Date: Sep 18, 2014
Note #1: This tutorial is for education purpose only. I merely want to test out the functionality of some of the IPTV Player apps on my Android Box.
Note #2: This tutorial is not for Xiaomi Mibox (non-jailbreak version). Because I don’t know how to make XiaoMi Mibox’s HDP TV app to read the USB storage.
Note #3: This tutorial is using MacOS to test the videos. Please do not ask me how to do it on a PC. I do not have a PC at home, and I have not touch Windows OS for almost 6 years.
What Is This?
When you have a Android TV Set Top Box, you can do wonderful things.
The most important thing is to watch Live TV.
I recommended to watch using CloudTV app. But you need to pay CloudTV app for some overseas TV channels.
So, how do we get free TV channels?
This tutorial focus in one app, i.e. HDP 直播 (HDP TV), how you can use this app to watch oversea Live TV channels.
Where to Download?
Download it from Shafa App Store.
Where to Find the Live TV Streaming Links
In order to watch Live TV streaming, you will need to first find from Google, Baidu, etc where are all these links.
For example, when I search “HBO Live TV Streaming rtmp”
You get the following results…
Click on some of them, you get these…
What Are These HTTP, RTMP Links?
These are people on the Internet from all over the world, those who use some video software to encode the TV programs, and run a server so to allow other people on the Internet to watch the TV shows from another location or country, etc.
Once you have these links, and you have a player to play it, you can actually “STREAM” the TV show on to your PC, or Android Set Top Box, etc.
Unfortunately, more of these links don’t actually works. Those that run “TV streaming Piracy” business bad guys also don’t post the link here for you to let you watch the show free. HaHaHa But if you search carefully, you will find links that works.
How to Make Sure it works?
So, before wasting too much time, you will need to make sure the links work.
For example…
http://iphone-streaming.ustream.tv.05883.5.159.96.170.8000cartoonnetwork.numericable.tv.cartoonnetworkHD@u.to/_VvVCA
If you have the VLC app or program/software installed on your MacOs. Then, run it.
Select “Open Network”…
Cut and paste the URL onto it. And press OPEN.
And Walaaaaaaa… You have just tested a IPTV Stream, and the URL works, and you can use it with HDP TV.
Copy The Links into A Text File
Simply cut and paste the links into the file.
The syntax should be
Channel_Name,Live_TV_URL1
For example,
Fashion Box,http://stream1.zoovision.com//livespi/fashionbox/playlist.m3u8
If you have more than 2 URL sources, then, you can place it there and separate it with a “#” (hash).
For example,
Fashion Box,http://stream1.zoovision.com//livespi/fashionbox/playlist.m3u8#http://stream.abc.tv//fashionbox/playlist.m3u8
Copy The Text File onto a USB Disk / Thumbdrive
copy the file onto a USB thumb drive.
Watch The Demo Below
1. Plug the USB stick into your Android TV Set Top Box
2. Ignore any pop up windows telling you there are new USB stick content. By pressing BACK button.
3. Go to launch HDP 直播 (HDP TV).
4. Press the OK button (on the remote). To Bring up the channel list.
5. Press LEFT to go to “Even More Programs” (更多节目). Select the first options, which says, click here to add more TV channels.
5. It will bring you to Self Defined Channels 01 (自定义01) . Select 导入节目.
6. Then, you select the USB storage. Click click click until it goes to the folder that you store your .TXT file you prepare earlier.
7. For example, dtv.txt. You will see it can be imported (可导入).
8. Once done. Press BACK to go back to the Channel list. Press LEFT to go to the Self Define Channel. And select the channel to play.
And it will play.
Just Imagine
Wow, this is very powerful. You just imagine, you came across an IPTV streaming list (of course it is pirated) and it has all the channels such as HBO, Discovery Channel, National Geographics, MTV, and so on….
You can build your own “Cable TV” list.
Is It Legal?
Of course it is not.
The Singapore government has pass the bill on this.
For example, SingTel has purchase the right to play EPL in Singapore.
And if there is any website or IP addresses which IPTV streaming of the EPL.
Then, SingTel can inform EPL. And EPL write a letter or complaint to regulator.
And it goes thru a simple court procedures, and approved by regulator.
And all the ISP in Singapore will need to block that web site or URL and so on.
So, folks, you use and do this at your own risk hor.
Most of the iptv streaming links are invalid
Well, most of these links are illegal, so the content providers are constantly searching for these links and try to put them out. This blog tells you that most of these Live TV apps got such capability. So, as long as you have a workable link, you can play it there. For me, I just download App such as Cloud TV, and they ensure that they will monitor the links and remove the links when it is invalid, etc. Nothing is forever, free content is like this one. hahaha http://www.cloudtv.bz/articles/detail/23/