IPTV (Internet Protocol TV)

[Luckjon]

IPTV (Internet Protocol TV)

Last year I got lots of advice from this forum on ways to access UK television. I thought that I might summarise my experiences in case others wanted to do something similar.

As my apartment has Movistar fibre-optic broadband, using the internet to access UK television channels seemed logical. I first tried the free version of FILMON which was OK but not particularly user friendly with average picture quality. Because it is free, programmes are constantly interrupted by adverts. I upgraded to Premium service which was advert free and high-definition picture quality. This cost 14.99 euros subscription per month. I was using an old lap-top computer and if I continued with FILMON is would need a new model. I still found navigating to different channels was fiddly.

IPTV was something new to me and consists of two elements; a dedicated set-top box and a broadcast supplier. Independent reports suggested that the MAG250 series boxes work well. These vary in price, with a local northern Mallorca supplier selling them for 250 euros, whilst IPTV MALLORCA will supply one for 180 euros. I bought a brand new and boxed MAG254 over the internet for just over £50. You will need an HDMI lead for TV feed and a 10/100 Ethernet cable to attach to your modem. If your modem is someway from the television, a wi-fi dongle for the MAG250 box costs about 12 euros. The box has a remote control, power leads and perhaps the most useless ‘instruction manual’ ever. However, if you search MAG250/4 on Youtube there are dozens of short tutorial films.

The next task is to search on-line for an IPTV supplier. There are loads of them, mainly small operations and the packages vary with a wide range of prices and content. I opted for a 'UK Lite' service which is limited to main UK channels (similar to Freeview) with most available in high-definition. This costs 14 euros per month or 120 euros for the year. Payment is via Paypal so both the customer and seller are protected. My supplier has a website, Facebook page and provides email and telephone support.

Setting up can be a bit fiddly and you need the MAC Code which is printed on the underside of the box, to connect to the IPTV provider. Again there are loads of step-by-step tutorial videos on Youtube. The picture/sound quality is superb and stable. You can also access many UK radio stations.

I have been running this for a month with only minor glitches. One downside of IPTV is that I have been unable to find a service with sub-titles. My partner has a hearing deficit and often needs subtitles to follow the screen image.

I am a bit of technophobe but it work for me.

 

[Big Sal]

Great post, thank you! Has anyone tried and have any reviews on Ocean TV / OceanPalma? They provide the box with no subscription fees. Many thanks.

 

[Bircho]

Good post.

As an alternative, you purchase an Android TV box (these are as good as any: https://wizardtvbox.com/). They work just like an android phone. Similar to the MAG box you can connect it via a HDMI cable (as you do a sky box etc).

In terms of suppliers of IPTV, I have tried three different ones and all have been good.

These guys are not the cheapest but the service has never failed (slow to respond to queries though). They do have the easiest interface to use and dead simple set up:
https://iptvwizard.ie/

Bit more fiddly set up, cheaper but his customer service is absolute fantastic and he has the patience of a saint:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wizardhosting/

Cost £45 for 6 months which is a bargain!

Both of the above have 7 day catch up feature as well for most channels.

There is one more which is a lot more messing around and more technical so won't bother putting on here but message me if interested and I'll let you know.

Just worth pointing out, if a group of people are interested, it is dead easy to buy something like 200 one month subscriptions for about £200 from a wholesaler. Not really worth it for one person, but if 16 or so wanted to do it then you could have a years subscription for £12.

 

[waterboy]

Just a work of caution, IPTV is illegal in most countries (Spain included), just like fully loaded Android boxes!!!

 

[Yorkie]

Hi Bircho We are using a similar system to you as recommended by our fab next door neighbour in PP. You might know him? It transformed our holiday this Sept/Oct as I got to watch Strictly. XX The folks from 2B

 

[Bircho]

Just a work of caution, IPTV is illegal in most countries (Spain included), just like fully loaded Android boxes!!!

Fully loaded Kodi boxes are definitely illegal as decided by the EU court earlier this year. The boxes I mention above are not fully loaded.

As for IPTV - whole different kettle. If IPTV in itself was illegal then Netflix would be illegal as that is an IPTV stream. Indeed, in Spain, Movistar offer their own IPTV service (if you take their fusion service you are automatically enrolled on to it). Third party add-ons (such as what Kodi programs use) are what is illegal. It is the hosting. Therefore, some people reselling IPTV services may be offering an illegal service - you by purchasing that service are not performing an illegal act. However, many of the channels do offer reseller licenses at wholesale rates and they do not widely advertise it. It is a very muddy field - if you can pay for the service using a credit card then generally you've nothing to worry about.

