Who is writing: Vivimate sells an IPTV subscription, and we have no connection to Kodi or Team Kodi. On November 9, 2026 we read Kodi's wiki, the add-on's documentation and Kodi's release list on GitHub, its Google Play listing and Amazon's device specifications, all linked below. We didn't install Kodi for this page and it reports no measurements of our own. Menu wording can differ a little between Kodi versions and skins.
How live TV works inside Kodi
Kodi is a media center: it plays files and streams, but it ships with nothing to watch. Its Google Play listing says plainly that it “does not contain any content”, and adds that watching illegal content which would otherwise be paid for is “not endorsed or approved by Team Kodi”. Live TV arrives through an add-on that reads two links from your provider.
Check your device first
Kodi runs on many platforms, but not on every streaming device sold in the US and Canada today. Find yours before anything else.
| Device | How Kodi gets there | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Android TV and Google TV | Google Play, from the Kodi Foundation | The simplest install |
| Fire TV on Fire OS | Sideloaded, for example with the Downloader app | Kodi's wiki has a Fire TV page |
| Fire TV on Vega OS | None: these sticks can't sideload | Use another player or device |
| Apple TV | No Kodi Foundation player found in the US App Store | Only its remote app showed up |
On Fire TV, model matters. Kodi's Fire TV page describes sideloading on Fire OS, while Amazon's device specifications list three sticks on Vega OS, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the Fire TV Stick HD from 2026 and the third-generation Fire TV Stick 4K, which can't sideload at all. Our Fire TV Stick IPTV guide shows how to tell them apart. On Apple TV, use one of the players in our Apple TV IPTV guide instead, and check the developer line of any app that calls itself Kodi.
As for version, Kodi's wiki page listed v21.3 Omega as the stable release on November 9, 2026. Kodi's GitHub releases date 21.3 to October 31, 2025, and show Kodi 22 “Piers” only as a release candidate published September 27, 2026. The stable release is the sensible choice.
Ask for an M3U link, not an Xtream login
Many IPTV sellers, Vivimate included, deliver an Xtream login: a server URL, a username and a password. The IPTV Simple Client has no field for that. Its documentation on GitHub describes an M3U playlist for channels and an XMLTV file for the guide, and mentions Xtream only as one way to build catch-up addresses. So before you open Kodi, ask your provider for the M3U form of your login and, if it has one, the guide link that goes with it. Our explainer on Xtream Codes logins shows how the two formats relate.
Install and set up the IPTV Simple Client
- Switch off other PVR add-ons. The add-on's wiki page asks you to disable every PVR add-on before installing, so an old TV backend can't clash with the new one.
- Install it. Settings, Add-ons, Install from repository, PVR clients, then PVR IPTV Simple Client and Install. It is in Kodi's built-in repository, so no extra source is needed.
- Open Configure. Settings, Add-ons, My add-ons, PVR clients, select the add-on, then Configure.
- Add the playlist. In General, set Location to Remote path and paste your link into M3U play list URL. Choose Local path instead for a file saved on the device.
- Add the guide. In EPG, set Location to Remote path and paste the guide link into XMLTV URL.
- Open TV. Press OK, return to the Home screen and open the TV section. The channel list appears once the playlist has been read; a large one takes a little while the first time.
Can't find a setting? The documentation lists four settings levels, Basic, Standard, Advanced and Expert, and hidden options usually sit at a higher one. A few are worth a look once everything plays:
| Setting | What it does | When to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Cache M3U at local storage | Keeps a copy of the playlist on the device | The list is slow to appear at every start |
| Auto refresh mode | Disabled, Repeated refresh or Once per day | Once per day suits most lists |
| Refresh interval | Minutes between refreshes, 120 at most | Only with Repeated refresh |
| Cache XMLTV at local storage | Keeps a copy of the guide | A large guide on a small device |
Since Kodi 20, the documentation adds, you can run several copies of the add-on, each with its own playlist and guide. Catch-up works “if supported by the IPTV provider”, in its words, and only on channels that offer it.
