IPTV capabilities on the Apple TV set-top box, how to connect and all launch methods

Many Russian fans of devices from the company from Cupertino are interested in how they can watch TV on Apple TV and what the fundamental benefits of this set-top box are in our country. Licensed (read: purchased) films and TV series are not in great demand in the Russian Federation. The most popular scenario for using the Apple media player is watching IPTV and online videos. In most cases, setting up access to free content does not require special skills, so any user can handle the procedure.

Basic Apple TV features

The set-top box from the apple company has the following capabilities:

1. Play content from iTunes. The store contains a huge collection of licensed films and TV series, for which you need to pay a certain amount (content can be purchased or rented for a week). It is worth saying that using iTunes is beneficial for the manufacturer, but not for the owners of the set-top box.
2. Screen duplication of MacBook and other iOS devices (iPad, iPhone). Using the standard AirPlay utility, a person can broadcast absolutely any content to Apple TV. It is enough to synchronize gadgets with each other and start the video on the screen of a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
3. Launching applications. The fourth and fifth generations of the media player support the installation of applications from the proprietary App Store. Among the utilities available for download, you can find paid online collections of video content.
4. Web surfing. The AirBrowser utility for iPhone and iPad allows you to go to the website of the desired TV channel and start an online broadcast of a television signal. It is worth saying that with the help of this universal application, you can watch “pirated” TV series and movies on Apple TV.

Interestingly, thanks to the Xcode program for Mac computers, the user can install a full-fledged browser on tvOS. Although the ability to launch a TV analogue of Safari looks very attractive, this method is not suitable for most player owners, as it requires the skill of “digging” in the program code.

To watch TV and video content, the basic functions of a media player are sufficient. The methods that will be discussed later in the article allow you to turn the device into a full-fledged digital receiver and greatly facilitate the process of launching television.

How to watch Russian TV channels abroad

The above methods of watching Russian television abroad have obvious disadvantages. A person who emigrated from the Russian Federation to the countries of the European Union, the USA or Israel would like to receive a maximum of TV channels of various topics and directions in their native language in at least HD quality for a relatively inexpensive subscription. And the service that provides such viewing must be stable and have a whole network of servers in different countries of the world in order to ensure good uninterrupted broadcasting.

Of course, there are a lot of free playlists *.m3u and *.m3u8 floating around the Internet. But you need to understand that not all links in these playlists are working. Many TV channels may be missing, there is no TV program guide (EPG), and in fact, in all honesty, it's an outright theft. Therefore, in our article I will tell you about the services I have personally tested, which for reasonable money provide a very good assortment of TV channels in Russian with an archive.

Edem TV (iLook.tv)

One of the most accessible services

An amazing service that I am ready to put in the top first place in terms of the ratio of the number of working channels with archives and price. For just $1 per month, you can access more than 1,000 channels with a 4-day archive. Many criticized this service, they say that their archive falls off on many channels, or that something generally malfunctions and does not work. Yes, indeed, over the two years of use, I noticed more than one malfunction. But we must pay tribute that the developers are constantly improving the service.

The largest modernization was carried out in 2022. The number of channels increased from 400 to 750 and is now more than 1000, and almost all rated channels offer full viewing of recorded programs. And it's only for 1 dollar. Yes, many channels are “pinched”. There is enough content in Full HD and even some in 4K. It is also worth noting that in 2022, a cinema hall appeared in Edem TV, a media library of various films and TV series was added, available in the user’s account as a separate playlist, which raises the service even higher compared to others. You can watch simultaneously on two devices from the same IP.

Glanz TV

This service captivated me with the number of not only Russian, but also Ukrainian channels. For a person who emigrated abroad from Ukraine, this is it. There is no movie library, but everything works quite stably, and for all channels there is an archive for 7 days. Cool, right? Only 2 euros per month. Yes, unlike Edem, there is no trial period, but the quality is excellent. You can safely top up your balance and enjoy watching.

In the settings, you can change the server to one that will provide greater speed, but for full operation of the archive on all channels, I recommend the empirically tested Server No. 6 , located in the Russian Federation.

A little more expensive, but the quality is good and there is an archive

Cbilling

Guys from Belarus have been offering packages for satellite television and IPTV for watching television online for several years now. Until the end of 2022, this was my most stable and favorite service. Compared to previous analogues, they almost never had any failures. Telegram provides full user support 24/7. After registration, 24 hours of free testing are provided.

There is an EPG (program guide) for almost all channels, but there is no multiroom. You can use the service with one subscription on only one device. Additionally, you can activate two more devices, for each of which you will have to pay almost half of the subscription.

Those who watch TV sporadically can top up their balance with a small amount and choose IPTV HD+SD package The package costs from 0.00 to 18.00 SD request from $0.03 per hour, HD request from $0.05 per hour; from 18.00 to 24.00 SD request from $0.05 per hour, HD request from $0.08 per hour.

