In this workshop we’ll setup your computer to watch TV, so you are no longer bound to the Set-top Box from your ISP.

Pre requisites :

IPTV enabled account from your Provider. (i.e. Télé vun der Post here in Luxembourg)

Software used in this Workshop

• Wireshark  – used to find IPTV Streams in your Network
• VLC – Used to watch IPTV Streams
• Tano – Used to create Channel lists, can also watch IPTV Streams (alternative link)
• XBMC – optional, a Media Center for best playback experience

Find IPTV Streams in your Network

Open up Wireshark:

Wireshark – Select your Network Interface (usuall Local Area Connection) and start a capture

After a few seconds, click on the stop icon to stop recording.

In the listing, locate a few frames with DTS in the beginning of the source. (see capture below)

You’ll usually find needed information here, such as Destination IP (DST), Port (DST Port) and Protocol, User Datagram Protocol (a.k.a UDP)

Note down that information, we’ll need it later.

Wireshark – Details of a captured IPTV Frame

Test an watch IPTV in VLC

Open up VLC

VLC – Click on “Media” -> “Open Network Stream”

VLC –  Select “Network Tab” , then insert udp://@IP-found-with-Wireshark:DSTPort as URL
i.e. udp@224.11.0.47:8008

This is the IP for the channel RTL Nitro used by Post TV here in Luxembourg.

Then click on “Play” and enjoy !

To watch another channel , simply change the IP (last segment of digits , i.e 224.11.0.47 to 224.11.0.76)

VLC – Playing IPTV Stream

Create a Channel List

Open Tano

Tano – Click “Options” -> “Edit Channels”

Tano – If asked for an existing playlist, click “Cancel”

Tano – Enter the first 3 Segments of the IP you found in Wireshark and also the Destination Port. Then click “Scan and update”
i.e 224.11.0 , Port 8008

Scanning will start, and will show you the results after some minutes.

Tano – Click the Save Button to create a Channel List

Save the Channel list to a safe location and remember where you put it.

Tano -Saving of the Channel List

Done, you can now close the Playlist Editor.

By the way, you can also watch the IPTV Channels with Tano !

Tano – Confirm closing of the Playlist Editor

Clean up your Channel List

You can edit the newly created Channel List in a text editor (like Notepad) to put the correct TV Channel Names(instead of the misleading “New Channel from scan…..”

Notepad++ – Correcting the Channel Names

Watch IPTV in XBMC

XBMC – Go to “System” -> “Settings”

XBMC – Select “Live TV”

XBMC – Click to Enable Live TV

XBMC – Confirm the warning message

XBMC – Select “PVR IPTV Simple Client”

Note : If the PVR IPTV Simple Client isn’t listed, you can add via the Add-ons Manager (from XBMC main Menu)

XBMC – Select “Local Path” for File Location, and point to your previously saved M3U Channel List File (from Tano)

XBMC – Finally enable the PVR add-on

XBMC – A new Option has appeared in the main Menu

XBMC – Watching TV