Short answer: the PVR IPTV Simple Client is an official Kodi add-on that turns an M3U playlist and an XMLTV guide into Kodi's full Live TV section, with a guide grid, channel groups and timeshift. Install it from Kodi's own repository under Add-ons → Install from repository → PVR clients, point it at your playlist and guide addresses, and restart. The catch: it reads M3U and XMLTV, not Xtream-style logins directly, and a guide that doesn't line up with the channels is the most common problem, fixed by matching IDs rather than reinstalling.
At a glance
IPTV Simple Client in brief
| What it is | Official Kodi PVR add-on, free, open source |
| Where to find it | Add-ons → Install from repository → PVR clients |
| Reads | M3U playlist + XMLTV guide |
| Current Kodi | 21.3 'Omega' stable; 22 'Piers' in beta |
| Runs on | Android, Google TV, Fire OS, Windows, Mac, Linux |
What the add-on does
Kodi on its own is a media centre. Its Live TV and Radio sections stay empty until a PVR client add-on connects them to a source of channels. PVR IPTV Simple Client is the one for internet playlists.
It reads two things: an M3U playlist, which lists channels and their stream addresses, and optionally an XMLTV file, which carries programme listings. From those, Kodi builds a channel list, a scrollable guide, channel groups and search.
It's maintained within the Kodi project's own PVR add-on family, published in the official repository and licensed as open source. There's no need for third-party repositories or 'builds', which are the usual route for malware and unlicensed content on Kodi.
Before you start
Use an official Kodi. Download from kodi.tv or your device's official app store. The current stable release is Kodi 21.3 'Omega', released in December 2025; Kodi 22 'Piers' is still in beta and best kept to spare devices. Some app stores lag behind the website on updates.
Get an M3U address. If your provider gave you an Xtream login (server, username, password), ask for the equivalent M3U link; most can generate one from the same account.
Get the guide address, usually an XMLTV link ending in .xml or .xml.gz, or containing xmltv.php.
Everything you add should come from a licensed service. Kodi's team is explicit that it doesn't endorse unlicensed content, and the add-on contains none.
Installing the add-on
1. Open Kodi and go to Settings (the cog) → Add-ons.
2. Choose Install from repository → PVR clients.
3. Select PVR IPTV Simple Client and press Install. Accept any dependencies Kodi offers.
4. When it finishes, open the add-on again and choose Configure.
On some Linux distributions the PVR add-ons are packaged separately (for example as a kodi-pvr-iptvsimple package), so if PVR clients is empty, install it through your system's package manager.
Configuring playlist and guide
| Setting | Where | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| M3U playlist | General → Location: Remote path | Your M3U web address |
| Local file instead | General → Location: Local path | Browse to a downloaded .m3u |
| Cache playlist | General | On for a remote list that rarely changes |
| Guide (XMLTV) | EPG → Location: Remote path | Your XMLTV web address |
| Guide time shift | EPG | Hours to add or subtract if times are off |
| Channel logos | Channel logos | Use the playlist's logos, or a folder of your own |
After saving, Kodi asks to restart the add-on. Then open TV from the main menu: channels appear first, and the guide fills in over the next minute or two as Kodi imports it.
Multiple providers. Recent Kodi versions let you add more than one instance of the add-on, each with its own playlist and guide, which is handy if you have a broadcaster's free list alongside a paid service.
Getting the guide to match
An empty or mismatched guide is the problem people hit most, and it's almost never the add-on's fault.
How matching works. Each channel line in the M3U can carry a tvg-id. Kodi matches it to the channel ID in the XMLTV file. If the playlist has no tvg-id, the add-on falls back to matching by channel name, which is less reliable.
Check both files. Open the playlist in a text editor and look at a channel's tvg-id, then search for the same ID in the guide file. If they differ, that channel will stay blank.
Times an hour out? Use the EPG time-shift setting, or the tvg-shift attribute per channel, rather than changing your device's clock.
