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Abdou Jel
Abdou Jel

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How to Build a Custom IPTV Player with React and M3U Playlists

#react #iptv #m3u #webdev

Building your own IPTV player gives you full control over your viewing experience — custom UI, no ads, and access to the channels you care about. In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a simple IPTV web player using React and M3U playlists.

Whether you’re a developer looking to experiment or just want a more personalized setup, this tutorial is for you.

Why Build Your Own IPTV Player?

Most IPTV users rely on apps like Tivimate or Kodi, but web developers can take it a step further:

  • Design your own UI
  • Watch from any browser/device
  • Organize your channels your way
  • Avoid third-party bloatware

With tools like Vast IPTV, you can use a reliable M3U IPTV source to test your player with hundreds of global channels.

What You’ll Need

  • React (via Vite or Create React App)
  • HLS.js (for .m3u8 stream playback)
  • An M3U playlist URL
  • Tailwind CSS or plain CSS (optional styling)

1. Set Up the Project 

npm create vite@latest iptv-player -- --template react
cd iptv-player
npm install
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Install HLS.js:

npm install hls.js
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2. Parse Your M3U Playlist

To display channels, you’ll need to parse the M3U file. You can either:

  • Use a simple custom parser (for short lists)
  • Fetch a pre-parsed list from your IPTV provider

For testing, grab a reliable list from Vast IPTV.

Example parser snippet:

function parseM3U(m3uText: string) {
  const lines = m3uText.split("\n");
  const channels = [];
  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
    if (lines[i].startsWith("#EXTINF")) {
      const title = lines[i].split(",")[1];
      const url = lines[i + 1];
      channels.push({ title, url });
    }
  }
  return channels;
}
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3. Build the Player UI

Let’s create a simple layout with a video player and a channel list:

import Hls from 'hls.js';
import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';

function Player({ src }) {
  const videoRef = useRef();

  useEffect(() => {
    if (Hls.isSupported()) {
      const hls = new Hls();
      hls.loadSource(src);
      hls.attachMedia(videoRef.current);
    } else if (videoRef.current.canPlayType('application/vnd.apple.mpegurl')) {
      videoRef.current.src = src;
    }
  }, [src]);

  return <video ref={videoRef} controls autoPlay className="w-full h-96" />;
}
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Add channel selection:

function App() {
  const [channels, setChannels] = useState([]);
  const [current, setCurrent] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetch("/playlist.m3u")
      .then(res => res.text())
      .then(text => setChannels(parseM3U(text)));
  }, []);

  return (
    <div className="p-4">
      {current && <Player src={current} />}
      <ul className="mt-4">
        {channels.map((ch, i) => (
          <li key={i}>
            <button onClick={() => setCurrent(ch.url)}>{ch.title}</button>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}
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4. Stream from a Real IPTV Source

Now you can test your player using a reliable IPTV service. We recommend using a trusted M3U IPTV source that includes:

  • Global sports channels
  • Live news & entertainment
  • VOD movies and series

You’ll receive a URL like:

https://yourprovider.com/playlist.m3u
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5. Optional Features

Take your IPTV player further with:

  • EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
  • Categories / Filtering
  • Favorites list
  • Dark mode / custom themes
  • Chromecast or AirPlay support

With React, you can turn this into a full-featured IPTV web app.

Final Thoughts

This is just the beginning. IPTV is flexible and powerful — and when you pair it with custom tools like React, you gain total control over your viewing experience.

If you’re looking for a stable, high-quality IPTV M3U provider to power your custom player, Vast IPTV is a strong choice.

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