M3U · M3U8
An M3U player that opens big playlists fast.
Lumen·TV reads M3U and M3U8 playlists by their link, the kind a provider sends as http://…/get.php?…&type=m3u_plus, and reads them as they download, so a 100 000-channel list starts filling the screen instead of freezing it.
21 days free, no card · From €0.99 a month, or €19.99 once for 2 devices
Lumen·TV is an IPTV player for Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV and Android phones and tablets. It needs Android 8.0 or later. It plays the M3U or Xtream Codes playlist you already have, and includes no channels. 21 days free, then €0.99 a month for one device, or €19.99 once for 2 devices, or €29.99 once for 5. The trial needs no card and ends by itself.
What it does.
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TV guide
A programme guide for every playlist, with now and next over the picture.
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Instant search
Results while you type, even across 100,000 channels.
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Multi-view
Up to four channels on one screen.
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Favourites
Favourite, hide and reorder channels and groups.
What it does with an M3U.
- Groups
- Built while the playlist loads, so they appear as it arrives.
- Favourites
- Keyed by tvg-id, so they survive a provider rotating its URLs.
- Search
- A three-character prefix index. Results arrive while you type, across 100 000 channels.
- XMLTV guide
- One source per playlist. An M3U takes the address you give it; an Xtream subscription derives it.
- Several playlists
- Up to eight, one loaded at a time. They are not merged — reconciling the same channel across two providers with different tvg-ids would break favourites, locks and the zapper, all of which are keyed on it.
How to add your playlist
A playlist address is often sixty characters long. Typing it with a remote is the worst part of setting up any IPTV player, so Lumen·TV lets your phone do it.
- Open Lumen·TV on the TV. Until a playlist is added it shows a QR code and a short code; later, Settings → Playlists shows them whenever you add another.
- Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera. A page on lumentv.app opens with the code already in it.
- Paste the M3U link or the Xtream link your provider gave you, and send it.
- The TV collects it within seconds and loads the channels. The address is erased from our side the moment it has.
Good to know.
What is the best way to watch an M3U playlist on Android TV?
Install an IPTV player that reads M3U links, such as Lumen·TV, and add your link to it. Lumen·TV runs on Android TV and Google TV with Android 8.0 or later, reads M3U and M3U8 playlists by their link, and takes the link from your phone, so nothing is typed with the remote. It holds up to 8 playlists, and the 21-day trial needs no card.
Can I open an M3U file instead of a link?
Not directly: Lumen·TV reads a playlist by its link. A playlist you were given as a file has to be put somewhere reachable by a link first.
Does it read the guide the playlist names?
No: a guide address written inside the M3U file is not read. Give the XMLTV address separately, from your phone or on the TV; providers usually publish it as a second link beside the first.
Where do I get an M3U playlist?
From your IPTV provider. Lumen·TV includes no channels, and does not sell, recommend or rank providers.
How much does Lumen·TV cost?
21 days free, then €0.99 a month for one device, or €19.99 once for 2 devices, or €29.99 once for 5. The trial needs no card and ends by itself.
What a licence does not cover.
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No catch-up or replay
A deliberate exclusion, not an oversight. It depends entirely on archive endpoints many providers do not expose, and selling something your provider may not support is worse than not having it.
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No recording on phones and tablets
Recording is a television feature. The phone and tablet app plays, but does not record.
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One guide source per playlist
Enough for most households. Several sources merged into one guide, guide reminders, descriptions inside the timeline and a guide time offset are not part of the app.