If IPTV is your main way of watching TV, buy the Formuler Z12 Ultra: the 2026 model, built for IPTV, with a network port, a backlit remote with real channel buttons and a guide that just works. If you want one modern box for IPTV plus your other streaming apps, the Google TV Streamer 4K does that for about €119. If you want to spend as little as possible, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still the stick to get; the newer Fire TV Stick 4K Select and HD run Amazon's new system and cannot install the IPTV apps. All three run HOT IPTV Player and IBO Player.
The three boxes side by side
| Formuler Z12 Ultra | Google TV Streamer 4K | Fire TV Stick 4K Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | IPTV as your main TV | IPTV plus all your other apps | Lowest price, second TV, holiday |
| Indicative price | around €229 | around €119 | €50–80 depending on offers |
| Released | 2026 | 2024 | 2023 (2nd generation) |
| System and memory | Android 12, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB | Google TV, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB | Fire OS (Android), 2 GB RAM, 16 GB |
| Network | Gigabit port + Wi-Fi 6E | Ethernet port + Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6E; port only via adapter |
| Picture | 4K60, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, AV1 | 4K60, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, AV1 | 4K60, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ |
| Remote | Backlit, number pad, channel up/down, guide button | Small; no number pad; voice; finder button | Small; no number pad; voice |
| Best app for it | MyTVOnline 4 (built in) or HOT IPTV Player | HOT IPTV Player or IBO Player from the Play Store | HOT IPTV Player or IBO Player via Downloader |
| Weak point | Price; sold by specialist shops, not the big chains | Home screen full of Google suggestions | Wi-Fi only out of the box; last Android model, no successor |
1. Formuler Z12 Ultra: the box made for IPTV
Formuler builds boxes for one purpose, and it shows. The Z12 Ultra is the 2026 flagship: Android 12, 4 GB of memory, 128 GB of storage, a gigabit network port, Wi-Fi 6E, Dolby Vision and Atmos, and the new backlit BT3 remote with a number pad, channel up and down, a guide button and a favourites key, so zapping feels like a normal TV. The built-in MyTVOnline 4 app takes your Xtream Codes login, loads the guide in seconds and offers catch-up, recording and multi-screen. Zapping stays instant even with a 30,000-channel list.
- Buy it if: IPTV is the main way you watch TV and you want the remote to behave like a decoder.
- Save money: the Z11 Pro Max (2023, around €180) has the same processor and 4 GB, with 32 GB of storage, Android 11 and MyTVOnline 3. For live TV it is just as fast; the Ultra adds storage, Wi-Fi 6E, Dolby Vision and the backlit remote.
- Skip it if: you mainly want a cheap stick for a bedroom TV, or you already have an Android TV.
Z12 Ultra, Z12 Ultra SE, Z12 Pro or Z11 Pro Max: all five Formulers compared
MyTVOnline on a Formuler, set up step by step
2. Google TV Streamer 4K: one box for everything
Google replaced the Chromecast with a small box that finally has what IPTV needs: 4 GB of memory, 32 GB of storage and a real Ethernet port on the back. It runs Google TV with the Play Store, so HOT IPTV Player, IBO Player and TiviMate install in one tap, and your other streaming apps sit next to them. It is fast, gets updates for years and costs about €119. What it is not: an IPTV decoder. The remote has no number keys, and the home screen pushes Google's own suggestions, which you can tone down in the settings.
- Buy it if: you want one modern box in the living room for IPTV and everything else, with a wired connection.
- Skip it if: you zap through hundreds of channels every evening; the Formuler's remote and guide are built for that.
- Already own a Chromecast with Google TV? Keep it: it runs the same apps, only with less memory and Wi-Fi only.
Which IPTV app on Google TV and Android TV, and how to install it
3. Fire TV Stick 4K Max: the cheapest way, but choose the right stick
Amazon now sells four sticks, and only two of them are still good for IPTV. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max and 4K Plus run Fire OS, which is Android: HOT IPTV Player, IBO Player, TiviMate and XCIPTV install in five minutes through the Downloader app. The newer Fire TV Stick 4K Select (2025) and Fire TV Stick HD (2026) run Vega OS, Amazon's new system that only accepts apps from its own store and cannot install Android apps. Amazon has said all future sticks will use Vega, so the 4K Max is the last of its kind; it is still sold everywhere and often under €60.
- Buy it if: you want the lowest price, a second TV, or something to take on holiday.
- Check the box says 4K Max or 4K Plus, not 4K Select or HD. That one word decides whether the IPTV apps install.
- Add the Ethernet adapter (about €15) for a living-room TV; on Wi-Fi the stick is the first to stutter in a busy house.
HOT IPTV Player on a Fire TV Stick: the 5-minute install
The app on the box: free to try, then activated once
Whichever box you pick, we recommend HOT IPTV Player first and IBO Player second: both take the same login, show the guide properly and handle large lists without slowing down. HOT IPTV Player is free for 30 days, IBO Player for 7 days; after that we activate the app for you for €8 a year or once for life (€15 for HOT, €10 for IBO), and it is included free with a 12-month Smootv plan. On a Formuler you can skip this entirely and use the built-in MyTVOnline.
HOT IPTV Player: 30 days free, then €8 a year or €15 for life
IBO Player: 7 days free, then €8 a year or €10 for life
All app activations in one place
What we would not buy
- Generic boxes with 1 or 2 GB of memory, however many channels the listing promises; the menus freeze on a real list.
- Boxes sold with a subscription code inside; the box is then tied to one reseller and you cannot switch.
- The Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Fire TV Stick HD (2026): good sticks for Netflix, useless for IPTV apps until the app makers publish Vega versions.
- Old MAG-style boxes for new buyers; slower than a €50 stick today. If you already own one, it works with Smootv; just do not buy one new.
Read: IPTV boxes from AliExpress, what to watch out for
Read: the full IPTV box buying guide
Questions about IPTV boxes
Is the Nvidia Shield TV Pro still worth it in 2026?
It is still the fastest Android TV box and Nvidia has promised updates into 2027, but the hardware dates from 2019, there is no successor, and it costs more than the Formuler Z12 Ultra. Buy it if you find one at a good price and use it for more than IPTV; otherwise the Google TV Streamer does the same job for half the money.
Do I need a box at all if I have a smart TV?
Not necessarily: Samsung and LG TVs from 2016 onwards run HOT IPTV Player and IBO Player directly. A box adds a better remote, faster zapping and a network port. Try the TV app first during the free trial.
Where do I buy a Formuler in the Netherlands or Belgium?
From specialist satellite and IPTV hardware shops and the larger marketplaces; the big electronics chains rarely stock it. Check that the listing says Z12 Ultra or Z11 Pro Max, not an older Z8 or Z10, and that it is the EU version with a European plug and warranty.
What about Apple TV?
The Apple TV 4K is an excellent IPTV device if you already own one: IBO Player and HOT IPTV Player are in the App Store. We did not list it in the top 3 because you would not buy a €170 box for IPTV alone when the Google TV Streamer does the same for €119.
Does Smootv sell boxes?
No. We sell the subscription and help you set up whatever box you choose; that keeps our advice independent.
Bought a box? Test Smootv on it for free
Request the 24-hour trial and tell us which box; we send the login for the right app and walk you through the first start.
