Live TV: Television over the FRITZ!Box

If you operate your FRITZ!Box on a DSL connection that offers IP TV, you have the option of watching different unencrypted TV programs at the same time. The FRITZ!Box transmits the IP TV signal of your DSL line to all network devices in the home network. So you can follow the sports news on your tablet while a thriller is playing on the living room television.

Requirements

  • The FRITZ!Box must be connected with a DSL/IP TV connection from Telekom (Entertain) or Vodafone (Vodafone TV) and must establish its own connection to the Internet.
  • Every network device on which you want to watch TV programs must support Multicast technology.

    Information on whether your device supports Multicast is available in the device's documentation or from the manufacturer.

  • Sufficient DSL broadband is required to view multiple programs at the same time.

    For SD resolution a bandwidth of around 4 to 6 Mbit/s is required; for HD resolution of around 10 Mbit/s for each TV program played at the same time.

  • To play back encrypted TV programs you will need a media receiver (set top box) supplied by your IP TV provider.

Preparation

Checking the FRITZ!Box Settings

  1. In the FRITZ!Box user interface, open the "WLAN / Radio Channel" menu.
  2. Select the option "Adjust radio channel settings" in the "Radio Channel Settings" area.
  3. Enable the option "Optimize wireless transmission for live TV".
  4. Click "Apply" to save your settings.

Configuring Network Devices

  1. Install software or an app to playback video streams on each device that is to be used to watch television over the FRITZ!Box:
    • For computers with Windows, Mac OS or Linux, software like VLC and MPlayer are suitable.
    • For smartphones and tablets with Android, programs like Goodplayer are suitable for playing back SD programs, and VLC for playing back HD programs.
    • For iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad, iPod and touch, use software like VLC and Goodplayer.

Selecting and Playing Back a TV Program

  1. Open the FRITZ!Box user interface on the terminal device on which you would like to watch a certain TV program.
  2. On the "Overview" page, select the "Live TV" menu.

    Live TV

    A page opens showing all of the TV stations available:

    TV programs

    TV programs in the FRITZ!Box

  3. Bookmark this page in your browser so that you will be able to access the list of stations without opening the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  4. Select the station logo to watch its programming.

The TV program starts using the software you selected to play back video streams.