IPTV Terms Glossary — Every IPTV & M3U Term Defined

The mandatory first line of every extended M3U file. Signals to media players that the file contains metadata beyond just URLs.

The extended information tag in M3U playlists. Appears before each stream URL and contains duration, display name, and IPTV attributes.

A streaming technique where the player automatically switches between different quality levels based on the viewer's available bandwidth.

A small amount of content pre-downloaded ahead of playback. A larger buffer reduces stuttering but increases delay to the live edge.

A feature that lets you watch past broadcasts from the last 7 days (or more). Requires support from both the IPTV provider and the player app.

Content Delivery Network. A distributed network of servers that delivers stream segments closer to the viewer to reduce latency and buffering.

Electronic Program Guide. The on-screen channel schedule showing current and upcoming programmes. Delivered separately from the stream as an XMLTV file.

Categorises a channel into a group/folder in the IPTV player UI. Channels with the same group-title are displayed together.

HTTP Live Streaming. Apple's adaptive bitrate streaming protocol that delivers video as short segments listed in an M3U8 manifest file.

The latest point in a live stream. The difference between the live edge and your current playback position is the live delay (typically 6–30 seconds for HLS).

A plain-text playlist file format. In IPTV, it contains a list of channel stream URLs with metadata attributes. The name stands for MP3 URL.

The UTF-8 encoded version of M3U. Also the format used for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) manifests. In IPTV context, it is a standard M3U file saved with UTF-8 encoding.

MPEG Transport Stream. The container format used for most IPTV live streams. Files use the .ts extension. Different from .mp4 files used for VOD.

Over-The-Top. Delivery of content over the internet, bypassing traditional cable/satellite distribution. IPTV is a form of OTT delivery.

Personal Video Recorder. In IPTV context, refers to recording capability in players like TiviMate (premium) that can record live channels to local storage.

Real-Time Messaging Protocol. A low-latency protocol used primarily to send (ingest) live streams from encoders to streaming servers. Rarely used for playback.

Secure Reliable Transport. An open-source UDP-based protocol for low-latency live stream contribution over unreliable networks.

Electronic Program Guide identifier in the #EXTINF tag. Must match the channel ID in your EPG source exactly for programme guide data to appear.

The internal channel name used in #EXTINF. Used for EPG matching as a fallback when tvg-id is missing.

URL pointing to the channel logo image in the #EXTINF tag. Displayed in the IPTV player channel list.

Video On Demand. Content that can be watched at any time rather than live. In M3U playlists, VOD entries have a specific duration rather than -1.

The XML format used for EPG data. Contains channel definitions and programme schedules. Downloaded from a URL by the IPTV player.

An optional attribute on the #EXTM3U header line that specifies the EPG (XMLTV) source URL for the entire playlist.

A popular IPTV middleware API that allows players to log in with a username and password instead of loading an M3U URL directly. Many providers support both.