How to buy IPTV — everything you should know before paying

The most common mistake in the IPTV market is getting the order wrong: a person pays first and then finds out whether the service suits them. Whereas the correct order is the exact opposite. Below we have written out that order and what to watch for at each step — and what is written here will be useful to you even if you do not buy from us.

The short answer: six steps

Step 1 — decide what you are going to look at

The question «which IPTV is good» has no answer, because the measure of good changes from user to user. Before paying, answer these five questions for yourself:

• Which channels are compulsory? Write down the names of two or three. Those are the ones you will check first in the trial.
• Which language carries the weight? Turkish, Russian, Azerbaijani, or a mix? Packages differ in that proportion.
• How many screens will run at the same time? If you watch in turn, one subscription is enough; if two televisions will be on together, the plan changes.
• Which device will you watch on? The make and the age of the Smart TV, an Android box, a phone — that determines the installation method.
• Do sport or 4K matter to you? If they do, the requirements rise: both on the channel side and on the connection side.

That list is your «acceptance test». Starting a trial without writing it down is a waste of time.

Step 2 — check your internet before paying

The quality of IPTV depends on two sides: the server and your own line. The second one is under your control, so check it first. The practical measure is this: 8–10 Mbps for HD viewing, 12–15 Mbps for Full HD, 25 Mbps and above for 4K. If two screens will run at home at the same time, those figures add up.

More important than speed is stability. Run the speed test not once at midday but around 21:00 in the evening — that is the busiest hour for home connections. If the figure halves, there is no point looking for the problem at the IPTV provider. We have opened up the technical reasons in this article.

Step 3 — 8 criteria for choosing a provider

Check these eight criteria in order. Price is not at the top of the list — deliberately:

1. Openness. Are the prices, the subscription terms and the conditions written on the site? An answer of «message us and we will tell you» is a method that works by making comparison harder.
2. Showing the channel list. The phrase «10 thousand channels» says nothing on its own. Is a real list, split into categories, shown? Our list is open: channels.
3. A free trial. Is a trial offered, how long is it, and are card details asked for? Asking for a card for a trial is a warning sign in itself.
4. How fast support replies. There are plenty of sellers who answer within five minutes before the sale and go silent for three days after it. The trial period is there to measure that too.
5. Peak-hour performance. Whether there is freezing in the evening hours is the main indicator of a service; during the day everything looks fine.
6. Payment methods. A seller who offers traceable methods such as a bank card, m10 or E-pul is more reliable than one who only accepts anonymous transfers: payment methods.
7. Guarantee terms. What happens if a problem comes up? Is a condition written down, or is it passed over with «do not worry»? Our terms: guarantee.
8. Price and sustainability. If the price is very low, it means saving somewhere — usually on server capacity and on support. We have opened up the subject separately: what good-value IPTV means.

Step 4 — ask these questions before paying

These questions look technical but in fact they reveal how serious the seller is. The answers should be short and concrete; a tangled answer is itself an answer:

1. Is the subscription for one device, or are several screens possible at the same time?
2. Does switching devices in turn require an extra charge?
3. Can I see the channel list in advance? I have these three channels that matter to me — are they in the list?
4. What are the quality steps — which channels are HD, Full HD and 4K?
5. Is the film and series archive included in the subscription, or paid for separately?
6. Who does the installation and how long does it take?
7. How do I reach support when a problem comes up — is there an answer at night too?
8. When I renew, does my existing code stay, or does the installation have to be done again?
9. How long does activation take after payment?
10. What happens if the service does not work — what is your condition?

Keep the answers in the message thread. If something becomes muddled later, the history of the conversation is the most useful document you have.

The signs of a fraudulent seller

If several of the cases below coincide, do not pay. None of them is absolute proof on its own, but together the picture becomes clear:

• No free trial is given, or card details are demanded for the trial.
• The price is unusually low for the market and an urgent «today only» decision is demanded.
• The channel list is not shown; instead only a big number is quoted.
• There is only one anonymous account for contact: no site, no email, no fixed number.
• Payment is requested in a hurry and only by an untraceable method.
• Instead of answering questions the subject gets changed, or the reply is irritable.
• No argument is offered beyond naming and badmouthing competitors.
• After payment the tone of support changes sharply and reply times stretch into hours.
• You are asked for your television account password, your banking app login or an SMS code.

How to use the trial period properly

A trial is not there to answer the question «do the channels open» — they usually do. A trial is there to see the result at peak hour, over your own connection, on your own device. The short rule is this:

1. Start the trial in the evening, between 20:00 and 23:00; a daytime result is misleading.
2. Open the channels that matter to you first, do not waste time on general browsing.
3. Stay on one channel for 10–15 minutes without a break — freezing usually does not happen immediately.
4. Check over both Wi-Fi and cable so that you can isolate the source of a problem.
5. Note down what you saw: the time, the channel name, what happened. That note later becomes your most useful argument.

The full 10-point checklist and the rules for interpreting the result are in a separate article: how to test an IPTV trial stream properly. To start a trial: free trial.

Payment security

Paying for IPTV is no different from ordinary online shopping, so the same rules apply here:

• Choose a traceable method. With a bank card (with 3D Secure), m10 or E-pul a record of the transaction remains.
• Keep the receipt. A screenshot or a photo of the receipt also speeds up activation, and serves as proof if a dispute arises.
• Buy a short term first. If it is your first time, starting with a one-month package is sensible; once you are satisfied you move to a longer term.
• Give your passwords to nobody. Neither a banking password, nor an SMS code, nor your television account password is needed for the installation.
• Be careful with remote-control software. Installation is normally done with your own hands, following instructions; if full access to your computer is requested, ask why.

The full list of the methods we accept and the features of each: payment methods.

Choosing a package — which term suits you

The content of the three packages is identical; the difference is only in the term and therefore in the monthly cost. If you are buying for the first time a short term makes sense, and if you already know the service a long term does:

If several screens will run at the same time, look at the device plan: multi-device subscription. For all the figures: prices.

What happens after payment

The five mistakes buyers make most

• Paying without a trial. This is the most expensive mistake, because getting money back always ends in a dispute.
• Running the trial during the day. On a relaxed midday network every service looks good; the truth comes out in the evening.
• Looking only at the price. Saving one or two manats a month is not worth a frozen final minute of a football match.
• Not checking the channel list. Believing an answer of «we have everything» and then not finding your favourite channel is a very common occurrence.
• Ignoring the internet. On a weak line even the strongest server will produce no result.

The final checklist

Go through these five points before you press the payment button. If you say yes to all of them, your decision is an informed one:

• I saw the channels that matter to me on my own screen, over my own connection.
• I watched for at least 15 minutes without a break at peak hour.
• I know the price, the term and what is included, in writing.
• I measured the speed of support myself during the trial period.
• I am paying by a traceable method and keeping the receipt.

If the technical side of IPTV interests you: what IPTV is and on what principle it works. For the ordering stage there is the buy IPTV page.

Frequently asked questions

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