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FAQ

What is the difference between the release and dev channels?​

The release channel is the latest tagged, stable version. The dev channel is rebuilt from every change merged into the main branch, so it has the newest features but may be less polished. See Download.

Does OpenTV provide any channels or content?​

No. OpenTV is only a player. You bring your own M3U playlist or Xtream subscription from your provider.

My Xtream login returns HTTP 404. What now?​

First check the server address and port. Many panels also reject unknown apps, so try a different User-Agent under Settings. If your provider uses a portal with a MAC address rather than a username and password, that is a Stalker portal, which is a different protocol that OpenTV does not currently support.

Is it really free and open source?​

Yes. The full source code is on GitHub under the GPL v3.0 license. There are no ads and no tracking.

Which Android versions are supported?​

Android 8.0 (API 26) and newer, including Android TV.

Can the Android app connect to my OpenTV server?​

Yes. A server is an additional source alongside your local M3U and Xtream playlists, which keep working unchanged. Connecting gives you the playlists your account is granted, favorites and watch progress synced across your devices, watch together, and downloads saved to the device. See Android app with your server.

Will an app update keep my playlists and downloads?​

Not when that release changes the catalog schema. OpenTV deliberately recreates opentv.db instead of running hand-written Room migrations, which removes local playlists, connected servers, favorites, resume points, download records, and other catalog-backed state. The APK still installs in place, and downloaded files may remain without records. Check Updating the app before installing.

Why is OpenTV not on the Play Store?​

It is distributed as an APK you install yourself. This keeps it free and open without store policies, and lets you choose between the release and dev channels.

How does OpenTV avoid getting me blacklisted?​

It is built to be gentle on your provider. It uses conditional requests so unchanged playlists and guides cost almost nothing, throttles refreshes, collapses duplicate requests, caches account status, and fetches deep guide data only when you open it.