Just to add, the wizardhosting service is also available on an Amazon Firebox or Amazon firestick

 

[graham]

We use a VPN, then simply stream sky, iplayer, amazon, and all channel catch ups through a lap top connected to TV via HDMI cable. Works a treat.

 

[Bircho]

We use a VPN, then simply stream sky, iplayer, amazon, and all channel catch ups through a lap top connected to TV via HDMI cable. Works a treat.

Out of interest, how have you managed to get round the geo-block for SkyGo?

 

[Rockape]

Hi All

Im trying to get to grips with internet/sat tv for the house I have bought and hope to get some advice. First of all we aren't using the house much, but need wifi and TV when we or our guests do stay there. Currently the house has a block Satellite and antennae for TV although I couldn't get the sat reciever working as it listed masses of channels that all seemed unavailable!

There is also a Movistar panel in the wall with a fibre optic cable coming out of it, but no box. So it would appear that the previous owner had movistar but has taken the box with them.

So, what do you guys recommend I do? Obviously WiFi is always a much needed requirement, but trying to keep the costs at a level thats makes sense for such limited use. What do I actually get with a movistar box?

Hope to hear some thoughts on the matter? TIA.

 

[MPH133]

Euronics supply a box and a subscription to sky channels using internet
box is about €300 and subscriptions is €200-€350 pa depending on channels

I use a combination of Movistar TV box, freesat box and internet box

 

[Deanscroft]

Reply to Rockape
The first thing I would suggest is to connect a Sky or Freesat receiver to the satellite feed. These are set up to only receive the available uk channels rather than the hundreds of channels available. If the dish is set up to receive uk tv then you should get all the non-subscription channels. If you get nothing then the dish is either not aligned for uk tv or is to small to receive the very weak signal (the dish needs to be at least 1.8m).
For internet tv there is no cheap option. The movistar tv service is primarily spanish channels only. There are other internet tv providers like TV Med Mallorca where prices start at around 30€ pcm but this is on top of the cost of the fibre broadband which I think is around 40€ pcm. You can find sites on the internet where UK channels are available but they tend to be low quality and are constantly changing as they get shut down.

 

[alcanadakid]

We use a VPN, then simply stream sky, iplayer, amazon, and all channel catch ups through a lap top connected to TV via HDMI cable. Works a treat.

We use a VPN too (NordVPN - US$ 79 for 2 years)) together with Movistar fibre (€65 per month including calls).

We can use sky go, Netflix and iplayer - all connected with an HDMI cable to the TV.

It works a treat

 

[Bircho]

We use a VPN too (NordVPN - US$ 79 for 2 years)) together with Movistar fibre (€65 per month including calls).

We can use sky go, Netflix and iplayer - all connected with an HDMI cable to the TV.

It works a treat

SkyGo software has built in protection to stop the use of a HDMI cable unless you are using a Playstation as your box to stream to. Are you sure it is not NowTV which does allow HDMI?

For VPN, unless you are really wanting to protect your data which is normally transmissted without a VPN you are fine with something like TunnelBear which is a lot cheaper and does the same job (could also try TurboVPN which is pretty basic but free and again does a similar job).

 

[Bircho]

Hi All

Im trying to get to grips with internet/sat tv for the house I have bought and hope to get some advice. First of all we aren't using the house much, but need wifi and TV when we or our guests do stay there. Currently the house has a block Satellite and antennae for TV although I couldn't get the sat reciever working as it listed masses of channels that all seemed unavailable!

There is also a Movistar panel in the wall with a fibre optic cable coming out of it, but no box. So it would appear that the previous owner had movistar but has taken the box with them.

So, what do you guys recommend I do? Obviously WiFi is always a much needed requirement, but trying to keep the costs at a level thats makes sense for such limited use. What do I actually get with a movistar box?

Hope to hear some thoughts on the matter? TIA.

Unless the dish has been installed in the last couple of years, I doubt very much in North Mallorca whether you will pick up Sky even if it is angled right. You can actually as a real rudimental check just look at where the sun is at around midday and see which direction the dish is pointing at. If it is going towards 10/11 o'clock then there is a chance is pointing to the right satellite but if going more towards 1 o'clock then probably not. Alternatively you down download an app on to an android phone to check the direction - needs to be at 27 degrees west roughly.

I have found Movistar generally to be very competitive and service excellent. The staff in the shops are really good and also they have an English language email account. At the moment basic 50mb internet connection costs €41 a month although they do offers from time to time that reduces this (they have just finished one that would have taken €10 off the price). They do have an offer on at the moment though for the internet, two mobile phones with 2gb of data and 200 min of calls, landline with unlimited calls and a basic tv package (delivered over the internet - IPTV) for €45 per month. It is includes free installation and router so long as you keep for at least 3 months. No contract.

