M3U vs Xtream Codes: which should you use?

The short answer

If your provider offers Xtream Codes, use it. Lounjy then shows the channels, movies, series and TV guide your provider offers, all in one go. An M3U link or file works too, but you may miss movies, series, the TV guide or Start over.

Two ways, same provider

Xtream Codes and M3U are two ways for a provider to deliver your channel list. What you can watch is usually the same. The difference is how Lounjy fetches it and what comes with it.

Xtream Codes is a login. You get a server address, a username and a password. The server address looks something like http://provider.example:8080. Lounjy uses it to ask your provider’s server what is available. Xtream Codes is the name of a way of logging in that many providers use. Lounjy has no connection with any service or company of that name.
M3U is a list. You get a link, such as http://provider.example:8080/list.m3u, or a file ending in .m3u or .m3u8. It lists the channels one after another, sometimes with a link to a TV guide.

Lounjy does not provide any channels, movies, series or playlists. You use your own subscription with a provider that holds the rights to what it offers. Your details are in the message your provider sent you, or in your account with them.

If you have no playlist yet, choose Add playlist on Home or under Live TV. You can also find it under Settings → Playlists. The Add playlist window opens. At the top there are two options: Xtream Codes and M3U playlist.

What you get with each

Xtream Codes

Choose Xtream Codes.
Enter the address under Server, then your Username and Password.
Choose Log in. Lounjy loads everything and shows you how far along it is.

When it is done, you see a summary. If your provider shares this, it includes your subscription details: its status, when it Expires, and how many Connections are in use. So you can see whether your subscription is still active and how many devices it allows at the same time.

With Xtream Codes, Lounjy shows what your provider offers:

live channels, sorted into groups;
movies and series, with episodes by season, if your provider offers them;
the TV guide, which Lounjy fetches by itself;
catch-up on channels your provider keeps an archive for (coming with Plus).

M3U

Choose M3U playlist.
Choose Choose an M3U file. Or paste the link under Or paste an M3U link and choose Load.

An M3U list mostly contains live channels. If it also has movies or series, Lounjy puts them under Movies and Series. Whether it does depends on how your provider builds the list.

A link and a file behave differently. Lounjy fetches a link again later if automatic updates are on (once a day by default), so new channels show up by themselves. A file stays as it is. To update it, load the file again. This adds it as a new playlist, so remove the old one afterwards. Your own channel layout does not carry over.

An M3U link that is really Xtream

Many M3U links contain get.php with your username and password in them. If you paste a link like that, Lounjy turns it into an Xtream login for you. Lounjy then also shows your provider’s movies, series and guide, if it offers them.

On a TV: use your phone

Typing with a remote is slow. In the Add playlist window, choose With your phone. Scan the QR code and enter your Xtream details or M3U link on your phone. This only works on your home network.

TV guide and catch-up

With Xtream Codes, the TV guide comes from your provider and Lounjy fetches it automatically. If your provider temporarily sends no programmes, the last guide stays in place and Lounjy fetches what is on now and next for each channel.

With M3U, you only get a guide if the list contains a link to one. This is called an XMLTV link. Lounjy finds it in the list by itself. If there is none, your playlist shows no TV guide. Ask your provider for an M3U link that includes the guide, or use Xtream Codes.

Some channels missing a guide, or the times are off? Go to Settings → Playlists and, in the TV guide row, choose Link TV guide (or Link (n) if some channels are not matched yet). It appears once the guide has been fetched. Lounjy suggests which guide channel belongs to which channel, and you can set a time shift. There is more about this in the TV guide article.

Watching a programme from the beginning with Start over is coming with Plus. It only works with Xtream Codes, and only on channels your provider keeps an archive for. The channel also needs guide data, so Lounjy knows when the programme started. With an M3U playlist, Lounjy does not offer it. Rewinding a little in what you just watched live works with both.

Keeping your details safe

Treat your details like a password. That goes for an M3U link too: it often has your username and password right in it.

Lounjy stores your password and M3U link encrypted on your own device, in the secure storage of Windows or Android. They are never sent to us.
A Lounjy backup does not contain passwords. You enter them again when you restore it.
Do not share a screenshot of your login or link. Anyone who has it can watch on your subscription.
If your provider’s address starts with http:// rather than https://, the connection to your provider is not encrypted. That is up to your provider, not Lounjy.

Our advice

Does your provider offer Xtream Codes? Use it. Lounjy loads everything at once, the guide comes along by itself, and you can see when your subscription expires, if your provider shares this.
Only have an M3U link? Paste it under Or paste an M3U link. If the link contains get.php, it becomes an Xtream login automatically.
Only have a file? That works, but Lounjy cannot update it by itself. If you can, ask your provider for a link instead.

Not sure which details you have? Ask your provider. We do not have your details and cannot look them up.

Ready to start? Download Lounjy for Windows, Android or Android TV.