What it is underneath
Despite the Chromecast name, this is not the old casting-only dongle. It runs Google TV, which sits on top of Android TV, and it has a remote and a full app store of its own.
For IPTV that matters in one specific way: the mainstream players are available directly from the Play Store, so there is no workaround involved. What you install here is the same software you would install on any other Android TV device.
Installing a player
Open the Play Store on the device, search for the player you intend to use, and install it. Our guide to the best IPTV players covers which suits which kind of viewing, and the setup guide covers the login itself.
Enter the details you were sent, give the guide a few minutes to populate, and you are watching. On a device this small the first load of a large channel list can take longer than you expect; that is normal and it settles after the first run.
The two things that catch people out
Storage fills up quickly
The 4K model ships with roughly 8GB of storage and rather less once the system has taken its share. A player, its cache and a downloaded guide can use a surprising amount of that, and Google TV itself keeps recommendations cached on top.
If the device starts to feel slow or an app refuses to update, storage is the first thing to check. Our guide on clearing cache and freeing space walks through what is safe to remove.
There is no Ethernet socket
The device is powered over USB-C and has no network port. For most homes Wi-Fi is fine, but live television is less forgiving of a weak signal than on-demand video is.
If the dongle sits behind a television, at the far end of the house from the router, that is worth addressing before you blame the service. Either move the router, improve the signal, or use a USB-C hub with an Ethernet port. Our comparison of Ethernet and Wi-Fi for IPTV explains when the cable is genuinely worth the trouble.
Sideloading, and whether you need it
Because this is Android underneath, you can install applications that are not in the Play Store using a downloader utility. People do this to get a specific player, or a version of one, that Google TV does not list in their country.
It is a legitimate thing to do, but it is not usually necessary. Try the store first. If the player you want is there, sideloading only adds a step that can break at the next update.
Casting, and when it still helps
The casting feature the original Chromecast was named for is still there, and it is occasionally the quicker option. If a film is already open on your phone, sending it to the television saves navigating a remote.
For live television it is the worse choice. Casting adds a step to the chain and a delay with it, and the phone has to stay awake and connected. Use the player on the device itself for anything live, and treat casting as a convenience for the occasional clip.
It is also worth separating the two ideas: casting sends a stream the television then fetches itself, while mirroring copies the phone screen. Mirroring is the more fragile of the two and the one that suffers most on fast movement.
A first-run checklist
Most complaints about a new device come from judging it during the first five minutes, when it is still downloading a guide and updating itself in the background. Give it half an hour before deciding anything.
- Connect the device and let it complete its own updates before installing anything
- Install one player rather than three, and give it your details
- Wait for the guide to finish loading before judging speed — the first load is always the slowest
- Play a live channel for ten minutes rather than flicking through the list
- Check the storage remaining once everything is installed, and clear the cache if it is already tight
The remote
The Google TV remote is deliberately minimal. There is no number pad, which matters more than it sounds if you are used to typing a channel number.
Players differ in how well they cope with this. Those built for a remote rather than a touchscreen handle navigation, favourites and the guide far more comfortably on a device like this. It is worth trying more than one before settling.
HD or 4K model
If you are choosing between them for IPTV specifically, the extra memory in the 4K model is the reason to pay more, not the resolution.
- The 4K model has more memory and more storage, and is the one to get if you have the choice
- The HD model works, but the storage limit bites sooner
- Neither model changes the picture you receive — resolution comes from the channel, not the dongle
Keeping it running well
Restart the device occasionally rather than leaving it in standby for weeks. Keep a little storage free. If a channel list has grown very large, expect the guide to take longer to load than it does on a more powerful box.
If playback starts to stutter after a period of working fine, the cause is more often the network or a full device than the service. Our buffering guide works through the order to check things in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install IPTV Smarters on a Chromecast with Google TV?
Yes. It runs Android TV underneath, so the mainstream players install from the Play Store in the normal way.
Do I still need to cast from my phone?
No. This model has its own remote and its own apps. Casting is available but it is no longer the main way to use the device.
Why does the device run out of storage?
There is only about 8GB to begin with, and the system, the apps, their caches and the guide all share it. Clearing app cache regularly is the simplest fix.
Can I connect it to Ethernet?
Not directly — there is no socket. A USB-C hub with an Ethernet port works, and is worth considering if the Wi-Fi signal where the television sits is weak.
Is the 4K model worth it over the HD one?
For IPTV, yes, but for the extra memory and storage rather than the resolution. The picture you get depends on the channel, not the dongle.