Channels play but the guide is empty
Most Kodi trouble lives here. The add-on has to work out which guide rows belong to which channel, and the wiki describes the order it tries.
- Every row empty: the XMLTV URL is blank, or the first load hasn't finished.
- A few rows empty: those channels' IDs have no partner in the guide; tell your provider which ones.
- Rows shifted by hours: a tvg-shift value in the playlist moves the guide by whole hours, for one channel or all.
- Changes not showing: clear the cache under Settings, PVR & Live TV, Guide, or under General for channel changes.
For guide faults that aren't specific to Kodi, such as daylight time, see our fixes for an IPTV guide that won't load.
Stay inside Kodi's own repository
Kodi's add-on manager page says the Kodi.tv repository comes with Kodi, is maintained by Team Kodi, and that add-ons update automatically by default. Everything on this page comes from there. Third-party repositories can be added, but Team Kodi doesn't maintain them, and some exist to pull paid channels without the rights. We don't recommend any. IPTV technology is legal; what decides a stream's legality is the seller's rights to it, as our page on whether IPTV is legal explains. We don't publish the rights agreements behind our channels.
Kodi or a dedicated IPTV app: which fits whom
Kodi suits people who already use it for their own films and music and enjoy adjusting settings: one free, open-source app, one remote. A dedicated IPTV player suits people who want to type a login and see a guide with fewer steps. Our comparison of IPTV apps sets out the options by device. Whichever you pick, allow about 10 Mbps for HD, 15 Mbps for Full HD and 25 Mbps for 4K per screen; the IPTV internet speed guide shows how to check your line.
Using Vivimate in Kodi
A Vivimate login is Xtream, so for Kodi ask us on WhatsApp for an M3U link; a person replies 24/7. We haven't tested Kodi with our service for this page, so use the free 24-hour IPTV trial, with no credit card, to check the channel list, the guide and playback in Kodi on your own device. Plans are prepaid, with no contract and no auto-renewal:
| Plan | One device | Two devices |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $19.99 | $31.98 |
| 3 Months | $29.99 | $47.98 |
| 6 Months | $39.99 | $63.98 |
| 12 Months + 2 free | $69.99 | $111.98 |
Every plan and device option is on Vivimate plans and prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the PVR IPTV Simple Client?
It is a free add-on in Kodi's own repository that turns an M3U playlist into Kodi's TV section and reads an XMLTV file for the guide. It has no channels of its own; it shows only what the playlist you add contains.
Can I type an Xtream login into Kodi?
Not into this add-on. Its documentation describes an M3U playlist for channels and an XMLTV file for the guide, and mentions Xtream only as a way to build catch-up addresses. Ask your provider for the M3U version of your login instead.
Why does Kodi show my channels but no TV guide?
Either the XMLTV URL is empty, or the playlist's tvg-id values don't match the guide's channel IDs. Add the guide link, give it time to load, then clear the guide cache under Settings, PVR & Live TV, Guide.
Which Kodi version should I install?
When we checked on November 9, 2026, Kodi's wiki listed v21.3 Omega as the stable release, and Kodi 22 "Piers" was only a release candidate on GitHub. Use the stable release for everyday viewing.
Is Kodi legal to use for IPTV?
Kodi itself is free, open-source software, and its Google Play listing says it contains no content. Whether a stream is legal depends on the seller's rights to it, not on the player. Stay in Kodi's own repository and see our page on IPTV and the law.
Sources
Read November 9, 2026: Kodi wiki, Add-on:PVR IPTV Simple Client, Kodi, Add-on manager and HOW-TO:Install Kodi on Fire TV; GitHub, pvr.iptvsimple README (Piers branch) and xbmc/xbmc releases; the Kodi listing on Google Play; a search of the US App Store; Amazon's Fire TV device specifications. Speed figures: our own speed guide. Prices and trial: our pricing page.
Couldn't read: kodi.tv refused every request that day, so version facts come from Kodi's wiki and GitHub instead.
New to the service? Start with Vivimate IPTV — channels, pricing and setup — what it includes, what it costs and how to set it up.