IPTV & PPV glossary, in plain English
By Théo Renard, Live Sport & PPV Streaming Editor Last updated
Getting into IPTV means meeting a handful of acronyms — and if you're here for the events, a few fight-night ones too. Here's every term you're likely to hit, said plainly and grouped by where it turns up. Brand new to it all? Begin with what is IPTV?, then come back for the vocabulary.
The essentials
| Term | In plain English |
|---|---|
| IPTV | Television sent over your internet connection instead of a dish or a cable — live channels and on-demand, through an app. |
| Live TV | Channels running to a fixed schedule, exactly like old-fashioned broadcast television. |
| VOD | Video on Demand — the on-request film-and-series library you start whenever, separate from the scheduled channels. |
| Catch-up / Timeshift | Rewinding or replaying recent programmes on channels that support it — handy for a card that started before you sat down. |
| EPG | The on-screen TV guide: what's on now and next, per channel. |
Events & PPV
The terms you'll meet around the big nights — mostly borrowed from boxing and MMA broadcasts:
| Term | In plain English |
|---|---|
| PPV | Pay-per-view — a one-off event that regular TV bills you extra to watch. Here the cards are in the line-up already; see PPV events. |
| Fight card | The full running order of bouts on an event night, top to bottom. |
| Prelims / undercard | The earlier fights that build up to the headline act. |
| Main event / main card | The headline fight (and the featured bouts around it) that the night is sold on. |
| Walkout | The fighters' ring entrance right before the main event — and, not coincidentally, the moment weak servers buckle. |
Logins & subscriptions
| Term | In plain English |
|---|---|
| M3U | A playlist link. One web address that carries your whole channel list — explained here. |
| Xtream Codes | A login of server + username + password. Same service as M3U, usually with tidier guide and VOD menus. |
| Playlist | The channel list your app builds from your M3U link or Xtream login. |
| Multi-connection | How many screens can stream at once on one subscription — see multi-connection IPTV. |
Players & hardware
| Term | In plain English |
|---|---|
| IPTV player | The app that reads your playlist and shows the channels — TiviMate, IPTV Smarters and the like. Compared in best IPTV app. |
| Set-top box (STB) | A small device on your TV's HDMI that runs the app — a Fire Stick, Android box or MAG. |
| MAG box | A dedicated IPTV box that loads a portal/URL rather than installing apps from a store. |
| Tizen / webOS | The built-in systems on Samsung and LG Smart TVs, each with its own app store. |
Quality & playback
| Term | In plain English |
|---|---|
| SD / HD / 4K | Picture resolution, from standard definition up to ultra-sharp 4K. |
| Bitrate | Data per second in a stream — more bitrate, sharper picture, more speed needed. |
| Buffering | When playback stalls to reload — nearly always the connection or an oversold server. Why it happens. |
| Transcoding | Shrinking a stream to a lower quality on the fly so it survives a slower line. |
Frequently asked questions
M3U or Xtream Codes — what’s the practical difference?
Both plug your app into your subscription. An M3U is one long web link holding your whole playlist; Xtream Codes is a server address plus a username and password, which usually loads the guide and on-demand menus more neatly. Nearly every player takes either — use Xtream on a TV if it’s offered, M3U everywhere else.
What does PPV mean in IPTV?
PPV is pay-per-view — a one-off event, typically a boxing or MMA card, that traditional TV charges extra to unlock. On our subscription those cards sit in the line-up at no per-event cost; the “pay-per-view” bit is what you stop paying.
What’s the undercard vs the main event?
A fight night is stacked: the prelims and undercard are the earlier bouts, the main event (or main card) is the headline fight everyone tunes in for. The “walkout” is the fighters’ entrance just before it starts.
What’s an EPG?
The Electronic Programme Guide — the on-screen grid of what’s on now and next per channel, so you can line up a card or a fixture without guessing the start time.
Stuck on a term, or not sure which login you've got? Message us — we'll translate it before you buy.