Better IPTV

Modern, cross-platform IPTV player built with Rust and Tauri

Website • Features • Installation • Quick Start • FAQ • Contributing

Note: Better IPTV is not affiliated with any IPTV provider. Users are responsible for compliance with local laws and provider terms.

📺 Overview

Better IPTV is a desktop IPTV player that combines the performance of Rust with a modern web UI. Built on MPV for video playback, it handles live TV, movies, and series across Linux, Windows, and macOS.

Why Better IPTV?

• Fast & Efficient - Rust backend handles 100,000+ channels smoothly
• Smart Features - EPG, parental controls, multi-profile support, and more
• Modern UI - Clean, responsive interface with dark/light themes
• Privacy First - All data stored locally, credentials never leave your device
• Cross-Platform - One app for Linux, Windows, and macOS

✨ Features

🎬 Content Library

• Live TV - Stream live channels with real-time Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
• Movies (VOD) - Browse and watch on-demand movies
• TV Series - Season/episode organization with automatic episode queuing
• Smart Search - Instant filtering across all content types
• Virtual Scrolling - Smooth performance even with 100K+ channels

🔒 Parental Controls

• PIN protection (4-6 digits) with manual or automatic channel blocking
• Auto-detection of adult content (+18, XXX, Adult markers)
• Category-level blocking for entire channel groups
• Three viewing modes: Hide, Lock Icon, or Blur
• Session-based unlock that re-locks on restart

📋 Playlist Management

• M3U/M3U8 import from local files or URLs
• Xtream Codes integration with your IPTV provider
• Multi-Profile System - Switch between multiple providers/playlists
• Favorites - Star any channel and find them in a dedicated tab
• Custom User-Agent - Presets for TiviMate, VLC, or enter your own
• Category Quick-Access - Horizontal bar for instant category filtering

🌐 Language Support

19 languages for audio and subtitle preferences (Scandinavian, European, and International), configurable per profile.

📥 Installation

MPV Media Player

Better IPTV uses MPV for video playback. Installation varies by platform:

Linux:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install mpv

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S mpv

# Fedora
sudo dnf install mpv

macOS:

brew install mpv

Windows:

New in v2.3.0: MPV is bundled with the installer. No separate installation needed.

If you prefer a manual installation: download from mpv.io or use choco install mpv.

Download Better IPTV

1. Visit Releases
2. Download for your platform:
   • Linux (Ubuntu/Debian): .AppImage, .deb
   • Linux (Arch/Manjaro): -arch.AppImage or install via AUR (see below)
   • Linux (Fedora/RHEL): .rpm
   • Windows: .msi installer or .exe portable
   • macOS: .dmg disk image

Linux AppImage (Ubuntu/Debian):

chmod +x Better-IPTV_*_amd64.AppImage
./Better-IPTV_*_amd64.AppImage

Linux AppImage (Arch/Manjaro):

Important: Use the -arch.AppImage variant on Arch-based distros. The standard AppImage bundles WebKit libraries from Ubuntu that conflict with newer system libraries on rolling-release distros and will cause a crash on startup.

chmod +x Better-IPTV_*_amd64-arch.AppImage
./Better-IPTV_*_amd64-arch.AppImage

Alternatively, install via the AUR:

yay -S better-iptv
# or
paru -S better-iptv

🚀 Quick Start

1. Import Playlist

On first launch, choose your import method:

Option A: M3U/M3U8 File

1. Click "Import M3U Playlist"
2. Enter a profile name (e.g., "My IPTV")
3. Choose source: Local File or URL
4. Click "Import" and wait for channels to load

Option B: Xtream Codes

1. Click "Import Xtream Playlist"
2. Enter a profile name
3. Fill in your server URL, username, and password
4. Click "Import" (loads Live TV, Movies, and Series)

2. Configure EPG (Optional)

1. Open Settings (gear icon) → General → EPG Settings
2. Enter your XMLTV EPG URL (Xtream users get this automatically)
3. Click "Update Now" — EPG updates automatically going forward

3. Start Watching

• Use tabs (All / Live TV / Movies / Series / Favorites) and the category bar to browse
• Type in the search box for instant filtering
• Click play on any channel — MPV opens in a separate window

Series: Select a series → choose season → click Play on any episode. Remaining episodes auto-queue.

Favorites: Hover over any channel card and click the star to add or remove.

Multiple Profiles: Import additional playlists as separate profiles and switch between them from the setup screen.

🎮 Keyboard Shortcuts

For MPV player controls (fullscreen, volume, seek, etc.), see the MPV keyboard documentation.

❓ FAQ

mpv --version

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Channels Buffering

• Check internet connection - Run speed test
• Try another channel - May be provider/server issue
• Adjust MPV cache - Advanced users: edit MPV config

Series Not Importing (Xtream)

• Verify credentials - Double-check username/password
• Check provider support - Not all Xtream providers offer series
• Retry import - Network issues may cause partial imports

App Won't Start

• Linux: Ensure .AppImage has execute permissions (chmod +x)
• Windows: Run as administrator or check Windows Defender
• macOS: Allow app in System Preferences → Security & Privacy

Parental Controls Issues

• Auto-detect not working? - Re-save settings to trigger channel scan
• Lock mode not showing channels? - Update to v2.3.0+ (bug fixed)
• PIN modal stuck? - Restart app, issue resolved in v2.3.0

Logs

Linux: ~/.local/share/better-ip-tv/logs/better-ip-tv.log Windows: %APPDATA%\com.m0s.better-ip-tv\logs\better-ip-tv.log macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/com.m0s.better-ip-tv/logs/better-ip-tv.log

Credentials are automatically masked in logs.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, code standards, and PR guidelines.

• Report a bug
• Request a feature
• Join discussions

📝 Changelog

See CHANGELOG_USER.md for version history and release notes.

📄 License

GNU General Public License v2.0 — MPV is GPL v2+ licensed, and we chose GPL v2.0 for compatibility.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• MPV Project - Media player with comprehensive codec support
• Tauri - Cross-platform framework enabling this project
• Open TV - Architectural inspiration
• IPTV Community - Standards, protocols, and ongoing support

💖 Support the Project

If you find Better IPTV useful, consider supporting its development:

• Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/R6R21I53PD
• GitHub Sponsors: Sponsor on GitHub

Crypto donations: