ChannelSurfWhat you need
Use Xtream details supplied directly by a provider you are authorized to access. ChannelSurf needs three values. Spelling, capitalization and punctuation matter for all of them.
- Server
- The base HTTP or HTTPS address, including a port when the provider specifies one—for example,
https://example.invalid:8443. - Username
- The exact account username. It may differ from the email used for billing.
- Password
- The exact provider password. ChannelSurf hides it by default while allowing you to reveal it for careful verification.
The server field should normally stop at the hostname and optional port. Do not append /player_api.php, live-stream paths, username parameters, or an M3U download query unless your provider explicitly documents a nonstandard base path.
Connect the account
- Open ChannelSurf and choose Set up ChannelSurf or Add profile.
- Name the profile. This keeps its provider connection, local favorites and history separate from other household profiles.
- On Connect provider, choose Xtream Codes.
- Enter the base address in Server, then enter the account Username and Password.
- Continue. ChannelSurf authenticates against the provider API, opens the live lineup, and loads larger movie and series catalogs in the background.
If your provider gave you only one long URL, first identify whether it is actually an M3U playlist. Do not extract credentials or convert formats with an unfamiliar third-party website; ask the provider for its supported login details or use the M3U setup guide.
What ChannelSurf loads
A successful Xtream connection can expose live categories and streams, movie categories and metadata, series, seasons and episodes, account status, short EPG data, and a full XMLTV guide endpoint. The exact library depends on the provider’s implementation and on what the account is entitled to access.
ChannelSurf opens live TV first instead of making you wait for the entire VOD catalog. If the home screen appears before every movie or series category is visible, leave the app open briefly while background loading completes.
How the Xtream program guide works
After authentication, ChannelSurf can construct the provider’s XMLTV endpoint from the same base address, username and password. You normally do not need to find or enter a separate XMLTV URL for an Xtream profile.
Program availability and timing still come from the provider. If live channels work but listings do not, check the XMLTV troubleshooting guide and confirm the account actually returns guide data.
Troubleshoot Xtream authentication
“Authentication failed”
Recheck all three fields, particularly letter case and accidental spaces. Confirm the account has not expired or been disabled. If another device is streaming, stop it temporarily in case the provider enforces a strict connection limit.
The server will not connect
Confirm the protocol and port. http:// and https:// are not interchangeable when the provider supports only one. A web browser may also upgrade an address or hide a port, so use the exact base address provided for player apps.
Live TV loads, but movies or series are incomplete
Large catalogs load after the live lineup. Wait for background loading, then refresh the provider from ChannelSurf settings. If a category remains missing, it may not be returned for this account.
Channels load, but playback is rejected
Authentication and streaming can fail separately. The account may be at its connection limit, the individual channel may be offline, or the provider may issue a format the current device cannot decode. Test more than one channel before changing the profile.
Account security
Store the provider details only on devices you control. Do not email them to support, paste them into public diagnostics, publish a screen recording of the login form, or put the full server request into an issue tracker. When diagnosing a host problem, the hostname and error code are usually enough after the username, password, query and path have been redacted.