It is advisable to purchase monthly packages. If you don’t need an archive of programs at all, but are only interested in live broadcasting, then you can purchase an IPTV LIVE SD package for $3/month, or an IPTV LIVE HD+SD package for $5.50/month. But for most, archives are important, so IPTV SD packages for 4 $/month, or IPTV HD+SD for 7 $/month will be relevant for them. Until recently, I used the latter package until I became acquainted with Glanz TV and discovered Edem TV in a new way in January 2022. Cbilling has a media library (small cinema room) available in IPTV LIVE HD+SD and IPTV HD+SD packages . But all the packages listed do not have 4K channels. For this purpose, the greedy owners of the service offer a separate premium package called IPTV Premium for $10 per month. It also includes a 4K content library.

Shara TV

The service allows you to either use ready-made packages, there are two of them - VIP for 7 $/month. and Standard for 5 $/month, or assemble your own package from 4 $/month. The standard package will not include HD channels, foreign channels or channels for adult audiences. If you assemble the package yourself, its components cost the following: the basic package is $2, sports channels are also $2, and all other groups are children’s, film, educational, etc. for 1 $.

Personally, my experience shows that it is better to take the full VIP package at once. A new user is given a day to try the quality of work. The advantages include the number of channels 600+ and the presence of an archive for most of them for 5 days, as well as multiroom - viewing on 3 devices. There is an EPG (program guide) for almost all channels. The service has very few Ukrainian channels. This should be taken into account by emigrants from Ukraine.

ITV.live

This interesting service, just like the previous one, gives the user the right to either choose a ready-made solution or create a package to suit his taste. The main package (federal and news channels) costs $1.60/month, thematic packages - from $0.50/month. up to $2.60/month. However, I would recommend that Russian-speaking viewers pay attention to the Premium+ package for $5.50/month, and if they need 4K channels and Ukrainian channels, then buy the full VIP ALL package for $9.90/month.

The service can be viewed both through the playlist and through the Stalker portal. EPG (TV Program Guide) available. There is no multiroom. For each additional device you need to buy a monthly package. But it is also possible to use the on-demand package. It costs an average of $0.000720 per minute of viewing, but allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices. The viewing time on each of them certainly adds up.

OTTClub

Good service with a convenient mobile application

This service offers three subscriptions: Lite - 112 HD channels without archive for 4.5 €/month; Medium - 112 HD channels with an archive for 7 days and simultaneous viewing on three devices for 7 €/month. and Full - 269 channels, of which 117 are Full HD with an archive for 7 days and simultaneous viewing on three devices for 10 €/month. A new user is given 3 days of free testing. 24/7 user support is available. Including by telephone in England, Europe and Israel.

IPTV.online

One of the young and developing services already today provides access to 700+ channels in SD, HD and 4K quality. Just like Glanz TV, it has the largest number of Ukrainian channels. The archive, however, is not on all channels and only for a day.

Simultaneous viewing is available on two devices. A new user is given 24 hours for free testing .

You can buy the full package for $3.49/month, or you can build a package from the basic package for $2.49/month. and add a separate sports one if necessary for $0.99/month. and adult for $0.99/month. Please note that the basic package already includes educational, film and children's channels. A user who is undemanding about a few days’ worth of archives will definitely like this Ukrainian service.

Connecting IPTV without JailBreak

IPTV is digital television operating via the Internet. In the case of tvOS, access to online broadcasting is carried out through the Pager service, to configure which you need to:

• Using any gadget, open the Pager website and agree to the terms of use.
• Confirm availability of Apple TV.
• Complete registration. You must provide a real email address. An email will be sent to the specified email address with a link to confirm your registration.
• After activating your account, log in to your personal account using the previously created login and password.
• Launch the set-top box and go to “DNS Settings” (section “WiFi”).
• Select manual mode and enter 062.109.022.177.
• In the “Basic” section, disable the transfer of information to the corporation.
• Using the “Play” button located on the Remote, open “Profiles” and create a new one with the address ru/atv.
• Sign the prefix on the resource website.
• Replace any standard service with Pager (the new utility will be launched through the icon of another service).
• Add the identification number from your PagerTV personal account to the tvOS memory and save the settings.
• Download an M3U playlist with a list of desired TV channels from the Internet.
• Launch Pager on the media player by clicking on the previously selected icon.

It is important to note that this method does not deprive the media player of the official warranty and service center support. Owners of second and third generation set-top boxes can take advantage of the Plex vulnerability of their devices and set up digital television in the following way:

1. Go to “Settings” and change DNS manually to 062.075.229.047.
2. Launch the standard “Trailers” application, which will automatically display digital TV channels from Unli Movie.
3. If desired, reassign UM to any other icon.

Both methods use a system vulnerability that allows you to temporarily disconnect the device from the Apple server. It is worth saying that failures and errors may occur in the operation of third-party resources, which can only be eliminated by regularly rebooting tvOS.

Using online services

By spoofing a DNS address, you can also gain access to huge collections of popular TV series and films stored on:

• kino.pub. Through Kinopuber on Apple TV, the user can enjoy movies and interactive series online, as well as subscribe to email notifications about the release of new content and create their own video playlists.
• soapme. The service allows you to watch only TV series, but it has more functionality than kino.pub. For example, support for RSS feeds or automatic downloading of released episodes offline has been implemented.