Some of the prices quoted here for IPTV are very high. I quoted a couple further up that are very good but I have also been running one now for the last 6 months or so which costs £30 per YEAR. Has around 6000 channels including all the Sky one. You don't need a VPN if using in Spain. Only issue at moment is lack of catch up on it but I am told that is being fixed at the moment. There is a free 48 hour trial (excluding Sky Sports channels) - if interested PM me and I'll let you have the details including how to install which is very easy actually. You do need the broadband for it - runs on either a Smart TV (LG, Samsung, Sony but not Panasonic), an Android box (such as the Wizard one I posted above), or an Amazon Firestick or Fire TV box. (Can also be loaded onto an Android phone and be casted or mirrored onto TV).

 

[alcanadakid]

SkyGo software has built in protection to stop the use of a HDMI cable unless you are using a Playstation as your box to stream to. Are you sure it is not NowTV which does allow HDMI?

For VPN, unless you are really wanting to protect your data which is normally transmissted without a VPN you are fine with something like TunnelBear which is a lot cheaper and does the same job (could also try TurboVPN which is pretty basic but free and again does a similar job).

My apologies - we have watched iplayer and Netflix from an ipad connected to the TV via an HDMI cable. We have watched skyGo on the ipad but never connected it to the TV, but always intended to but never got round to it.

We chose NordVPN because it was the top choice in many magazines, and also it does not take a record of the the traffic through it. We also thought the 2 year subscription was a good deal

 

[Bircho]

My apologies - we have watched iplayer and Netflix from an ipad connected to the TV via an HDMI cable. We have watched skyGo on the ipad but never connected it to the TV, but always intended to but never got round to it.

We chose NordVPN because it was the top choice in many magazines, and also it does not take a record of the the traffic through it. We also thought the 2 year subscription was a good deal

You won't get SkyGo to hdmi to the tv (or mirror) because the software won't allow it. Interestingly, BT do allow their sports channels to be cast or mirrored! You could get SkyGo to work on the tv if you use the app on a Playstation but you would need to install the vpn into your router rather than on your ipad which is a little more technical.

For the VPN that configuration looks ideal for yourself, which is what I said originally. Not necessary for all so was just showing some other options for when just streaming across IPs using a third party source.

 

[alcanadakid]

You won't get SkyGo to hdmi to the tv (or mirror) because the software won't allow it. Interestingly, BT do allow their sports channels to be cast or mirrored! You could get SkyGo to work on the tv if you use the app on a Playstation but you would need to install the vpn into your router rather than on your ipad which is a little more technical.

For the VPN that configuration looks ideal for yourself, which is what I said originally. Not necessary for all so was just showing some other options for when just streaming across IPs using a third party source.

Just been trawling the internet and it would appear that you can stream SkyGo from a laptop to a TV via an HDMI cable. Obviously you would need the VPN on that laptop. As you said previously it cant be streamed from a mobile device such as tablet or phone. However i haven't tried it, but there are number of articles saying a laptop is possible.

 

[Bircho]

You possibly can with an updated version of Silverlight. Were the posts recent because I thought Sky had disabled totally use of HDMI a couple of years ago? They regarded it as free extra multi-room (which has changed a bit now that SkyQ only charges 1 multi room for 2 extra boxes and upto 2 mobile devices).

 

[alcanadakid]

Last post was about a year ago which said it could be done after updating silverlight

 

[Bircho]

May work - never done it through laptop but points to consider:
- Need VPN on laptop (so can't be android/iphone only app)
- You are using the laptop as a (expensive) media centre with the tv acting as external monitor. If using hdmi your laptop needs a hdmi port which may not be same size as that on your tv (Lenovo for instance use min-hdmi ports on their laptops) so will need appropriate cable. The tv may have a computer input slot which you can use an analogue 15 pin connect as per normal tv
- Laptop graphic card will need to be able to run video (hd pictures in particularly power hungry) so the picture quality, particularly when expanded on to larger screens - may not be that great
- Because using tv as a monitor to your laptop you won't be able to do anything else on the laptop whilst streaming
- For SkyGo you (or a "friend"!) must have a UK Sky subscription that gives access to the SkyGo app (Sky are currently changing their subscription descriptors but I think previously it had to be to Box Sets but not sure and/or a multi-room subscription) or you paid £5 per month for the app but this still only gave you access to your level of subscription.

Personally I think it is an expensive way of doing it (ie hardware cost plus the Sky Subscription, plus the VPN). A smart tv (or a firestick or android box) with a bit of IPTV is much more cost effective and the set up cost and first year subs is not that much more than a months subscription to Sky.