What You’ll Learn
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
- open VOD and Series on the TV
- understand the catalog header and My List areas
- browse categories, search, and sort catalog entries
- add or remove movies and series from My List
- continue movies and series from saved progress
- understand what TV sync covers
- switch, resync, or delete local TV profile data
- log out of TV pairing
- understand TV VPN Kill Switch and provider/subscription messages
Before You Start
The TV must be paired with the IPTV Buddy account.
The active profile should have provider credentials or M3U list data. VOD and series metadata depends on the provider. Some providers do not include complete titles, posters, descriptions, trailers, seasons, or episode metadata.
Tutorial Steps
1. Open VOD, Series, and Continue Watching
The main TV navigation contains:
- Video on Demand
- Series
- Continue Watching, only when there are continue-watching entries
VOD and Series use a wider layout than Live TV. The TV focuses on posters, category filters, search, sorting, detail overlays, My List, and resume progress.
2. Understand Catalog Browsing vs. My List
VOD and Series have two important content concepts:
- The catalog header can show all available catalog entries from the active profile/categories.
- The main VOD or Series list is built from My List items synced from the account.
If VOD or Series shows an empty My List state, the app tells users to add entries to My List in the IPTV Buddy mobile app. Once synced, those entries appear on the TV.
This keeps the TV experience usable with a remote while still allowing catalog discovery through the header area.
3. Understand Catalog Updates
The TV app can update VOD and series catalog data for the active profile in the background, including at app start or when profile sync triggers fresh catalog data.
While updates are running, the TV header can show VOD and SERIES update indicators. If an update is already running, the app can show that a VOD or series update is already in progress.
If TV VPN Kill Switch is enabled and VPN is disconnected, catalog updates can be blocked and retried when VPN becomes active again. The app can show VOD/series update blocked (VPN kill switch). It will be retried once a VPN connection is active.
For synced list changes, use Settings > Profile > Resync current profile. This reloads account/profile state such as My List, favorites, progress, and selected source data.
4. Use Category Filters
In VOD or Series, open the category filter from the header.
The category picker shows available categories and entry counts. If a search is active, it can show how many categories and matches are available for that search.
Choose a category to narrow the catalog header. Use All entries to return to the full catalog view.
Category selection can sync as active VOD and active Series category state.
5. Search VOD and Series
Use the search action in the VOD or Series header.
Search changes the header to show results for the query and the number of matches. Reset search to return to the normal list.
Search is local to the current media area and active profile. It depends on available catalog titles and normalized names.
6. Sort Entries
Use the sort action in the header.
Available sort options are:
- Recently added
- Newest releases
- Rating
- Name (A-Z)
- Name (Z-A)
Exact results depend on provider metadata. If release dates or ratings are missing, those sort modes can be less useful.
7. Open a VOD Detail Page
Select a VOD entry to open its detail overlay.
The detail page is where you decide whether you want to watch the movie now or save it for later. It can show the movie poster, description, runtime, release information, ratings, and trailer options when your provider includes that data.
Use Play to start watching. Use Add to My List when you want the movie to stay easy to find on the TV.
If detail data cannot be refreshed completely, playback can still remain available when the stream URL can be resolved.
8. Add or Remove VOD From My List
In the VOD detail overlay, use Add to My List to keep the entry in the synced list. If the item is already in My List, the same area becomes Remove from My List.
Removing an item from My List removes it from that synced list. It does not delete provider content.
9. Watch VOD and Continue Later
Start playback from the VOD detail page.
If you stop before the end, IPTV Buddy can save Continue Watching progress. Later, the entry can appear in Continue Watching with the saved resume position.
When opening a continue-watching entry, the TV can offer:
- Continue
- Start over
- Remove from list
The Continue Watching category can also include a Clear history action.
10. Open a Series Detail Page
Select a series entry to open its detail overlay.
The series detail page gives you an overview before you start watching. It can show the cover, description, seasons, episodes, cast, ratings, and trailer options when your provider includes that data.
Use Play to continue with the suggested episode, or open All episodes when you want to choose a specific season or episode. Use Add to My List to keep the series easy to find on the TV.
The Play button is built around the next useful episode. If progress exists, the app can suggest the next unfinished episode.
11. Browse Seasons and Episodes
Use All episodes to open the episode panel.
The panel shows seasons and episodes. Episodes can show duration and progress when available. Selecting an episode opens playback actions. When progress exists, the user can reset progress. The series detail flow can also mark an episode as watched.
If no episodes are available, the app shows an empty, loading, or error state depending on whether details are still being fetched.
12. Understand Continue Watching and Episode Progress
Continue Watching can include movies and series. Recording-origin resume entries can exist locally, but synced continue-watching state is focused on VOD and Series.
The TV can store and sync:
- VOD continue-watching progress
- series continue-watching progress
- episode progress
Users can continue from the saved position, restart from the beginning, remove a single item, or clear supported Continue Watching history.
