In this guide
Samsung sells more televisions than any other brand, and owners are often surprised to find that the apps people recommend for IPTV, TiviMate first among them, simply aren’t in the Samsung store. Samsung’s sets run Tizen, the company’s own system, while TiviMate is built for Android. That still leaves three good ways to watch SSTV IPTV, and which one suits you depends mostly on when your TV was made.
First, find your TV’s year
Open Settings → Support → About This TV (the wording varies a little between years) and note the model code, something like UE55RU7100 or QE65QN90A. One letter in that code gives the year. On most sets it comes straight after the screen size (UE55RU7100); on QLED and Neo QLED models it ends the series name (QE65QN90A).
| Letter | Year |
|---|---|
| E | 2012 |
| F | 2013 |
| H | 2014 |
| J | 2015 |
| K | 2016 |
| M | 2017 |
| N or NU | 2018 |
| R or RU | 2019 |
| T or TU | 2020 |
| A or AU | 2021 |
| B or BU | 2022 |
| C or CU | 2023 |
| D or DU | 2024 |
Models from 2025 reuse the letter F at the end of the series name (QE65QN90F, for example); don’t confuse it with the 2013 F that sits right after the screen size.
2012 to 2019: SS IPTV by USB
For these generations, the developer of SS IPTV publishes an installation package for Samsung on its official website, with instructions. In outline, you copy the package to a USB stick as described there, plug it into the TV, and the app appears among your apps. The site separates the older, pre-Tizen Smart TV platform from the Tizen sets of 2015 to 2019, so follow the method for your model.
Once installed, SS IPTV works just as it does on an LG television: you add your SSTV IPTV playlist link, ideally from your phone using a connection code. Our SS IPTV guide has the menus, and this article explains how the app and our subscription fit together.
2020 onwards: a player from the Samsung store
Newer Samsungs can’t take the USB package, but Apps on the Smart Hub offers several IPTV players that accept a playlist link or Xtream details. They tend to follow the same pattern:
- You install the player and open it once.
- It displays a device ID or MAC address.
- You enter your SSTV IPTV details on the TV, or on the player’s website against that ID.
- After a free trial, many of these players ask for a small one-off or yearly activation fee, paid to their developer.
The choice in Samsung’s store changes from time to time, so our welcome email names the player we currently suggest. Whichever you pick, any fee goes to the app’s developer, never to us, and has nothing to do with your plan.
Any Samsung: plug in a stick
Every Samsung TV has HDMI ports, and a stick is often the neatest answer. A Fire TV device running Fire OS, such as the 4K Max, or a Google TV device lets you install TiviMate, and your plan already includes TiviMate Premium. You get the best guide, catch-up, recordings and multi-view, whatever the TV’s age.
One caution about Fire TV: some recent models, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select among them, run Amazon’s Vega OS, which doesn’t allow TiviMate. Check before you buy; our Fire TV page explains how.
Which route to take
| Your Samsung | Free option | Most capable option |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 to 2019 | SS IPTV by USB | A Fire OS or Google TV stick with TiviMate Premium |
| 2020 or newer | A store player, often after a trial | A Fire OS or Google TV stick with TiviMate Premium |
A smoother picture on a Samsung
- Plug a network cable into the TV if you can. TV Wi-Fi is usually weaker than a good stick’s; our comparison of Wi-Fi, Ethernet and powerline explains why.
- For sport, try turning motion smoothing (Auto Motion Plus or Picture Clarity, depending on the year) down or off if you notice artefacts around moving players. It’s a matter of taste.
- Keep the TV’s software current under Settings → Support → Software Update.
Questions
Why isn’t TiviMate in the Samsung store?
TiviMate is an Android app and Samsung TVs run Tizen, so it can’t be installed on them directly. A stick is the way to use it.
Is the USB method safe?
Use only the package from the official SS IPTV website and follow its instructions for your model. Avoid copies hosted elsewhere.
A store player asked me to pay after a week. Did I pay for SSTV IPTV twice?
No. Your SSTV IPTV plan is paid once, through our checkout. The player’s fee belongs to its developer, and a stick with TiviMate Premium avoids it altogether.