix offsets (guide is hours off)

If every program on a source is shifted by the same amount, first check the date, time and time zone in your device’s Android settings. If the device is correct, use the EPG time offset, h:min setting for that source. Because it takes hours and minutes, it can handle any time zone difference. If you set an offset by hand to work around a bad source, check it again after the clocks change for daylight saving time. Compare notes on specific sources in the TV guide and EPG forum.

Step 4: Settings that matter for buffering

No single “best settings” list exists, because the right values depend on your device, your network and your provider’s server. These are the settings worth knowing, mostly under Settings > Playback:

Setting	What it does	Trade-off
Buffer size (Small up to Very large)	Sets how much video is downloaded before playback starts	A bigger buffer rides out short network dips, but the developer notes it can make channel switching slower
Video decoder (Hardware or Software)	Chooses the chip that decodes video	Hardware uses the device’s dedicated video chip and is efficient. Software uses the main processor and can struggle on low-power sticks, but the developer suggests trying it when hardware decoding misbehaves
Audio decoder	The same choice, for audio	Try software only if a channel has no sound or broken sound
Auto frame rate (AFR)	Switches the TV’s refresh rate to match the video	Can make motion smoother, but not all devices support it, and the screen may blank briefly while switching. Premium, according to the developer
Amlogic fix	A workaround for some Amlogic-chipset boxes	Only relevant if your box uses that chipset and you see stutter or freezing
Tunneled playback	An alternative video path on some devices	Results depend on the device. Turn it off again if it causes problems
Output format (Xtream Codes playlist option)	Changes the stream format requested from the provider’s server	If one format stutters or won’t play, trying another is a valid test. The choices vary with the provider and the app version

How to test without guessing:

• Pick one channel that buffers, and test at the same time of day.
• Change one setting, watch for the same length of time as your last test, and write down the result.
• If it didn’t help, put the setting back before you try the next one.
• If every channel buffers regardless of settings, the cause is usually upstream (Wi-Fi, ISP or the provider), not TiviMate.

For network-side causes, see how to fix IPTV buffering and how much internet speed IPTV needs.

Favourites, groups, catch-up and recording

Favourites. Highlight a channel, long-press OK, and choose Add to Favorites (the app uses US spelling). The developer lists favourites management as Premium, so some favourites options may ask you to unlock it.

Groups. Each playlist’s settings include Manage groups, where you can hide groups you never watch, such as other countries’ channel packages. A hidden group can be shown again from the same place. Manual channel sorting is on the developer’s Premium list.

Catch-up. Catch-up only works when your provider records past programs on its server, and the developer lists catch-up as a Premium feature. TiviMate can mark catch-up channels with an icon in the channel list. Scroll back through the guide to an earlier program, or use Watch from start on a program that is airing now.

Recording. TiviMate can record and schedule recordings to a Recordings folder that you choose. You can also set it to start early and stop late, so a program that runs over isn’t cut off. The app itself warns that recording may not work on every channel and may need more than one server connection. If your plan allows only one connection, recording one channel while you watch another will likely fail.

Multiview. Watching several channels at once also opens several streams. The app reminds you that your provider may limit concurrent connections.

Back up and move to a new device

A backup saves your setup, so a new device or a factory reset doesn’t mean starting over.

1. Go to Settings > General > Back up data and pick a folder for the backup file. Menu names can change between versions.
2. Copy the file to a USB drive or cloud storage.
3. On the new device, install TiviMate from an official source (see Step 1).
4. Go to Settings > General > Restore data. You can type a link to the backup file (the app mentions Dropbox or Google Drive as examples) or choose Select local backup.
5. Confirm. TiviMate replaces its current data and settings with the backup and restarts. You may need to open it again yourself.

To move Premium, sign in to your TiviMate account on the new device and go through activation. Activation offers Activate new device or lets you pick an existing device. Pick the existing device when you’re reinstalling on the same hardware, so you don’t use up another slot. You can manage activated devices on tivimate.com or in the Companion app.

Note: A backup can contain your playlist details, including logins. Store it privately and delete any public share link once the restore is done.

Common errors and fixes

“An error has occurred while processing the playlist” or authorization failed

TiviMate couldn’t read the playlist, or the server rejected the login. Work through these in order:

1. Retype the server address, username and password. Check http vs https, the port, and any stray spaces.
2. Confirm with your provider that the account is active and not expired.
3. Make sure no other device is using up your connection limit.
4. Test on another network (a phone hotspot works). If the playlist loads there, the problem is your network path, not the app.

The login and activation forum has many worked examples.

The playlist loads but channels are missing

• In large lists, TiviMate may show only the first block of channels and tell you to use Groups or Search for the rest.
• Check Manage groups in the playlist settings for hidden groups, and look for any channels you hid earlier.
• Run Update playlist. Providers change their lists, and TiviMate shows what it fetched at the last update.

No EPG, or “No information” on many channels

Check that the EPG source is assigned to the playlist, not just added (Step 3). Run Update EPG and read the result message. If many channels are still blank, try Full scan, then use Assign EPG on whatever is left.

The guide shows the wrong time

Fix the device’s time zone first, then apply EPG time offset, h:min to the source. If only some channels are off, those channels may be mapped to a guide feed from a different region. Reassign them with Assign EPG.

Buffering, freezing or a black screen

Test another channel. If it plays smoothly, the problem is that one stream. If everything stalls, follow the one-change-at-a-time checklist in Step 4, then the buffering guide.

Premium activation says the device limit is reached

Select your existing device to restore its activation, or remove an old device on tivimate.com or in the TiviMate Companion app, then try again.

Common questions

Does TiviMate come with channels?

No. The developer states that TiviMate provides no content, and that Premium unlocks app features only. You need a playlist from a provider. To compare providers, see member ratings and the provider directory.

Should I use Xtream Codes or M3U?

If your provider offers both, Xtream Codes is easier to type with a remote and gives TiviMate more structured information from the server. Use M3U when that’s all you have, or when you load a local file.

Can I use TiviMate on a phone or tablet?

You can install it, but the developer says it is designed for remote-control navigation and is not optimized for touch screens. A phone is mainly useful for the separate Companion app, if you buy Premium for a device without Google Play.

Do I have to pay for Premium again on a new TV box?

Not while you are within the device limit shown on the activation screen. Premium is tied to your TiviMate account and activated per device. When you reinstall on the same device, select it as an existing device.

Is TiviMate legal to use in Canada?

TiviMate is a media player. Its Terms of Use make you responsible for having the rights to whatever you add to it. Whether a particular service is lawful is a separate question, covered in is IPTV legal in Canada. That guide is general information, not legal advice.

Still stuck?

Post your device model, TiviMate version, playlist type (Xtream Codes or M3U) and the exact error message in the TiviMate forum, or ask a new question. Leave out your server address, username and password. Members can help without them.