Hey,

Try Prog TV for Windows

DVBViewer is excellent (paid) middleware. They recently added m3u support so you can merge IPTV channels with channels from a DVB card. It also supports most forms of EPG via external tools, including XMLTV, meaning you can have your own EPG instead of the provider's if you wish.

I've been using DVBViewer for months and it's been excellent.

https://yasem.stbemu.com/en

Works

I'm with you guys on this. I too wish we had more options.

Im an android phone guy, and have no issues with iptv on that.

But when it comes to getting iptv on my microsoft surface (tablet laptop combo) I can't really so anything with it.

Disappointing for sure. I've even used Android emulators with stb emu and the experience was less than ideal.

But I guess technically, people use Windows etc for mostly productive stuff I guess. My htpc was Windows and while I love home theatres, windows wasn't cutting it. Lack of native remotes and stuff just make it... Not really ideal for media in the living room in general. I fixed this with some flirc devices, but for the mainstream public the work involved (and cost) prohibit anyone using a Windows PC as a mainstream media centre.

I don't think pcs will ever completely replace set top boxes

You have to understand that Kodi started as XMBC, Xbox Media Files Player and it is not meant to do what it has been made to do, does not even include a native TV Tuner sublayer for Live TV on itself, instead later on the API was made for it, which is nowhere at the level of having a properly coded TV side, let alone that its one of the worst coded apps ever. From simply playing media files, it moved to pirated movies and sources, and sure IPTV provides followed with their equally crap plugins to satisfy the pirating Kodi user base with their IPTV services. Nasty chinese boxes running crippled Android sprung up, with STB emulition for acting the MAG interface, its simply not made for TV.

For HTPC use, I'm guessing best solution is to get a cheap mini-PC with Linux and compile OpenPLI Enigma image, at least have a properly functioning IPTV only box that does one thing and does it good natively, otherwise a cheapo Enigma box, does the job with no emulation but with proper DVB decoding.

I'd suggest that you just try an IPTV service on your PC through Kodi, VLC, or Perfect Player. I spent quite a while doing the research and listening to people say that Kodi was terrible for IPTV and came really close to wasting money on an STB. After finally trying it I came to the conclusion that STB resellers are just spreading false information to make a sale. YMMV.

A friend of mine runs Kodi on his PC and uses the Yatse app on his phone as a controller and is happy with his setup.

I primarily use Kodi and sometimes VLC as a backup.

Kodi with IPTV Simple Client is clean. I just don't like the VOD playback - as you can't pause it.

VLC on the other hand is excellent for VOD, but not good for live tv

Bluestacks -> STB Emu

Not just for IPTV apps, but I think it stems from the market shifting to mobile, which Windows missed the boat on (Windows Phone/Mobile is all but dead).

Kinda of a shame. I have a perfectly good loaded up Intel Nuc sitting around I'd love to use as an all in one streaming/IPTV device but there's just nothing good there for it. Unless I wanna throw a Kodi based OS on it (I don't).