Setup Guide
TiViMate IPTV Setup
The fastest way to get TheStreamPlug running on Android TV or Firestick. TiViMate is our top recommendation — clean interface, rock-solid performance, and full EPG support out of the box.
Why TiViMate?
TiViMate is widely regarded as the best IPTV player available for Android-based devices. Unlike generic video players, it was built specifically for IPTV — so every feature is designed around the way people actually watch live TV.
Here is why we recommend it above every other option:
TiViMate has a free tier with basic features and a one-time TiViMate Premium unlock (around $4.99 USD) that adds multiple playlists, catch-up, and EPG. For the full experience alongside your TheStreamPlug subscription, Premium is worth it.
Before you start
Have these three things ready before opening the app. They are all in your TheStreamPlug welcome email.
/get.php?username=…, sent to your email on signup
Do not share your M3U URL or credentials with anyone. Each account allows a limited number of simultaneous streams. Sharing your link may result in buffering or account suspension.
Step-by-step setup
-
Install TiViMate
Android TV (Google Play): Open the Google Play Store on your device, search for TiViMate, and tap Install. The app is listed under "TiViMate IPTV Player" by Artem Kozlenkov.
Amazon Firestick: TiViMate is not on the Amazon Appstore, so you will need to sideload it. Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options and enable Apps from Unknown Sources. Then install the Downloader app (free on Amazon Appstore), open it, enter the URL
https://tivimate.com, navigate to the download page, and install the APK. Alternatively, search for the TiViMate APK URL directly in Downloader — the official site always has the latest version.On newer Fire TV models (Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube) you may see a one-time confirmation dialog when launching the sideloaded app. Tap Open and TiViMate will run normally from that point on.
-
Open TiViMate and add a playlist
Launch TiViMate for the first time. You will be greeted by a welcome screen with the option to Add playlist. Tap it. If you have used TiViMate before, go to Settings → Playlists → Add playlist from the main menu.
-
Choose "M3U playlist" and enter your URL
On the "Add playlist" screen, select M3U playlist (not Xtream Codes — M3U is more compatible and easier to enter on a TV remote).
In the URL field, carefully enter your M3U URL from the TheStreamPlug welcome email. The URL looks something like:
http://server.thestreamplug.xyz:8080/get.php?username=YOURUSER&password=YOURPASS&type=m3u_plus&output=tsCopy the URL directly from your email on a phone or computer and use your device's clipboard to paste it, rather than typing it character-by-character on the TV remote. One wrong character will prevent the playlist from loading.
-
Name your playlist
In the Name field, enter something recognisable like TheStreamPlug. This label appears in the TiViMate playlist switcher if you ever add more services in future.
Leave all other options at their defaults for now — you can fine-tune them after the initial setup is confirmed working.
-
Confirm and let channels load
Tap Add or OK. TiViMate will immediately begin downloading and parsing your channel list. Depending on your internet speed, this typically takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
A progress bar will display while channels are loading. Once complete, TiViMate will drop you into the channel grid — you should see all your channels organised by category (Live, Movies, Sports, etc.).
At this point you can already tap any channel and it will start playing. The steps below improve your experience but are optional.
-
Set up the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide)
The EPG fills in the TV guide so you can see what is currently on and browse upcoming programmes. Your welcome email from TheStreamPlug includes an EPG URL — it usually ends in
/xmltv.php?username=….To add it: go to Settings → Playlists → [TheStreamPlug] → EPG settings. Tap Add EPG URL and paste your EPG URL. Save and exit. TiViMate will start fetching the guide data in the background.
EPG data can take up to an hour to fully populate, especially on first load. Do not worry if the guide shows no information immediately — it will fill in as the download completes.
