IPTVnator
IPTVnator is a video player application that provides support for the playback of IPTV playlists (m3u, m3u8).
"Cross-platform IPTV player application with multiple features, such as support of m3u and m3u8 playlists, favorites, TV guide, TV archive/catchup and more."
How to Install IPTVnator
You can download the installation file from the IPTVnator website or the Latest Releases section on GitHub. If you prefer, you can also install it from the Snapcraft store. Since I am using Ubunt MATE 20.04.2 LTS I will install it using the .deb package from GitHub. As you can see below that Linux users can also the program as an AppImage or there's a .rpm package installer for CentOS/RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) & Fedora users. They also provide installation files for Mac and MS Windows users.
You can download the installation file from the IPTVnator website or the Latest Releases section on GitHub. If you prefer, you can also install it from the Snapcraft store. Since I am using Ubunt MATE 20.04.2 LTS I will install it using the .deb package from GitHub. As you can see below that Linux users can also the program as an AppImage or there's a .rpm package installer for CentOS/RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) & Fedora users. They also provide installation files for Mac and MS Windows users.
I clicked on and downloaded the iptvnator_0.5.0_amd64.deb file. Then I located the .deb file and used my package installer to install it on my system. I am using GDebi to install .deb files on my system. (sudo apt-get install gdebi)
Click the Install Package button when your Package Installer opens.
Enter your Password and then click the Authenticate button to start the installation process.
Wait until you see the Status: Same version is already installed before you close the Package Installer.
You should now see IPTVnator in your menu. I am using the traditional menu and the program name and icon was placed in the Other menu within the Applications menu.
Linux allows you to customize your system, so you can create an Entertainment subfolder or submenu to keep your streaming TV and other multimedia software organized. I explain how to do this on my How To Create a Submenu in Ubuntu MATE section. I copied the program into my Entertainment folder and removed it from the Other folder. In my Create Launcher dialog box I entered the following information in the empty boxes:
- Type: Application
- Name: IPTVnator
- Command: /opt/iptvnator/iptvnator %U
- Comment: IPTV player application.
- Icon: should fill in automatically based on the icon associated with the iptvnator command. However, you can click the icon and manually change the icon. You can use the icon at the bottom of this webpage.
You should now see IPTVnator in the Items section of the Main Menu dialog box. You can use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to move the program icon around in the list. Click the Close button when you finish.
You should now see IPTVnator in the Entertainment folder. The Other folder no longer appears in the Applications Menu.
When you first open the program you will see a title bar/menu bar. To the right you'll see a gear icon that will take you into the Settings of the program. You will also see three tabs: Recently Added Playlists, Add Via File Upload, and Add Via URL. You will also see an area at the bottom that says, "No playlists were added." "Please add your first playlist from the other tab." The second tab allows you to add a .m3u or .m3u8 file that you have on your system. The third tab allows you to add a link to a .m3u or .m3u8 file across the Internet.
IPTVnator doesn't come with any streaming channels preinstalled like Hypnotix does, but you can use the same .m3u files or links that you use in Hypnotix.
Clicking the gear icon will open the Settings to allow you to Enter a URL to an EPG or Electronic Program Guide. You can change the internal video player from VideoJS Player to HTML5 Video Player. You can change the Language from English to Deutsch (German) or Pyccknn (Russian). It also displays the current version that you are using. The Save Changes option will be bold if you make any changes to allow you to save your changes. You can click the Back to Home link to take you back to the Home or Start screen.
Clicking the gear icon will open the Settings to allow you to Enter a URL to an EPG or Electronic Program Guide. You can change the internal video player from VideoJS Player to HTML5 Video Player. You can change the Language from English to Deutsch (German) or Pyccknn (Russian). It also displays the current version that you are using. The Save Changes option will be bold if you make any changes to allow you to save your changes. You can click the Back to Home link to take you back to the Home or Start screen.
You can use an IPTV provider called Free-IPTV (https://github.com/Free-IPTV/Countries) to work with IPTVnator. It does not contain any illegal streaming sites. This provider satisfies the following criterias:
You don't have to use the use IPTV provider listed above. You may add any other provider you have access to or your own local M3U playlists.
- It only includes free, legal, publicly available content
- It groups TV channels by countries
- It doesn't include adult content
You don't have to use the use IPTV provider listed above. You may add any other provider you have access to or your own local M3U playlists.
To add a Playlist URL click the third tab or Add Via URL tab and enter your .m3u or .m3u8 link and then click the ADD PLAYLIST button.
Playlists that were added using an URL will have a cloud icon next to them while playlists added from a file on your computer will have a folder icon next to them. Clicking on the blue round icon with an i will Show playlist details of the selected playlist. Clicking the trash bin icon will Remove the selected playlist.
The channels you have will depend on the playlist you add, so I will not focus on the content like I did with Hypnotix. However, I will display several images to illustrate how well IPTVnator does at streaming online content.
Some channels have better resolutions than others, but even the lower resolution streams look decent.
With the right streaming site, you'll have access to a wide variety of streaming content.
You can enjoy hours of streaming TV.
With the right streaming site, you'll be able to watch some of your favorite classic TV shows and/or reality TV.
I enjoy watching MMA events so the MMA TV channel is one of my favorite streaming channels.
The content is very clear if you have high speed Internet.
If you hover your mouse pointer over the video you will notice a small pause button on the left and to the right you'll see a volume control icon, full screen button, and a hamburger menu to allow you to have access to more options. However, the controls displayed will depend on the player you have selected in your IPTVnator Settings.
You can go into full screen view. The controls will fade away after a few seconds. You can press the Esc or Escape key to leave full screen mode.
If you're looking for an easy-to-use IPTV player for your .m3u and/or .m3u8 files, then give IPTVnator a try.
YouTube removed my video because it competed with YouTube TV.
Apr 6, 2021