Straight answers about setup, playback, Guide, VOD, recording, timeshift, devices, privacy, and what IPTuner does—and does not—provide.
Getting started
What is IPTuner?
IPTuner is a TV-first media player for Live TV, Guide browsing, Movies, Shows, recordings, search, and playback control on supported Android TV-class devices.
Does IPTuner include TV channels or a subscription?
No. IPTuner is a media player. It does not provide television channels, subscriptions, provider accounts, or media content. You add your own compatible source.
What source types can I add?
The current product supports M3U and Xtream source setup.
What does “Choose your content” do during setup?
It lets you select the countries, content languages, and content types you want across Live TV, Movies, and Shows. Advanced Categories is available when you want provider-category-level control.
Can I start watching before every catalogue finishes loading?
Yes. The setup flow is designed so Live TV can become available while supported Guide and catalogue work continues in the background.
Does Configuration Backup restore my provider accounts and playlists?
No. Configuration Backup restores app configuration and intentionally excludes provider accounts/playlists.
How do I open Main Navigation?
Press MENU. Main Navigation contains Live TV, Guide, Recordings, Shows, Movies, Search, Settings, and Exit.
How do I exit IPTuner cleanly?
Hold BACK or choose Exit from Main Navigation. Both use the same clean app-exit teardown.
Live TV & Guide
How do I add a Live TV channel to Favorites?
In full-screen Live TV, Hold OK toggles Favorite for the current channel. In the Guide, Hold OK toggles Favorite for the focused channel.
Where is my recent channel History?
From full-screen Live TV, use the logical START/LEFT action to open the Live TV quick menu. Its modes include History and Favorites.
Can I browse the Guide without stopping the current channel?
Yes. The Guide is designed around the same production playback session, so Guide browsing does not create a second player.
Can I browse programmes that aired earlier?
Yes. Hold LEFT in the Guide to enter retained historical EPG browsing, then continue moving backward.
Can I play every past programme from the Guide?
No. Historical Guide browsing and Catch-Up metadata/indicators are available, but provider archive/Catch-Up playback is currently safety-gated in the reviewed production source. Selecting a past programme should leave current playback untouched.
Can I jump the Guide timeline by a day?
When the remote exposes FF/REW media buttons, IPTuner can use them to jump the Guide timeline by a day.
Movies, Shows & Search
Does IPTuner remember Movies and Shows I have started?
Yes. Supported VOD sections include Continue Watching and playback progress/resume tracking.
How do I add a Movie or Show to Watchlist?
Hold OK on a supported focused Movie or Show to add or remove it from Watchlist.
Does IPTuner support Shows with seasons and episodes?
Yes. Supported provider Shows include show details, seasons, episodes, progress/resume, and direct episode playback.
What can Unified Search find?
Unified Search can cover local EPG/programme data plus Movies and Shows in the local catalogue. Search scope options include TV, Movies, Shows, and All Media where available.
Can I use the Fire OS/system keyboard instead of IPTuner’s keyboard?
Yes. Settings > General > On-screen keyboard lets you choose between the TV-focused App Keyboard and the Fire OS/system keyboard.
Is TMDB required to use IPTuner?
No. TMDB is optional metadata enrichment. When configured, it can provide richer posters, cast/profile metadata, trailer/preview metadata, and supplemental recommendation titles.
Playback & Picture
Can I adjust bandwidth preference?
Yes. Playback includes bandwidth preference controls, with the app able to use the available stream/track information within the current playback session.
Does IPTuner support frame-rate matching?
The current playback settings include automatic frame-rate options. Actual display-mode switching depends on the device and display chain.
What audio output modes are available?
Settings include Auto, PCM, and Passthrough output choices. Passthrough compatibility depends on the device, codec, receiver/soundbar, television, and HDMI path.
Can I choose preferred audio and subtitle languages?
Yes. IPTuner has preferred audio/subtitle language settings and current-session track selection. A preferred language is used only when the stream exposes a matching track.
What picture sizing modes are available?
Playback includes Fit, Fill, and Stretch aspect-ratio choices.
What does HDR compatibility do?
