Windows PC and Laptop
Not many people watch on a laptop, but everybody should set one up anyway. It is the fastest way to prove whether a fault is the line or the television device.
Before you start
- Windows 10 or 11
- Your login details, or just your M3U link
Install the Windows player
Download the installer from our Apps page and run it. Windows may warn about an unrecognised publisher, which is what it says about any application without an expensive code-signing certificate. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Sign in
Enter your Xtream server, username and password. If you would rather not install anything at all, VLC will open your M3U link directly under Media, then Open Network Stream.
Use it as your test rig
Open a handful of channels. If they play cleanly on a wired laptop but stutter on the television, the subscription is fine and the problem is somewhere between your router and that television. Telling support you have already done this test saves a whole afternoon of messages.
Worth knowing before you start
- Do the test on Ethernet if you possibly can. A wireless laptop proves much less than a wired one.
- VLC is the quickest sanity check in existence and it is free. Keep it installed even if you never watch on the laptop.
No subscription yet?
The price list is one page and the cost per month is worked out for you. Activation takes about two minutes once your bank confirms the payment.
See the prices