-
Recommended playback settings
These settings give the most reliable playback experience on TheStreamPlug streams:
Player: Set to ExoPlayer (Settings → Player → Player type). ExoPlayer is built into TiViMate and handles HLS and MPEG-TS streams the most reliably.Stream format: Leave on Auto or choose MPEG-TS. Avoid forcing HLS if you experience freezing — Auto usually picks the best option per channel.Buffer size: Try the default first. If you experience short buffering pauses, increase to 60 seconds under Settings → Player → Buffer settings. Larger buffers use more memory but reduce interruptions on slower connections.Auto-update playlist: Enable Update playlist on launch (Settings → Playlists → [TheStreamPlug]) so TiViMate always has your latest channel list. -
Finding channels — search, categories, and groups
Your TheStreamPlug playlist contains thousands of channels organised into categories. Navigate using the left-side panel in TiViMate to browse groups such as CA: Sports, US: News, Movies, or PPV.
To search for a specific channel, press the Search button (magnifying glass icon, or hold the microphone button on Firestick remote for voice search). Type the channel name — TiViMate filters results in real time.
You can also hide categories you never use: long-press a category name and select Hide group to keep your channel list clean.
-
Building a Favourites list
Favourites let you jump straight to your most-watched channels without scrolling through thousands of options. To add a channel to Favourites, navigate to it in the channel list and long-press OK (or long-press the channel name). Select Add to Favourites from the context menu.
Your Favourites list appears as its own category in the left panel, pinned at the top for quick access. You can reorder channels within Favourites by long-pressing and dragging them into the order you prefer.
TiViMate Premium lets you create multiple custom groups — useful if different people in your household have different channel preferences.
-
Using catch-up and time-shift
Catch-up lets you watch programmes that already aired — like a built-in DVR. Time-shift lets you pause, rewind, or replay live TV as it streams.
While watching a channel, press the Back / Return button to open the catch-up timeline. If the channel supports catch-up, you will see a scroll bar stretching back several hours or days. Navigate left along the timeline to jump to earlier broadcasts.
Not every channel supports catch-up — it depends on the broadcaster. Channels that support it usually display a clock icon in the channel list. The availability window varies by channel but is typically 7 days.
Catch-up and time-shift require TiViMate Premium. The free version plays live channels only. Unlock Premium once from the TiViMate settings screen — it is a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Troubleshooting
Most issues are quick to fix. Here are the most common ones:
This almost always means a typo or extra space in your M3U URL. Copy the URL directly from your welcome email (do not retype it manually). Make sure there are no trailing spaces and that the URL begins with http:// or https://. Also confirm your TheStreamPlug subscription is active at billing.thestreamplug.xyz.
First, confirm your internet speed — live IPTV in HD needs a stable 25 Mbps or faster connection (4K streams need 50 Mbps+). Run a speed test on the same device. If speeds are fine, go to Settings → Player → Player type and switch to ExoPlayer if it is not already selected. You can also try increasing the buffer size to 60 seconds. If using Wi-Fi, try moving closer to your router or switching to a 5 GHz band.
EPG data can take up to an hour to fully download on first setup. To force a re-fetch, go to Settings → Playlists → [TheStreamPlug] → EPG settings and tap Update EPG now. Make sure the EPG URL is the one from your welcome email. If the EPG URL field is blank, that is the problem — add it and wait.
Go to your device's Settings → Applications → TiViMate → Clear cache and restart the app. If crashes continue, clear both cache and data (note: this will remove your playlist — you will need to re-add it), then reinstall the latest version. On Firestick, also check that there are no other apps running in the background consuming memory.
This is usually a codec issue. Go to Settings → Player and try switching the player type between ExoPlayer and ExoPlayer (HW+). If the channel plays in one mode but not the other, stick with the one that works. Some older Firestick models do not support hardware decoding of certain formats — ExoPlayer (SW) (software decoding) is slower but more compatible.
Still stuck? Our Canadian-based support team is available on Discord. Bring your username and a description of the issue and we will get you sorted quickly.
Need a hand?
Our Canadian-based support team is ready to help. Join the Discord server and post in the support channel — we typically respond within the hour.
$15/mo · $85/6 months · $150/year · No contracts