The full functionality of the presented services is available only with a paid monthly subscription. Its cost is equal to the price of one movie from iTunes. The connection algorithm looks like this:

• The user goes to the DNS settings section and enters 031.186.103.017 for Kinopuber or 95.213.159.180 for soap4.me.
• From the “Basic” section, sending user information to the Apple server is disabled.
• The kino.pub/atv and me/atv profiles are added to the corresponding section (the “Play” key).
• Further work with services occurs through the WSJ Video and Qello Concerts applications available for download from the App Store.
• To access collections, you must authorize the media player in your personal account.

It should be noted that both resources have their own support service; you can contact them with questions if you encounter any connection problems.

Alternative ways to launch TV programs

You can also watch digital television in one of the following ways:

1. Online streaming. Analogue channels have alternative broadcasting in the form of a digital signal. Access to it is either free (for example, Channel 1) or paid (Dozhda subscription). For online viewing, a Russian can use a web browser installed on a smartphone (tablet, computer) or the TV set-top box itself. It is worth saying that in the first case, synchronization of gadgets will occur via standard AirPlay or downloaded Beamer.
2. Installation of a proprietary TV channel utility. Most major TV channels have their own multi-platform applications in which they broadcast free of charge. If desired, the user can download such a utility to an Apple set-top box and enjoy his favorite programs from a specific TV company.
3. Concluding an agreement with the provider and signing up for a subscription. Today, many providers allow you to connect digital television to 4G and 5G Apple set-top boxes. The owner of the black box will need to enter into a special agreement with a communication service provider and pay a monthly subscription fee. Although such a subscription costs more than services. For example, Soap4Me, a method suitable for all those who do not want to understand system settings.

Using the mentioned AirPlay, you can stream to the television display any video running in the system Safari or stored in the permanent memory of the Apple device.

View on all devices - online and offline

You can stream content 3 included with your channel subscription through the Apple TV app without having to download additional apps. You can access your subscription on any device that's signed in to the Apple TV app with your Apple ID.

If you're part of a Family Sharing group, your group members can stream content from each channel to up to three devices simultaneously. 3 Some channels may allow streaming to more devices. Learn more about using Family Sharing to share your purchases.

In addition to viewing your subscription in the Apple TV app, you can sign in to a website or channel app using the same Apple ID you use to watch content on Apple TV.

Hacking tvOS

It should be said right away that JailBreak is not supported by all versions of the operating system. Typically, the hacking procedure becomes available about a year after the firmware is released. Although the exact algorithm for gaining access to the media player’s file manager depends on the selected toolkit, in general terms the sequence of required actions is represented by the following steps:

• Downloading tools.
• Connecting a TV set-top box to a computer via a USB cable.
• Installing the downloaded cracker via Cydia Impactor.
• Select the desired JailBreak option.
• Reboot the device.

The editors of expertland.ru strongly discourage the use of such methods.

This procedure voids the device’s warranty and may lead to malfunctions. Responsibility for hacking any operating system falls entirely on the owner. JailBreak makes it possible to install non-certified utilities, including special IPTV launchers. Interestingly, the Apple manufacturer deprived the fifth generation of media player of a USB port and “killed” the ability to access the file manager precisely because of the increasing number of cases of hacking.

Possible problems:

1. Slowing down the picture.
2. Live broadcasts sometimes come with characteristic artifacts.
3. Loss of compatibility with many iOS devices.
4. Not all broadcast formats are supported.
5. Frequent errors and interruptions during the transmission of satellite channels.

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Leading author of many columns on the website expertland.ru. Well versed in technology and electronics. Capable of solving any technical problem in a matter of hours, he loves to write about his experience and best practices.

• published articles - 94
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• on the site from September 25, 2022

Until recently, using the unofficial capabilities of Apple TV meant the need to jailbreak—to open access to the operating system of the set-top box. With the discovery of the so-called Plex hack, which allows you to connect to remote multimedia servers, any device user can take advantage of the Plex media player and even watch Russian digital TV channels on an Apple TV set-top box.

Features of the fifth generation console

Among the advantages of the fifth Apple TV are:

• Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. Dolby standards are responsible for high (the best to date) quality of video and audio playback. It should be noted that Vision and Atmos are not common in the production of televisions and TV accessories due to their high cost and complexity of implementation.
• 4K HDR and Full HD SDR. The Five can play video in both standard and extended dynamic range (with a color depth of up to 12 bits). Thanks to intelligent conversion, the Full HD format is stretched to 4K resolution and runs on a large screen without pixels or extraneous noise (artifacts).

On the other hand, due to the updated version of tvOS, the 4K set-top box does not support a number of third-party TV services. If the device is incompatible with the required resource, all that remains is to wait for a new vulnerability to be discovered in the operating system, and then perform manual DNS settings or modify the firmware.