How to set up IPTV on Roku players and Roku TVs

Start the free trial or open your activation email to get three things: the server URL, your username and your password. Keep them to hand.

Note that these go into a player on your phone, tablet or laptop — not into the Roku. The Roku's job in this setup is to be a display, nothing more.

On the Roku home screen, open Settings and look for Apple AirPlay and HomeKit. If that menu is present, switch AirPlay to On — your model supports AirPlay 2, and this is the better of the two routes.

If the menu is absent, your Roku is older or an entry-level model. Go to Settings, then System, then Screen mirroring, and set Screen mirroring mode to Prompt or Always allow. This enables Miracast, which Android phones and Windows laptops can use.

Both the Roku and the casting device must be on the same network. If your router runs separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network names, put both on the same one — devices on different bands frequently cannot discover each other.

On iPhone or iPad, install a player from the App Store that supports Xtream Codes login — our Apple guide covers the current options in detail.

On Android, IPTV Smarters Pro or TiviMate. On Windows, IPTV Smarters Pro for the full guide, or VLC if you only need playback.

This is the part that determines your experience. Because the player runs on the source device rather than the Roku, you get the complete interface, the full programme guide and catch-up — none of which a Roku M3U player will give you.

Open the player and choose the Xtream Codes API or Login option — not Add playlist or M3U URL. The login route is what gives you the guide, catch-up and on-demand catalogue.

Enter the server URL, username and password exactly as issued, including the port number in the URL. Copy and paste rather than typing: a capital I read as a lowercase l accounts for most first-attempt failures.

Let the channel list and guide finish loading before you cast. Doing the initial load over the local screen is faster and makes any credential problem obvious while it is still easy to diagnose.

On iPhone or iPad: start playing a channel, then swipe into Control Centre, tap Screen Mirroring and pick your Roku from the list. Accept the prompt that appears on the television.

On Android: open the notification shade and tap Cast, Smart View or Wireless projection depending on the manufacturer, then choose the Roku. On Windows, press the Windows key and K together and select the Roku from the panel.

Once mirroring is active, set the player to full screen and rotate the phone to landscape. Everything you do on the source device now appears on the television.

If tying up a phone every evening is unappealing, search the Roku Channel Store for 'M3U' or 'IPTV player'. Only install one whose description explicitly states M3U playlist support, and read recent reviews — this corner of the store turns over quickly.

You will add your M3U URL rather than an Xtream Codes login, which means a channel list but a limited or absent programme guide and no catch-up. That is a limitation of the Roku platform, not of the subscription.

Treat any instruction to install a 'private channel' using a code with suspicion. Roku has heavily restricted non-certified channel installation, and guides recommending it are usually out of date.

Be honest with yourself about how often you will watch. Casting is fine occasionally and tiresome daily — it occupies a phone, drains its battery, and drops if someone uses the phone.

A Fire TV Stick or a cheap Android TV box costs $30 to $50 once, plugs into a spare HDMI input, and runs a native player with the full guide, catch-up, recording and a remote built for the job. Keep the Roku for the apps it does well and change input for live television.

We would rather tell you this than have you conclude the service is mediocre when the platform is the actual constraint.