Before you start
- An Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, or any iPhone or iPad running iOS 14 or later
- An Apple ID signed in on the device
- Your Orca4KTV username, password and server address
- Roughly eight minutes
Nothing issued yet? Take the 24-hour test run first, or pick a term and skip straight to it.
Doing it, step by step
Open the App Store on the device
On an Apple TV the App Store is on the home screen. On an iPhone or iPad it is the blue icon you already use. Make sure an Apple ID is signed in, since downloads will stall at the last moment without one. On tvOS, searching with the on-screen keyboard is slow, so if an iPhone is nearby you can type into it instead when the prompt appears on the phone.
Install a player
Search for IPTV Smarters, iPlayTV or GSE Smart IPTV and install whichever is available. Smarters is the one this guide follows because it is free and uses the same login as every other platform. iPlayTV is a paid app with a more polished interface that some people prefer on a main television. If your first choice is missing from the store, take the next one rather than assuming the service does not support Apple.
Choose the Xtream Codes login
Open the app and, when it asks how you want to add a service, pick the Xtream Codes option rather than the M3U or file option. This matters: the Xtream method brings the programme guide and the on-demand section with it, while an M3U link gives you channels alone. You want the former.
Enter your three values
Type the server address complete with http:// and the port, then the username and password exactly as sent on WhatsApp. On an Apple TV, use the iPhone prompt that appears on your lock screen to type rather than the on-screen keyboard - it is far quicker and far less error-prone. Submit and the app begins downloading the channel list.
Wait for the guide, then organise it
The channel list arrives first and the programme data follows, which can take a few minutes on a first run. Once both are in place, hide the categories the household will never open and mark your regular channels as favourites. This is worth doing properly on Apple hardware because the remote, while pleasant for scrolling a short list, is tiring across a long one.
Check the video settings if anything stutters
Inside the app's player settings, try switching between the available decoders. Apple hardware is powerful enough that most stuttering comes from the network rather than the device, but the setting is worth trying first because it costs nothing. On an Apple TV, an Ethernet cable is preferable to Wi-Fi for Ultra HD, and the 4K model has a wired port on most versions.
Keep both services running for a week
The old set-top box can sit on a second HDMI input while you decide. Switch between the two across a full week, including at least one busy evening, before you ring anybody to cancel. It is the cheapest insurance available against discovering a missing channel a month too late.
When something goes wrong
The player has disappeared from the App Store
Apple removes apps in this category periodically and often reinstates them later. If Smarters is gone, search for iPlayTV or GSE Smart IPTV; at least one of the three is usually available. If you had previously installed the app, it will still be in your purchase history under Purchased and can be reinstalled from there even when it no longer appears in search.
The login is rejected
Check the server address first, including the http:// and the port. If you typed it using the Apple TV on-screen keyboard, re-enter it using the iPhone prompt instead, because it is remarkably easy to miss a character on the tvOS keyboard without noticing. Passwords are case-sensitive.
The channel list loads but there is no on-demand section
That is the usual sign that the account was added as an M3U link rather than an Xtream login. Delete the profile and add it again, choosing the Xtream Codes option. M3U carries channels only, which is why the films and series appear to be missing.
Playback is fine on the iPhone but stutters on the Apple TV
That points squarely at the network rather than the account, since both are pulling the same feed. The phone is probably on a stronger Wi-Fi signal or on mobile data. Move the Apple TV onto Ethernet if the model has a port, or relocate the router, and the difference usually disappears.
Picking the player for this box
IPTV Smarters Pro
The player that runs almost everywhere. Install it on Firestick, Android, Samsung, LG, Apple or a computer, sign in with Xtream and load 25,000+ channels.
M3U playlist
Every plan includes an M3U link. How to open it in VLC, Smart IPTV, Kodi or a web player, and why the free M3U lists circulating online stop working.
The whole index
Every box, television and player we have written up.
Point your Apple TV and iPhone at something better
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Questions people ask about the Apple TV and iPhone
Is TiViMate available on Apple TV?
No, and it is not coming. TiViMate is an Android application and there is no tvOS version. If the programme guide is the feature you care most about, an inexpensive Android box alongside the Apple TV will give you it. For most households, IPTV Smarters on the Apple TV is perfectly adequate.
Which Apple TV model should I use?
The Apple TV 4K, if you are choosing. It drives Ultra HD feeds without difficulty and most versions have an Ethernet port, which is the single most useful feature for live television. The Apple TV HD works fine but caps at 1080p, so the 4K feeds in your plan will not reach the screen.
Can I watch on my iPhone while travelling?
Yes, over Wi-Fi or mobile data, with the same login. Be aware that a 4K stream will consume a mobile data allowance quickly - switching to the HD copy of the same channel looks identical on a phone screen and uses roughly a quarter of the data.
Does AirPlay work from the iPhone to the television?
It does, and it is a reasonable stopgap if you have not yet installed anything on the television itself. It is not a good permanent arrangement, though: it drains the phone, ties it up while you watch, and adds a link to the chain that can drop out. Installing the app directly on the Apple TV is better in every respect.