IPTV Box Setup: M3U Playlists, EPG & Xtream Codes API

What is IPTV Box in StreamDev?

The IPTV Box module in StreamDev is a complete system for delivering live TV channels and video-on-demand content to set-top boxes, smart TVs, and IPTV player applications. It generates standard M3U playlists, XMLTV electronic program guides (EPG), and provides full Xtream Codes API compatibility — making it work seamlessly with the most popular IPTV apps and hardware on the market.

Instead of managing individual stream URLs, the IPTV Box module lets you organize channels into categories, assign EPG data, control device access with MAC address filtering, and manage per-device subscription expiry dates. It transforms your StreamDev server into a full-featured IPTV service platform.

M3U Playlist Generation

The M3U playlist is the most universal format for delivering channel lists to IPTV players. StreamDev automatically generates a dynamic M3U playlist that includes all your active channels with their names, logos, categories, and stream URLs.

The M3U playlist URL follows this format:

/api/iptv/playlist.m3u

Each entry in the generated playlist includes #EXTINF tags with channel metadata:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="channel1" tvg-name="News HD" tvg-logo="https://example.com/logo.png" group-title="News",News HD
http://your-domain.com:8080/live/username/password/1.ts

The playlist is generated dynamically, so any changes you make in the dashboard — adding channels, changing categories, or updating logos — are reflected immediately the next time a client refreshes the playlist.

XMLTV Electronic Program Guide (EPG)

An EPG provides viewers with a schedule of current and upcoming programs, similar to a TV guide. StreamDev generates EPG data in the XMLTV format, the industry standard supported by virtually all IPTV applications.

The EPG URL is:

/api/iptv/epg.xml

The XMLTV file contains channel definitions and program listings with start/stop times, titles, descriptions, and categories. IPTV apps fetch this URL periodically to keep the guide up to date. You can import EPG data from external XMLTV sources or manage program schedules manually through the StreamDev dashboard.

Xtream Codes API Compatibility

Many IPTV applications were originally built to work with the Xtream Codes panel. StreamDev provides a fully compatible Xtream Codes API endpoint, so these apps can connect without any modifications.

The Xtream Codes API base URL is:

/api/iptv/xtream

The API supports the standard endpoints that IPTV apps expect:

• Player API: Returns user info, server info, live categories, live streams, VOD categories, VOD streams, and series information.
• Authentication: Username and password-based login matching the Xtream Codes format.
• Stream formats: Supports .ts and .m3u8 output formats for maximum compatibility.

This means any app that supports "Xtream Codes" or "Xtream Codes API" as a connection type will work directly with your StreamDev server.

Category Management and Organization

Organizing your channels into logical categories is essential for a good viewer experience. StreamDev lets you create unlimited categories — such as News, Sports, Entertainment, Kids, Movies, Music, and Documentary — and assign channels to one or more categories.

Categories appear as groups in M3U playlists (via the group-title attribute) and as channel categories in the Xtream Codes API. You can reorder categories, rename them, and set custom icons. Well-organized categories make it easier for viewers to find content and create a professional appearance for your IPTV service.

MAC Address Filtering for Device Control

MAC address filtering provides hardware-level access control for your IPTV service. Each set-top box and smart TV has a unique MAC address, and StreamDev can restrict access to only registered devices.

This feature is particularly useful for:

• Preventing unauthorized sharing of credentials
• Limiting each subscription to a specific number of devices
• Managing MAG box deployments where devices authenticate by MAC address
• Enterprise environments where only approved hardware should access streams

You can add, remove, and manage allowed MAC addresses from the StreamDev dashboard. Devices not on the whitelist will be denied access regardless of whether they have valid credentials.

Per-Device Subscription Expiry

StreamDev supports per-device subscription management with configurable expiry dates. Each device or user account can have an independent expiry date, after which access is automatically revoked. This is ideal for running a subscription-based IPTV service where you need to manage billing cycles, trial periods, or time-limited access for events.

Expired subscriptions can be renewed through the dashboard, and you can set up notifications before expiry to remind users to renew.

Compatible Applications and Devices

StreamDev's IPTV Box module works with a wide range of popular IPTV applications and hardware:

• TiviMate — Premium IPTV player for Android TV and mobile, supports Xtream Codes API and M3U.
• IPTV Smarters — Multi-platform app with Xtream Codes login support.
• MAG Boxes (MAG 250, 254, 322, 424, etc.) — Industry-standard set-top boxes that authenticate via MAC address.
• Formuler (Z8, Z10, Z11, CC) — Android-based set-top boxes with MyTVOnline app.
• Enigma2 (Dreambox, VU+, Zgemma) — Linux-based satellite receivers that support M3U and XMLTV.
• GSE Smart IPTV — iOS and Android app supporting M3U and Xtream Codes.
• Perfect Player — Android IPTV player with M3U and EPG support.
• VLC Media Player — Open-source player that can load M3U playlists on any platform.

Setting Up TiviMate with Xtream Codes API

TiviMate is one of the most popular IPTV players for Android TV. To connect it to your StreamDev server:

1. Open TiviMate and go to Settings → Playlists → Add Playlist.
2. Select Xtream Codes as the playlist type.
3. Enter the Server URL: your StreamDev domain (e.g., http://your-domain.com).
4. Enter the Username and Password assigned in your StreamDev IPTV Box dashboard.
5. TiviMate will connect and download the channel list, categories, and EPG data automatically.
6. Channels will appear organized by category. The EPG guide will populate within a few minutes.

Setting Up MAG Boxes

MAG set-top boxes use a portal URL and MAC address authentication. To configure a MAG box with StreamDev:

1. On the MAG box, go to Settings → Servers → Portals.
2. In Portal 1 URL, enter your StreamDev portal URL (provided in the IPTV Box dashboard).
3. Note the MAC address displayed on the MAG box's system information screen.
4. In the StreamDev dashboard, add this MAC address to the allowed devices list and assign it to a subscription.
5. Restart the MAG box. It will connect to the portal and display your channel lineup.

MAG boxes cache the portal information, so changes to the channel lineup may take a few minutes to appear. You can force a refresh by restarting the device or clearing the portal cache.