IPTV Glossary: The Terms You Will Actually Meet

Last updated: 2026-09-25

IPTV setup involves a handful of terms that sound more technical than they are. This glossary covers the ones you will actually meet.

EPG (Electronic Programme Guide). The TV guide inside your player app — what is on now and next.

Playlist. The list of channels your player app loads. Usually delivered as a link or file when you subscribe.

M3U. The most common playlist format. If someone says “M3U link”, they mean the address your player loads its channel list from.

Portal. An alternative to playlists used by dedicated boxes like MAG: the box connects to a portal address instead of loading a list into an app.

Player app. The software on your device that decodes streams and shows the guide — the equivalent of a set-top box, in software.

Decoder (hardware/software). How the player turns the stream into a picture. Hardware decoding uses the device’s chip and is usually smoother; software decoding is a fallback.

Buffer / buffering. The player keeps a few seconds of stream in reserve. If the network cannot keep up, playback pauses to refill — that pause is buffering. See our troubleshooting guide.

HD / SD / UHD. Picture resolution tiers. HD needs roughly 15–25 Mbps per stream; see internet speed for IPTV.

Multi-connection. A subscription option that allows more than one device to watch at the same time.

Terms like these are all you need to follow any of our setup guides — no deeper technical knowledge required.