How it works
Swoop TV from sign-up to your first channel
You will not wait for a technician or rent a set-top box. This page covers each step from opening an account to watching live TV, along with a plain explanation of what goes on in the background.
Four steps and you are watching
1. Open a free account
Enter your name, email address and a password. It takes roughly a minute, and no payment card is involved.
2. Ask for the 24-hour trial
Let us know what device you watch on. Once the trial is set up, the login shows in your dashboard and an email lands in your inbox.
3. Set up a player and log in
Add the player app we suggest for your device, then type in the server URL, username and password.
4. Choose a plan if it suits you
Go for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months and the number of devices you want. The trial login carries over, so nothing needs reinstalling.
What goes on in the background
IPTV is short for Internet Protocol Television. Rather than coming in through a coax cable or a satellite dish, every channel reaches you as data over your regular home broadband, the same line your laptop and phone already use.
Pick a channel in your player and the app sends a request to the Swoop TV IPTV servers, attaching your login. Those servers check that your subscription is live and that a device slot is open, then begin streaming. Your player decodes the incoming data into video, much as a browser turns code into the page you read.
Guide data follows a separate path. The player fetches it on its own and matches it to the channel list, so on your very first login the guide may show up a minute after the channels. Read What is an EPG? for more on that, or start with What is IPTV? if the whole idea is new to you.
Your home checklist
- Broadband internet. About 25 Mbps handles a single HD stream with headroom, and extra screens call for extra speed. Our internet speed for IPTV guide has the details.
- A screen to watch on. A Smart TV, Firestick, Apple TV or Android TV box works, and so does a phone, tablet or computer.
- A player app, most of which are free or cheap, or simply a browser for the web player.
One dashboard for your whole account
Your dashboard is home base. You request the trial there, read your login details, buy a plan and return to it at renewal time. Lost your password? Use the forgot password page to set a new one.
If you get stuck, a real person answers messages sent from the contact page. Many common issues are already solved in writing in the Swoop TV help center.
Questions about how it works
When will my trial login arrive?
A member of our team checks each trial request, normally within a few hours while support is open. We send you an email the moment your details are waiting in the dashboard.
Is a dish or an antenna required?
Not at all. Swoop TV runs over the internet connection you already have. All you need is something to watch on, like a Firestick, Smart TV, Android TV box, phone or computer.
What happens once my plan runs out?
The login pauses when your term finishes. Renew in the dashboard and your existing details start working again, with no need to redo the setup in your player.
Test Swoop TV at home before you pay
For 24 hours you get the full lineup, the guide and the on-demand library on your own screen. We never ask for a card.