The New Apple TV 4K Still Can't Run TiviMate - Here's What IPTV Users Get Instead

Apple's new Apple TV 4K adds AV1, Wi-Fi 7 and Ethernet on every box - but for IPTV, the big question is still which apps it can run.

Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K on 13 October, with pre-orders open now and delivery from 13 November at $299.

The short version for IPTV viewers: it is a very capable live TV box, but TiviMate still does not exist for it, and nothing can be sideloaded.

Here is what really changes for IPTV, which apps fill the gap, and whether the Apple TV you already own is good enough.

What's New in the Apple TV 4K (2026)

• A19 chip. Apple says it is up to 50% faster on the CPU and twice as fast on graphics as the old A15.
• AV1 decoding in hardware. AV1 is the newer, more efficient video codec that YouTube and other big services use.
• Wi-Fi 7 and Gigabit Ethernet on the only model, which has 128GB of storage.
• Hands-free Siri through three built-in microphones, and a remote you can find with Find My.
• Same picture formats as before - 4K at up to 60 frames per second, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos.

The price is the part people are grumbling about. The two previous models were most recently $199 and $249, so $299 for a single model is a real jump.

What It Means for IPTV

Ethernet on every box is the quiet win. Live channels stutter far less on a cable than on Wi-Fi. The old 64GB Apple TV had no Ethernet port at all, so that excuse is gone.

AV1 matters less than it sounds. Most IPTV channels still stream in H.264 or HEVC, which Apple TV boxes have decoded in hardware for years. The AV1 chip helps YouTube and the big streaming apps more than your playlist.

There is still no DTS. Apple's spec page lists Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Atmos, but no DTS. If your channels or movie files carry DTS sound, check that your player app handles it before you pay for anything.

Why TiviMate Still Isn't on Apple TV

TiviMate is built for Android only - Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV and Android boxes. There is no Apple TV or iPhone version.

Apple TV also installs apps from the App Store and nowhere else. There is no "unknown sources" switch and no Downloader app, so you cannot sideload an APK the way you could on older Fire Sticks.

Amazon has just closed the same door on its own new stick. As we covered in The New Fire TV Stick 4K Can't Run Kodi, its new Vega system is App Store only too.

IPTV Apps That Do Run on Apple TV

The App Store has plenty of IPTV players, and three stand out. Prices below are App Store prices at the time of writing.

• IPTVX - the closest thing to TiviMate, with a TV guide grid, catch-up and multi-screen. It is free to try, and the full version is $3.99 a month or $28.99 a year.
• iPlayTV - a one-off $5.99 purchase made for Apple TV, with M3U and Xtream playlists and a TV guide. Its last update was in September 2025, so it moves slowly.
• VLC - free and plays almost any stream you point it at. There is no channel guide, so it suits a quick test better than daily viewing.

Before you pay for an app, paste your playlist into our free M3U Checker. It shows which channels are online, so you do not spend money finding out the list is dead.

Should You Upgrade?

• You own a 2021 or 2022 Apple TV 4K. Keep it - the same IPTV apps run on it, and Apple is bringing the new Siri to it in beta.
• Your channels buffer on Wi-Fi. A network cable fixes more than a new chip will - upgrade only if your current box has no Ethernet port.
• You want TiviMate above everything. Skip Apple TV and pick an Android TV or Google TV box instead, usually for a fraction of the price.
• You are leaving a Fire Stick that can no longer sideload. Apple TV is the polished choice - just expect to pay for your IPTV app as well as the box.

Watching on something else as well? Our guide to the best free IPTV players for every other device covers Android, Windows and Fire TV.

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