Clearing stale data. After changing guide settings, Settings → PVR & Live TV → Guide → Clear data forces a fresh import.
Useful features once it works
Groups. The playlist's group-title values become Kodi channel groups, so you can browse Sport or News separately and build your own groups too.
Timeshift. Kodi can pause and rewind live channels using a buffer on your device. Enable it under Settings → PVR & Live TV → Playback.
Catch-up. If your provider offers catch-up and publishes the right attributes in the playlist, the add-on can play past programmes from the guide.
Radio. Channels marked as radio in the playlist appear under Kodi's Radio section rather than TV.
Recording isn't built into this add-on. Kodi records when paired with a backend that supports it, such as a separate PVR server.
Kodi on sticks and TV boxes
Kodi runs almost everywhere, but the experience varies more than with lighter apps.
Google TV and Android TV. Install Kodi from the Play Store where it's current for your device, or from kodi.tv. A box with 2 GB of memory or more, such as an NVIDIA Shield or Google TV Streamer, handles large guides comfortably.
Fire TV. Kodi isn't in the Amazon Appstore, so it only runs on Android-based Fire OS models, installed from kodi.tv. The Vega OS sticks can't run it at all.
Low-power sticks. On entry-level hardware, keep the guide to a few days, use a filtered playlist and switch to a lighter skin if menus lag.
Windows, Mac and Linux. The desktop versions are the most capable and the easiest place to set things up; a laptop is also the easiest way to type long playlist addresses.
Remote typing. Kodi's official remote apps and its web interface let you paste addresses from a phone or computer instead of typing them on a TV keyboard.
Troubleshooting
'Playlist is empty' or no channels. Paste the M3U address into a browser: if it doesn't download a text file, the address or account is wrong.
Channels listed but won't play. Test the same stream in VLC. If it fails there too, the stream is the problem.
Very slow start-up. Large playlists and guides take time to parse, especially on sticks. Ask your provider for a smaller, filtered list, and turn on playlist caching.
Changes don't appear. Kodi caches aggressively. Disable and re-enable the add-on, or clear the channel and guide data under PVR & Live TV settings.
Everything broke after an update. Check that Kodi and the add-on versions match. An Omega add-on won't load in Piers, and the reverse.
How it compares with dedicated players
Strengths: free, open source, maintained by a non-profit project, identical on Android, Windows, Mac and Linux, and hugely configurable.
Weaknesses: slower to set up, heavier on low-power sticks, no native Xtream login, and a guide that's functional rather than slick.
If you're on Android TV and want the smoothest channel-surfing experience, a dedicated player such as TiviMate is quicker to use day to day; our best IPTV player app guide compares the options. If you just need to check a link works, VLC is quicker still. Kodi sits in between, and suits people who already use it for their own films and music.
Quick answers
What is PVR IPTV Simple Client? An official, free Kodi add-on that loads an M3U playlist and XMLTV guide into Kodi's Live TV section, with a guide, channel groups and timeshift.
Where do I find IPTV Simple Client in Kodi? Settings, then Add-ons, Install from repository, PVR clients, then PVR IPTV Simple Client.
Does IPTV Simple Client support Xtream Codes logins? Not directly. It reads M3U playlists and XMLTV guides. Most providers can supply an M3U link for the same account.
Why is my Kodi TV guide empty? Usually the channel IDs in the playlist don't match those in the guide file, or no guide address has been added. Check the tvg-id values and clear the guide data after changes.
Can Kodi record IPTV channels? Not with IPTV Simple Client alone. It supports timeshift and, where the provider supports it, catch-up. Recording needs a separate PVR backend.
Which Kodi version should I use? Kodi 21.3 'Omega' is the current stable release. Kodi 22 'Piers' is still in beta.
Is IPTV Simple Client legal? Yes. It's an official Kodi add-on that contains no content. Legality depends on the playlist you add, which should come from a licensed provider.
Kodi's menu names and add-on settings shift between major versions, and Kodi 22 'Piers' will move out of beta during its release cycle. Checked September 2026.