This brief guide will show you how to watch IPTV streams in Windows – using software you probably already have installed!
It probably won’t come as a huge shock, but the the wildly versatile and generally amazing media player VLC is able to play IPTV streams. If you don’t have it installed already, head over to the download page and get started. Note: these steps will work for all modern versions of Windows – not just Windows 10. The screenshots used are from a Windows 10 PC but if you’re using Windows 7 or earlier you’ll have no problem following along.
It’s also worth mentioning up front that you may want to utilize a VPN while watching IPTV. If you need any help setting up a VPN in Windows 10, we’ve got you covered.
- Open VLC by selecting it from your Start Menu or Desktop icon (if you have one). With VLC open, select Media and then Open File…
- Navigate to the .m3u file that your IPTV host provides you with, select it and click Open.
- In all likelihood the first channel in your IPTV providers list will start to play. Note: when you load the .m3u file Windows may put VLC into a “Not Responding” status, which you should ignore. VLC is just processing the file and will resume normal status when it’s done, just be patient :)
- To change the channel, select View and then Playlist
- From here you’ll be presented with a list of all the channels your IPTV provider offers. Double-click one of the entries and VLC will switch to that channel.
- You can also use the Previous and Next buttons built into VLCs controls to move back or forward one channel.
Great Article, thanks
Where did it go wrong? You have an .M3U file from an IPTV provider?
I followed your instructions and nothing worked. Every step I tried did not work.
Thanks that worked perfectly!