M3U and M3U8 playlists
M3U playlist player for Fire TV, Google TV and Android
Showvee plays the M3U or M3U8 playlist link from your TV service on a Fire TV Stick, Google TV, an Android TV box or an Android phone, with the TV guide, catch-up, and the movies and series in the playlist. Every screen works with the remote.
What you need from your provider
The playlist link
A web address, often ending in .m3u or .m3u8, sometimes get.php?username=…&password=….
A guide link, if any
An XMLTV address, often ending in .xml or .xml.gz. Many playlists name their guide themselves.
Showvee opens http:// and https:// links, and playlists and guides packed as .gz, .xz or .zip.
A get.php link? It comes from an Xtream Codes server. Showvee notices and signs in with the Xtream Codes login instead, which is faster and brings the provider’s catch-up, movies and series.
Add your playlist in Showvee
-
Choose M3U playlist
The first time Showvee opens, it asks how to connect: choose M3U playlist URL. To add another later: Settings › Playlists › Add playlist › M3U playlist, shown here.
Rather type the link on your phone? Choose Use your phone instead and scan the code (how it works).
-
Enter the playlist link
Type the link into Playlist URL exactly as your provider gave it. The name is up to you.
Leave TV guide (XMLTV) URL empty if the playlist names its own guide. Fill in User agent only if your provider asks you to.
-
Choose Connect
Showvee downloads the playlist right there, so a wrong link shows an error before you leave the form. Then choose Show everything, or Choose categories to hide groups you never watch.
Screens show the showvee.com demo playlist.
TV guide (EPG)
Showvee loads the guide that the playlist names in its first line, and the one you enter in TV guide (XMLTV) URL. Channels are matched to it by their tvg-id, then by name.
The guide grid is off until you switch it on in Settings › TV guide › Show the TV guide. Then it’s on the home screen, in the menu and on the remote’s Guide key. With it off, the channel list still shows what’s on now and next, because Showvee loads the guide data either way.
- Update TV guide now loads it again straight away. It also updates by itself.
- Keep past programmes (1 day at first) and Load programmes ahead (3 days) set how much of the guide Showvee keeps.
- Every programme off by the same number of hours? Check the device’s time zone and automatic time first. If they’re right, the provider’s guide has the wrong offset: tell your provider.
- A channel with no guide isn’t in your provider’s guide, or its name or ID there doesn’t match the channel.
Catch-up
Catch-up plays programmes your provider recorded. It works on the channels the playlist marks with catch-up tags: Showvee understands the default, append, shift, flussonic and xc kinds.
- Channels with catch-up show CATCH-UP on the banner when you switch to them.
- On the channel, hold OK (or press Menu) and choose Catch-up to pick a past programme, or Start over to watch the programme on now from its start. On a phone, press and hold the channel.
- With the guide grid on, you can also select a past programme there and choose Play from catch-up.
Catch-up lists past programmes from the guide, so a channel needs guide data for it. The guide grid itself can stay off.
Playlist tags Showvee reads
| In the playlist | What Showvee does |
|---|---|
url-tvg, x-tvg-url in the #EXTM3U line | The guide to load. Several addresses, separated by commas, all load. |
tvg-id, tvg-name | Match the channel to the guide (by ID, then by name). |
tvg-logo | The channel logo. |
group-title, #EXTGRP | The channel’s group. |
tvg-chno | The channel number. |
catchup, catchup-days, catchup-source, timeshift, tvg-rec | Catch-up (see above). |
tvg-shift | Moves the guide’s times by that many hours. |
#EXTVLCOPT, #EXTHTTP, http-user-agent | Sent with the stream, for providers that need them. |
tvg-type, /movie/ and /series/ links, files such as .mp4 and .mkv | Listed under Movies and Series instead of Live TV. |
Common errors and fixes
Showvee shows these on the form when you choose Connect, under the playlist in Settings › Playlists after an update, or over the picture.
“The playlist is empty or is not an M3U file.”
The address answered, but not with a playlist: often a typo, an expired link or an ended subscription. Open the link in a browser on a computer. It should download a text file whose first line is #EXTM3U.
“The playlist server returned nothing.”
The server sent an empty answer. Try again later, or ask your provider.
“Unable to resolve host …” or “Failed to connect to …”
Showvee couldn’t reach the server (from version 1.8 the message starts “Connection problem with the server”). Check the address, http:// or https:// and the port, test the device’s internet, and check that no network filter blocks the address. Then try again later.
“The provider refused this stream (subscription, connection limit or region)”
Most often another device is watching on the same subscription, and many allow only one stream at a time. It can also mean the subscription ended, or the provider blocks your region or network.
“Protected (DRM) streams are not supported”
The channel is protected with DRM, which Showvee can’t play.
“The TV guide is off. Turn it on in Settings › TV guide”
You pressed the Guide key while the guide grid is off. It’s off by default: switch it on as shown above.
“TV guide: No guide data found. Is this an XMLTV file?”
The guide address doesn’t lead to an XMLTV guide. Check it, or leave the field empty to use your provider’s own guide.
Buffering, sound or a channel that won’t play? See Help.
Install Showvee
Showvee runs on Fire TV, Google TV, Android TV boxes and Android phones and tablets. Each video guide takes about five minutes.
iPhone, iPad and Apple TV aren’t supported, and neither are Roku, Samsung and LG TVs: Showvee is an Android app. Reading this on an iPhone? That’s fine — just follow the steps on your TV. Which devices work?
Other ways to connect
Showvee is a player only. It comes with no channels, playlists or logins: use it with a service you already subscribe to, and only for content you have the right to watch.