Settings > Player > HDR compatibility provides Automatic, Convert HDR to SDR, and Always preserve HDR. Automatic is the normal choice; Convert HDR to SDR is intended for display/HDMI chains that render HDR unusually dark.
Will changing the app language restart playback?
The language-change path is designed to preserve the active playback session.
Recording & Timeshift
Can IPTuner record Live TV?
IPTuner supports immediate and scheduled local recording where the source, device, and selected storage path support it.
Can I add recording time before or after a programme?
Yes. The current recording system supports configurable start and end padding.
Does recording stop if I leave the playback screen?
An active recording is owned by a foreground recording service rather than the Activity display, so recording work can continue independently of that screen.
What are the Timeshift activation modes?
Off keeps no local rolling history. On demand is the default and begins local history when pause/rewind is explicitly requested. Always automatically maintains rolling history for eligible Live streams.
Does timeshift require a second provider stream?
The timeshift design retains the app’s one-upstream/provider-connection architecture rather than opening a parallel playback stream for normal timeshift operation.
Where can recordings be stored on Fire TV?
App storage is available. Direct USB PVR storage is available when a supported USB target is present. The generic Android custom directory-tree picker is intentionally disabled on Fire OS.
Can I choose a custom recording folder on Android TV?
On compatible non-Fire Android TV devices, a custom folder can be used when the platform exposes a suitable document provider. This is intentionally different on Fire OS.
Devices & Remotes
How do I open Context Actions?
Hold MENU on the current screen or focused item.
Why can Configuration Backup use a file picker when recording folders cannot on Fire TV?
They use different Android storage contracts. Configuration Backup uses file-level Save/Open document APIs. Recording-folder selection uses a directory-tree contract that is intentionally disabled on Fire OS.
Which devices is IPTuner designed for?
IPTuner targets Android TV-class living-room devices, including Fire TV and Google TV interfaces built on Android TV. Fire TV is a primary validation platform. Specific capabilities can vary by hardware and OS integration.
Why does a dedicated remote button behave differently on another device?
Dedicated Play/Pause, REW, FF, Channel Up/Down, Guide, Search, and Settings actions are used when the remote and Android device report those keys. Hardware key availability varies.
Troubleshooting
Why does pause or rewind say the timeshift buffer is not ready?
Timeshift needs an eligible Live stream, an enabled activation mode, usable storage, and enough local history. IPTuner reports when the requested seek window does not exist yet instead of pretending it is available.
What happens if encoded audio output cannot initialize?
The current playback reliability path can use a bounded request-scoped PCM fallback for an exact encoded-output initialization failure when the persisted output mode is Auto or Passthrough. It does not silently change the saved preference.
Will HDR conversion work on every device and every stream?
No. HDR behavior depends on the source format, device/API level, decoder capability, television, and HDMI chain. IPTuner does not promise one conversion path on every setup.
What should I check first if everything is buffering?
Confirm that the source is currently reachable, try another item from the same source, and—if practical—test another known-working source. This helps separate provider/network problems from an app-specific problem. If you contact support, include the visible error and device details but not private source URLs or credentials.
Privacy & Product
Which interface languages are available?
The reviewed production source supports Follow device, English, and French for the app interface.
What does IPTuner send to TMDB?
When enrichment is explicitly requested from an opened Movie/Show detail page, IPTuner can send an existing TMDB media ID or a title plus release year. It does not send IPTV provider URLs, playlist/server credentials, stream URLs, playback positions, or the full viewing history to TMDB.
Are provider credentials included in normal diagnostics?
They are intended to be excluded. Provider URLs and credentials are treated as secrets; diagnostic stream identifiers use derived IDs and URL-shaped detail text is redacted before diagnostic CSV output.
What should I avoid sending in a support request?
Do not send provider usernames or passwords, playlist URLs containing credentials, private stream URLs, API tokens, or other secrets. Describe the visible error and the affected device/source behavior instead.
What information does the website support form store?
The support form stores the information you enter so the request can be handled. Clean WP Contacts anonymizes IP addresses by default, does not store browser user-agent data by default, and integrates with WordPress personal-data export and erasure tools. Site retention settings are controlled by the website administrator.
Where can I get IPTuner?
Use the official links on the Get IPTuner page. Only store destinations configured by IPTuner are displayed there.