13. What TV Sync Covers
At a user level, sync keeps the TV aligned with the IPTV Buddy account.
Synced areas include:
- profile list
- provider credentials and M3U lists
- Live TV favorites
- EPG favorites
- VOD My List
- Series My List
- active VOD category selection
- active Series category selection
- Continue Watching for VOD
- Continue Watching for Series
- Live TV history
- episode progress
- source selection
- TV device settings such as TV VPN Kill Switch
When sync is working, the TV loads current account data and sends supported changes back to your IPTV Buddy account.
14. Manage Profiles on TV
Open Settings > Profile.
Available profile actions include:
- Current profile: choose the active profile
- Startup profile: choose Last used profile, Ask on startup, or a specific profile
- Resync current profile: reload current profile data when it looks outdated
- Delete current profile: remove local TV data for that profile
Deleting the current profile removes that profile’s local TV data. It does not delete your IPTV Buddy account.
15. Log Out of TV Pairing
Open Settings > Info > TV pairing and choose Log out.
Use this if:
- the TV was paired with the wrong account
- you want to pair the TV with a different account
- the device was removed from the account
- pairing state is invalid and the TV needs a fresh QR code
After logout, the TV returns to the QR pairing flow.
16. Understand TV VPN Kill Switch
When TV VPN Kill Switch is enabled, IPTV Buddy blocks IPTV-related network access on the TV whenever the TV is not connected through VPN.
This can affect:
- Live TV playback
- preview playback
- EPG updates
- VOD and series catalog updates
- program images
- trailers
- recordings
Common messages and states:
- Stream available only with an active VPN connection.
- The stream cannot be started because a VPN connection is required.
- VPN disconnected - preview stopped.
- EPG update blocked (VPN kill switch). It will be retried once a VPN connection is active.
- VOD/series update blocked (VPN kill switch). It will be retried once a VPN connection is active.
- Recording status: Waiting for VPN.
- Image blocked: VPN required (kill switch active).
This is expected behavior when the feature is enabled. Connect the TV to VPN or disable TV VPN Kill Switch for that TV device if this TV is allowed to use IPTV without VPN.
17. Understand Provider Connections and Subscription Messages
The TV can show provider connection information as active/maximum connections when provider data is available.
Playback or recording can be blocked when:
- provider credentials are missing
- no free provider connection is available
- the provider temporarily blocks a different IP or recent connection switch
- the IPTV Buddy subscription cannot be verified for the current account or TV
- the TV is not correctly linked to the subscription/account
If the TV asks you to check the IPTV Buddy subscription, open the mobile app and go to Settings > Subscription.
Troubleshooting
VOD or Series My List Is Empty
Add entries to My List in the mobile app, make sure the correct TV profile is active, and use Settings > Profile > Resync current profile.
The Catalog Header Has No Entries
Check provider credentials, active VOD/Series categories, and whether the catalog has finished updating. If TV VPN Kill Switch is enabled, connect VPN so catalog data can be refreshed.
Posters, Descriptions, or Episodes Are Missing
Provider metadata can be incomplete. IPTV Buddy can only show posters, descriptions, trailers, seasons, episodes, and ratings when the provider/catalog data contains them.
Continue Watching Does Not Appear
Continue Watching appears in main navigation only when there are saved resume entries. Watch part of a VOD or series episode, stop before the end, and wait for progress to be saved/synced.
Playback Stops When VPN Disconnects
TV VPN Kill Switch is enabled. Reconnect VPN on the TV or disable TV VPN Kill Switch for the device if playback without VPN is acceptable.
No Provider Connection Is Free
The provider connection limit is reached or could not be resolved. Stop another playback/recording session, wait for the provider to release the connection, or check provider account limits.
FAQ
Why Are My VOD or Series Entries Missing?
Make sure the correct profile is active, add entries to My List on the phone, and resync the current profile on TV. Also check whether the provider includes VOD/Series data.
Can I Browse the Full VOD or Series Catalog on TV?
The header area can browse catalog entries using category filter, search, and sorting. The main VOD/Series list is based on My List.
How Do I Update My List on TV?
Add or remove entries from My List in the detail overlay or manage the list on the phone, then let sync update the TV. Use Resync current profile if the TV looks outdated.
Why Do Some Entries Have No Poster or Description?
Posters, descriptions, ratings, trailers, seasons, and episode metadata depend on provider data. Missing provider metadata cannot be displayed by the TV app.
Does Continue Watching Sync Between Phone and TV?
Yes for supported VOD and Series progress when account sync is working. Continue Watching sync is mainly for VOD and Series; recordings may behave differently.
What Does TV VPN Kill Switch Do?
It blocks IPTV-related network access on the TV whenever the TV is not connected through VPN. This can block playback, updates, images, trailers, and recordings until VPN is active.
How Do I Pair the TV With Another Account?
Open Settings > Info > TV pairing > Log out. The TV returns to the QR pairing flow and can be paired again from the desired phone account.