What is M3U Extended Attributes?
Protocol Definition & Architecture: Definition And Guide
Technical Definition
The #EXTINF line in an M3U playlist carries key=value attributes that players use for metadata: tvg-id (EPG mapping), tvg-name, tvg-logo (icon URL), group-title (category), and optional tvg-shift for EPG offset. #EXTVLCOPT lines pass player options such as user-agent.
How It Operates Under the Hood
A line such as #EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="skysportsmainevent.uk" tvg-logo="https://.../logo.png" group-title="UK Sports",Sky Sports Main Event precedes the stream URL. get.php?type=m3u_plus emits these attributes; plain type=m3u omits them.
Beginner to Engineer Guide
M3U Extended Attributes matters to subscribers because it directly affects how quickly a channel starts, how stable it stays, and how the guide and catch-up behave. For resellers it determines which players and devices to recommend and which panel settings to expose.
Protocol Engineering Specifications
| Stream Engineering Metric | Reference Specification | Governing Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Mapping key | tvg-id |
XMLTV channel id |
| Category | group-title |
Player grouping |
| Options | #EXTVLCOPT:http-user-agent |
VLC-compatible |
| Transport Container | MPEG-TS (188 bytes: 4 B header + 184 B payload, 0x47 sync) |
ISO/IEC 13818-1 |
| Manifest Specification | Extended M3U8 playlist / LL-HLS 0.5 s parts |
IETF RFC 8216 |
| Decoder Pipeline | Hardware MediaCodec HEVC Main 10 (ExoPlayer / Media3) |
Android Media3 |
Xtream Codes v2 REST API Deep-Dive
Every modern player connects Reference Panel through the same HTTP handshake. The sequence below is what TiviMate, IPTV Smarters, and XCIPTV execute on login; you can reproduce each call in a browser or with curl.
1 Authentication handshake
GET http://line.server.example.com:8080/player_api.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD{
"user_info": {
"username": "USERNAME",
"status": "Active",
"auth": 1,
"exp_date": "1798761600",
"is_trial": "0",
"active_cons": "1",
"max_connections": "5",
"allowed_output_formats": ["m3u8", "ts", "rtmp"]
},
"server_info": {
"url": "line.server.example.com",
"port": "8080",
"https_port": "2086",
"server_protocol": "http",
"timezone": "UTC",
"timestamp_now": 1759795200
}
}auth must equal 1 and status "Active". exp_date is a Unix timestamp; max_connections caps concurrent streams; https_port exposes the TLS listener used to defeat SNI-based shaping.
2 Live category indexing & stream URL construction
GET http://line.server.example.com:8080/player_api.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&action=get_live_categories[
{ "category_id": "12", "category_name": "UK | SKY SPORTS", "parent_id": 0 },
{ "category_id": "18", "category_name": "USA | ESPN & FOX SPORTS", "parent_id": 0 },
{ "category_id": "41", "category_name": "24/7 | PPV EVENTS", "parent_id": 0 }
]GET http://line.server.example.com:8080/player_api.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&action=get_live_streams&category_id=12
# Stream URL template returned per stream_id:
http://line.server.example.com:8080/live/USERNAME/PASSWORD/STREAM_ID.ts
http://line.server.example.com:8080/live/USERNAME/PASSWORD/STREAM_ID.m3u83 EPG XMLTV synchronisation routine
curl -sS --compressed "http://line.server.example.com:8080/xmltv.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD" -o guide.xml
# Short-form EPG for a single channel (JSON, base64 descriptions):
GET http://line.server.example.com:8080/player_api.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&action=get_short_epg&stream_id=STREAM_ID&limit=4<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<tv generator-info-name="Reference Panel EPG">
<channel id="skysportsmainevent.uk">
<display-name>Sky Sports Main Event</display-name>
<icon src="https://cdn.example/logos/ssme.png"/>
</channel>
<programme start="20261006190000 +0000" stop="20261006210000 +0000" channel="skysportsmainevent.uk">
<title lang="en">Premier League Live</title>
<desc lang="en">Live coverage, 50 fps.</desc>
<category lang="en">Sports</category>
</programme>
</tv>4 M3U extended playlist equivalent
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="skysportsmainevent.uk" tvg-name="Sky Sports Main Event" tvg-logo="https://cdn.example/logos/ssme.png" group-title="UK | SKY SPORTS",Sky Sports Main Event FHD
http://line.server.example.com:8080/live/USERNAME/PASSWORD/10231.ts
# Full playlist export:
http://line.server.example.com:8080/get.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&type=m3u_plus&output=tsM3U Extended Attributes FAQ
What is M3U Extended Attributes in simple terms?
The #EXTINF line in an M3U playlist carries key=value attributes that players use for metadata: tvg-id (EPG mapping), tvg-name, tvg-logo (icon URL), group-title (category), and optional tvg-shift for EPG offset. #EXTVLCOPT lines pass player options such as user-agent.
What is the difference between m3u and m3u_plus?
m3u_plus includes tvg attributes and group titles; plain m3u lists only names and URLs.
What is the difference between Xtream Codes API, M3U URL, and Stalker Portal login?
All three deliver the same channels. Xtream Codes API uses player_api.php JSON endpoints so the player lazy-loads categories and EPG in seconds. An M3U URL (get.php) downloads a single text playlist of every stream, which is slow with 45,000 channels but works on any player. Stalker Portal authenticates by MAC address through a /c/ portal URL and is used by MAG receivers and some Smart TV apps.
Why is my EPG guide empty or showing programs at the wrong time?
Players fetch an XMLTV file from xmltv.php and match each channel by tvg-id. An empty guide means the player downloaded the file before the server finished its 15-minute refresh or the file exceeded the player size cap (set TiviMate EPG update to "never limit"). Wrong times are a timezone offset issue: XMLTV timestamps carry +0000 and the player must apply your local offset, so set an EPG shift of +1 or -5 hours in the channel settings rather than changing the device clock.
How far behind live are IPTV sports streams and can latency be reduced?
Standard HLS with 4-second segments and a 3-segment player window sits 12-18 seconds behind the broadcast. Low-Latency HLS with 0.5-second partial segments brings glass-to-glass delay to about 3.8 seconds, and raw MPEG-TS over HTTP (.ts output format) is typically 5-7 seconds behind. Choose the .ts output format in your player for live sports and reserve .m3u8 for VOD and catch-up.
What buffer size should I set in TiviMate, Smarters, or XCIPTV for 4K sports?
Set the largest option (5,000 ms in TiviMate, "Large" in Smarters). Buffer time in seconds equals buffer bytes multiplied by 8, divided by the stream bitrate in Mbps: a 15 MB allocation on an 18.5 Mbps 4K feed yields 6.5 seconds of protection, which covers typical ISP shaping bursts of 2-4 seconds without a visible freeze.
Do providers offer a free trial and how long does activation take?
Every network in this directory issues 24-hour trial lines from the reseller panel. Activation is instant: the panel writes the line to the Xtream database and the player can authenticate within 10 seconds. Trial lines are usually limited to 1 connection and exclude PPV bouquets.
Every external citation on this page points to a primary source: telecommunications RFCs, ITU-T and ISO codec standards, manufacturer and developer documentation, national regulators, or official sports governing bodies. No commercial IPTV competitor is cited.