An IPTV subscription is only as good as the app you watch it through. On Android TV in particular, the player app is what supplies the programme guide, favourites, catch-up and search — the things that make a channel list feel like a proper TV service instead of a folder of links. Here’s how the most popular Android TV players compare.
TiviMate
TiviMate is the most widely recommended IPTV player for Android TV, and it’s the app used throughout our own Installation Guide. Its free tier covers everything most people need — a clean grid-style guide, channel favourites and multi-profile support — while the optional premium tier adds features like a picture-in-picture channel bar and catch-up TV. It’s built specifically for the Android TV remote-and-10-foot-interface experience, which is where it edges out most alternatives.
IPTV Smarters Pro
IPTV Smarters Pro is completely free and available on almost every platform — Android TV, Android phones, iOS, Windows and Mac — so it’s a solid pick if you want one app and one login experience across every device in the house. The interface is straightforward: live TV, movies and series are separated into clear tabs, with a built-in EPG and parental control options.
GSE Smart IPTV
GSE Smart IPTV supports a wide range of playlist formats and login methods, which makes it a flexible fallback if another app isn’t behaving. It’s also one of the more popular choices on Apple devices, so it suits households mixing Android TV with an iPhone or iPad.
OTT Navigator
OTT Navigator is aimed at more hands-on users. It offers deeper control over EPG sources, timeshift and buffering settings than most players expose, plus a built-in channel editor. The trade-off is a busier settings menu — worth it if you like to fine-tune, less so if you just want to press play.
Perfect Player
Perfect Player is a lightweight, no-frills option that’s been around for years. It’s a good fit for older or lower-powered Android boxes where heavier apps can feel sluggish, trading some visual polish for a smaller footprint and fast start-up.
Setting one up with Nartiel8K
Whichever app you choose, the setup pattern is the same: install it from the Play Store, open it, choose the Xtream Codes (or M3U) login method, then enter the username, password and server URL from your Nartiel8K welcome email. For the full click-by-click walkthrough — plus separate steps for Firestick, Smart TV, Apple, Windows/Mac and more — see our Installation Guide, or message us on WhatsApp and we’ll talk you through it.